"Requiem for an Appaloosa" was written in memory of my Appaloosa horse, String of Roses that, sadly, lost the battle for his life in September, 2009. The Roseman was, and will remain, possibly the best horse I have ever owned, and I will miss him until the end of my days.

Rest easy my good boy...



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And now, Requiem For an Appaloosa


October 26th, 1881 marked the street fight in Tombstone, which became known as "The gunfight at the OK corral", in which three men died and four men were thrust into infamy. The same day the Bar-A, the ranch owned by the Hunter, is raided by five bandits. They kill everyone present on the ranch including Martha and John Barrett, the Bar-A caretakers. Breaking into the office safe they make off with over twenty-five thousand dollars, one hundred fifty head of trained cavalry horses, the Barrett's fourteen year old daughter Maggie and the one and only Appaloosa, Horse.

Drawing the Hunter into trailing them, they drive deep into Mexico leaving a trail a blind man could follow. Along the way, the Hunter enlists the assistance of his good friend, Jolly Goodman and the stoic legendary Apache Kid. They follow warily, always a day or so behind and find ghastly leavings along the way. The Hunter is now primed for revenge and soon finds himself fighting the very darkness as the men he is tracking.

As the raid turns gradually into the hunt, Lafferty Deacon, Manny Cores, Medrano. Lester and Joe start to feel complacent, that they are the ones being smart and lose sight of the fact that the Hunter is still behind them and not gone back to Arizona like they think. One by one, as they are killed, the five realize they have bitten off more than they can handle and are now in a deadly fight for their lives. Horse, being severely injured by the bandits, is given his final opportunity to go on the hunt with the Hunter before his retirement and turning the hunt over to the younger Cochise given to the Hunter by Thomas Hardy.

Introduced in this novel are two ranch hands hired in a bar in Douglas. Jeff Stryker and Bobby Malloy are just the hands needed when the Hunter seeks someone to watch the recaptured herd and the two young men from Waco Texas filled the bill and then some.

It is a dark story of redemption and honor played out a bullet at a time and one the reader is not soon to forget.


 on amazon



An Amazing Appaloosa, String of Roses

 "Horse"



Horse doing what he loves the best...eating




My friend, the Roseman