The Outside of Ponies Is Good For the Inside of People Diva performed her everyday trick at Life Pointe Village By Melinda Sipes Barnett On July 20, 2010 two ponies visited Life Pointe Village, a Faith-based Retirement Living facility in Southaven, MS. It was Western Week, so I took Mr. Sipe’s (resident Howe K. Sipes) ponies for a visit, arranged by Tracy Higgins, Life Enrichment Coordinator. Many residents raised their hands, saying they had horses back in their younger years. I take care of Daddy's ponies on my property right down the road from him in Hernando, MS. The red mare is Diva Pony, whom Mr. Sipes bought as a companion pony. Diva is 14 years old; she is half miniature horse, half pony. She performed her everyday trick of picking up her bowl and throwing it. The white pony is Buddy, whom Daddy used as a driving pony with a red pony cart and black harness. Buddy is 30+ years old and Howe K. Sipes, Jr. is 91 years old. Who is older? Mr. Sipes rode a Tennessee Walking Horse named Stormy and was probably THE original Hill Topper hunting with Longreen FoxHounds. He brought his whole family out to ride - Wanda, Mike, Cindy and Melinda Sipes. The family involvement with Longreen extended for several years, with Mike serving as a whipper-in. Daddy also took my brother and me to hunter/jumper shows, and to SASCA shows in the 1960s and 1970s. I won my first ribbon in 1969. We had a couple of Quarter Horses, so I also showed in AQHA shows. Daddy also bred Thoroughbreds for the racetrack. Daddy had a boarding stable in Germantown, TN. Later, he built a bigger barn on Walnut Grove Road at Sanga Road, and it is still behind the church that is on the property now. In 1996 I came back into the horse world with Montie, and back to foxhunting for a year or two. Daddy couldn't stand it, so he bought several horses; Buddy and Diva were two of them. Diva's veterinarian and farrier called her by the name she once earned - Devil Pony, but after such a great social outing, we will now call her Diva Pony.