Missy the Miracle Mare: From Death's Door to Derby Win

When Olivia Allen's veterinarian scheduled euthanasia for her beloved reining horse Missy, she made one desperate request: let me take her home for one last weekend.

What happened next would earn Missy a new name and a return to the arena nobody thought possible.

Allen, a reining horse trainer from Kinta, Oklahoma, knew something was special about Missy from their first ride together five years ago. The mare seemed to read her mind in the saddle. At their first show together in May, Missy won her class both days.

But in October, Allen noticed Missy lying down more than usual. Something felt off. A vet visit revealed devastating news: Missy's colon had displaced, backing up her intestines in a life threatening tangle.

Surgery went smoothly, but recovery became a nightmare. After six weeks at the veterinary hospital, Missy still wouldn't eat or have normal bowel movements. Her body was shutting down.

The vet's advice was clear: it was time to let her go. Allen begged to bring Missy home for one final weekend, just to let her be a horse before Monday's scheduled euthanasia.

Allen prayed harder than she ever had in her life. She asked God for a miracle.

On Sunday, the miracle arrived. Allen ran screaming into her house, startling her husband with news he never expected to hear her celebrate: "She pooped! She pooped!"

That single bowel movement signaled Missy's body was working again. The mare scheduled to die on Monday started eating, moving, and recovering. Within months, she was back in training.

Sunny's Take

Fast forward to the National Reining Horse Derby at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds this month, where Missy the Miracle Mare returned to competition. Allen could barely hold back tears as Missy ran and stopped better than ever before, proving that sometimes the darkest moments come right before the brightest victories.

The bond between horse and human, strengthened through crisis, now shines in the arena where Missy belongs.

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