# 74 CLEVER THINKING AT SIX YEARS OLD

In 1961, when Trip was six, he was in a large Trail Pony class at the Deerfield Fair. It was, and still is, the largest outdoor horse show in New England.

Fifteen ponies were in the class. Trip was the youngest rider, and Aloysius the smallest pony.  After all the competitors did their rail work (walked, trotted and cantered both ways of the ring), the judge asked the riders to line their ponies at the far end of the ring to wait until it was their turn to do the obstacles.

Trip was the last one in the line-up. I was at the entrance gate at the other end of the ring. One by one, the ponies were supposed to go through the obstacles; backing through poles that were on the ground, opening and closing a mailbox and going over a small jump.

I watched the first eight riders struggling to make their ponies go through their difficult, individual workouts. I noticed that Trip had turned Aloysius around so they both faced the other direction. I said to myself, “What is he doing with his back to what is happening in the ring?”

I hurried down to the far end of the ring. He and Aloysius were near the rail, still turned in the opposite direction.  Leaning over the rail, I quietly asked him, “Why are you facing the wrong way?” He said,” Mum, I turned Aloysius around so he wouldn’t see all the mistakes the other ponies are making.”

Trip was right.   Every pony had a problem with one obstacle or another.   He continued to keep Aloysius facing away from his competitors until he was called for his turn.  He and Aloysius then performed a perfect, mistake-free workout and won the class!

I was still leaning on the rail, watching Trip as he happily made his victory pass.   As he went by me smiling, I heard two women next to me talking. One said to the other, “Oh my, look! That’s the little boy that just won this class. He is so young that he still has his baby teeth!”

Our oldest son, Trip (Jonathan Snow Lewis,III), now 55, was diagnosed last February with serious throat cancer.   He bravely suffered through months of very painful radiation.  

Trip called me this evening with the very best news a mother, family and friends could hope for….that he is  ”cancer free”.  We  LOVE YOU Trip ! ! !