Family & Cherished Memories are Everything
When Tara Stark was 23 years old, she had the chance to show a mare named “Oak Mist”. The National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes was held in Abilene that year as the Will Rogers Coliseum was under construction at the time. Tara's older brother Tony made the trip from Wichita Falls to watch her show in the finals. "I can still hear the sound of his voice hollering for me as we marked a 226.5 to win Reserve in the Open", Tara said. (Cool fact: Tara and Tom Lyons both broke the record of points earned in the Open Class of the Super Stakes. The previous record of 222 points had been established by Docs Okie Quixote in 1984, and it would be 14 years before the 227 point record that won the Super Stakes that night would be surpassed!) Many years and a few buckles later, she started sharing her buckles with family members that wanted one. Tony called and asked if she would mind sending him one. To his surprise she sent him the Reserve Championship buckle from that night in Abilene. "It was my highest achievement and most prized buckle", mentioned Tara. He called their Mom and said, “ I think she sent me the wrong buckle”. Their mom assured him that Tara wanted him to have that one. It was a special night to have him there and moments together she will never forget. Last year as Tara began her journey back onto a horse and into the cutting pen, she called Tony and asked if he was still wearing the buckle and to see if she could get it back to wear into the pen again after a 15 year hiatus. He came to town to visit their parents recently and he brought the buckle to her. That same weekend Tara wore the buckle to the herd and her Brother watched her show for the first time since she had won it that night long ago. A sweet moment in time that will always be held close. Family and cherished memories are everything!!
Tara and her older brother, Tony Stark. (Yes, he is Iron Man.)
