BRONZE STATUE DEDICATED TO RUGGED LARK DURING MEMORIAL

HUNDREDS GATHER TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE SUPERHORSE AT HIS RESTING PLACE IN OCALA, FLORIDA.  

View footage of the Rugged Lark Memorial

View footage of AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer reciting a poem in Rugged Lark's honor.

It was a fitting memorial for a one-of-a-kind horse.

About 400 admirers honored American Quarter Horse Rugged Lark during his memorial service May 18 at Bo-Bett Farm in Ocala, Florida. “Lark’s” owner, Carol Harris of Bo-Bett farm, gave a touching speech highlighting special memories of the two-time Superhorse and giving thanks to the many people who contributed to the stallion’s extraordinary success. Several speakers took the stage during the event, including American Quarter Horse Foundation Chairman Nancy Hughes and AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer.

Culminating the emotional memorial, Harris unveiled a bronze statue of Lark above his resting place, amid orange trees and the American flag. The larger-than-lifesize bronze of Lark was sculpted by renowned equine artist Marrita McMillian. McMillian and her husband, Mike, of Gainesville, Texas, assisted with the unveiling along with Brewer and Executive Vice President of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Dick Hancock.

Carol Harris greets the large crowd.

Harris introduced Marion County Therapeutic Riding Program client, 8-year-old Mary Lisa Dyer, who had long dreamed of one day riding Rugged Lark. Although she didn’t get to ride him while he was alive, Harris made sure the little girl was the first to sit atop Lark’s statue.“People from the Quarter Horse industry, the Arabian industry, the hunter/jumper industry and race horse industry – they were all there,” Harris said. “The townspeople were there, too – people who knew this horse because they’d seen him at different occasions here in town. Many people came from a long distance. The crowd was a testament to the different meanings Lark had for so many different people. These are the people who have been touched by a horse and who thoroughly love them.”

The Rugged Lark bronze will forever greet people as they enter Bo-Bett Farm. The inscription on the plaque at the base of the statue reads:

RUGGED LARK
May 6, 1981 – October 26, 2004

AN AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE
Amazingly different, it set him apart
Trusting and brave, he exposed his heart.
Super Horse, Ambassador, Champion Sire,
An American Legend for all to aspire.
One Moment In Time, he left his mark.
Unforgettable, unequaled, our friend,
RUGGED LARK.
                                                   -- Pam Cramer, St. Augustine, FL

Harris has devoted Lark’s memory to America’s Horse Cares, a program of the American Quarter Horse Foundation. America’s Horse Cares supports therapeutic riding by granting funds to therapeutic riding organizations and individuals who complete a grant request and meet certain criteria.

As poster boy for America’s Horse Cares, Lark has posthumously made significant strides in getting the program off to a great start.

America’s Horse Cares has received $34,860 as of June 1, of which $2,455 is in memory of Rugged Lark.

Many members of the Foundation Council and Committee attended Lark's memorial service.

During the memorial celebration, friends of the Foundation offered free limited-edition commemorative Rugged Lark pins to people who donated $10 or more to America’s Horse Cares in memory of Rugged Lark. The offer was well received – America’s Horse Cares received $645 during the event, and more donations are coming in from attendees of the memorial service.

“Lark meant a lot to these people,” Harris said of Lark’s supporters. “He was a perfect example of a horse who, in training, his show career and his entertainment career, had an attitude that was absolutely treasured. He was an education to so many people.

“Lark was so different, and so many people realized it and appreciated it. He had a lot of meaning, and the more you think about him, the more meanings you’ll discover. He encourages you to hold your head up and say, ‘I’m proud I have an American Quarter Horse.’ ”

You can still receive your free limited-edition commemorative Rugged Lark pin while supplies last! Simply make an online donation to America’s Horse Cares for $10 or more. Please specify your donation in memory of Rugged Lark.

Also, purchase a copy of the renowned “America’s Super Horse, The Story of Rugged Lark” at Quarter Horse Outfitters.

For more information on America’s Horse Cares and other programs of the American Quarter Horse Foundation, call (806) 376-5181 or e-mail Veronica Almanza. 

MORE FROM THE MEMORIAL

Click here for the poem read by AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer and Rugged Lark's rendition of "To All the Girls I've Loved Before."