By Cynthia Lockrey
Punch Buggie was 12-years-old when she was ridden for the first time. The Arabian quarter horse had been sitting in a field for 10 years before she was rescued by Rachel Currie's coach.
The Victoria rider had to start with the basics, as Punch Buggie didn't even know how to be hand walked, much less ridden.
On Sunday, Punch Buggie went from being a rescue horse to a gold medal champion winning the equestrian jumping competition at the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games.
"This has been an incredible experience," says 15-year-old Currie. "Punch Buggie and I spend a lot of time together. I feed her breakfast, lunch and dinner every weekend and clean her paddock every day."
This close connection shows as Punch Buggie has total trust in her rider. A remarkable feat going from a rescue horse to gold champion in less than three years.
Currie's aspiration is to become a horse trainer and hopes to move to Texas with her coach Meagan Nance in the future.
Cowichan Exhibition proved a great venue for the Equestrian events, both for riders and their horse partners.
