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18 April 1991 - 02 April
2008
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Dearest Darcy,
We think about you every
day, my love. Our little family misses you so much. You left such a hole
in our lives. I miss you too. No one compares to you, of course we love Mikey
too. It was always the two of you together, you had such a connection.
We've had a baby since you left, but you already knew he was coming, didn't
you? You were so gentle with me when I rode you up from the field, even though
you were already ill by then, you looked after me.
When ridden you came alive,
you were sparky and fast. You loved going out on the common and going for
a gallop. You put your heart and soul into your work and enjoyed everything
to the fullest. Sometimes you would get a bit silly, but you were always
brave as a lion and surefooted. You looked after everyone who had the privilege
to sit on you. Zach, our little boy, loved you. You and Mikey were his playmates
from when he was young. He had grown up with you.
Near the end we noticed
that you were struggling with your work, your poor heart was working so hard,
but we didn't know, my love. I am so sorry that I didn't realize that you
were poorly before we did. We came down to the stables one day and you were
down in the stable. I looked into your eyes and you looked back at me and
I knew that it was your time. You put your head in Rich's lap, your chest
was filled with fluid and you struggled to breathe. The vet came, he took
some blood. He said he knew that whatever was ailing you was very serious.
He gave you a shot of pain relief to keep you comfortable and told us he
would phone us with the results the next day. We had to call him back later
on, you were down again. He came back and made you comfortable for the night
and said that you had fluid on your lungs and that your heart was struggling
too.
The next morning the vet
came back, you wouldn't eat. He gave you another shot of painkiller and you
started eating. We clung on to hope that we could fix you. He said to call
for the results of the blood tests after 2pm. We did, and the bottom fell
out of our world. You had congestive heart failure...no treatment was available,
you were dying. Our hearts shattered into a million pieces.
The vets were great, they
came out that evening and made you comfortable until we had to say goodbye
the next morning. We didn't sleep that night, the dawn brought no comfort.
We knew what we had to do, but it was for the best.
You went to sleep at 08.45
am on the 02 April 2008 with your beloved Mikey and us with you. I hope that
you understand.
We love you, gorgeous boy.
You will always be in our hearts.
RIP, Darcy
xxxx
To Our Darling
Darcy
Now we just have pictures
to remember what we've lost,
Every day we have to deal with losing you and what it has
cost.
We'll no longer see your
handsome face,
Nor will we hear your sweet whickers in the dark.
I can't fathom how we'll
cope without you,
Or survive without your loving spark.
Sensible and saintly,
always kind,
I close my eyes and can always find you waiting for me in the recesses of
my mind.
We were blessed to have
you, even though the time was short,
You were one in a million, my love, the best sort.
So my friend, I'll bid
you farewell - I know we'll meet again.
I'll see you standing on the bridge and know I'm home again.
Written By
Nikki Overton
Darcy. In a nutshell, you
were my best friend in the world. We'd known each other for almost nine years
and seen each other thing many times through thick and thin.
When I met you, you were an unruly thoroughbred driving your owners to
distraction with your bad behaviour and naughty ways, but we quickly came
to an understanding after we met. You weren't naughty. You weren't misbehaved.
You were bored, waiting desperately for someone to come along and fill your
life with something special and interesting. Luckily, it was exactly the
same thing I had been looking for as well.
We spent our first years as distant friends at the behest of
someone else, as you were not owned by me, but eventually you were mine and,
to be truthful, I was yours. We did so many things together - we galloped
through forests, we swam in rivers, we climbed hills, we explored new places,
we pushed through hedges that had never been traversed before. We were a
team. I trusted you with my life and I with yours. You'd have jumped the
moon for me and I would have run into a burning stable to set you free. I
don't know if I'll feel that trust in any horse (or anyone) again.
What we had was so special. I feel that something inside me
has died with you but I'm not sure what. I don't believe in the afterlife,
but you have given me hope that it does exist so that I might see you one
last time. I would do anything to have you back and I miss you so badly.
I hope that wherever you are that you're happy and you understand my decision
to have you put to sleep. I knew you were never going to get better and rather
than have you die in pain under who knows what circumstance, I wanted you
to die with your friends and family surrounding you, which we managed to
achieve. Mikey was there. Nikki was there. I was there. We all loved you
immeasurably and none of us wanted to see you go. I was strong for you as
you drew your last breath. I wanted you to hear my voice encouraging you
and telling you everything would be okay in your final moments and I hope
that you remember me for eternity.
Mikey misses you. Nikki misses you. In our own way we all want
you to be there again so that we can enjoy one more moment with you, but
I can only tell you about my own loss - I feel lost without you. I look at
your pictures each day and I still cry for you, six months after you left.
I hope you've found peace, my friend, and whilst I know that each day I live
without you I will struggle to find peace a small uncynical piece of me hopes
that I'm wrong and that I will find you happy to see me in the afterlife.
I love you, Darcy. I always did. I always will.
Richard
Darcy 
