Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:
June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010
Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith:
April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate
the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic,
Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.
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Published in 1948 by Random House, The Island Stallion introduced readers to Flame, a magnificent red stallion whose story would become every bit as memorable as the adventures of the Black Stallion.
I expected another
Black Stallion story. Instead, I found something different. Farley takes
readers to a mysterious Caribbean island where young Steve Duncan discovers a
hidden herd of wild horses. At the center of it all is Flame, a blazing-red
stallion with speed, intelligence, and enough spirit to engage any reader.
An early passage
captures the wonder of Steve's discovery:
"Before him
stretched a broad valley, and in it grazed horses. Hundreds of them."
It's a simple
moment, but one that immediately hooked me. What horse-crazy person wouldn't
want to stumble upon a secret valley filled with wild horses?
Farley's own
background helps explain why his stories continue to resonate. Although he
never owned a horse as a child, he spent countless hours around horses through
his uncle, a horse trainer. Those experiences gave him an understanding of
equine behavior that set his books apart from many other children's adventures.
He respected horses as intelligent individuals, not merely animals that carried
the plot from one chapter to another.
The original edition
featured illustrations by Keith Ward, whose artwork beautifully complemented
Farley's storytelling.
Flame is not a
substitute for the Black Stallion. He has his own personality. Flame is wild,
proud, and deeply connected to the island he rules. Reading the book today,
it's easy to understand why Farley devoted additional novels to the Island
Stallion series.
The older I get, the
more I realize that the best children's books never really leave us. The
Island Stallion still carries that sense of wonder it had when it was first
published. It reminds us that adventure may be just beyond the horizon,
hidden on an island waiting to be discovered, with a magnificent horse standing
watch over it.
For horse lovers,
that's a dream worth revisiting.
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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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