Success stories King Erik – The unexpected Best Man

By Paul Boyles.

For the past several years my partner Kay had been asking if we could get a horse and in 2021, I finally gave in. We welcomed King Erik into our family on the 1^st of May, a former racehorse who retired from racing due to an injury. Having never owned a horse before I took the lead from my fiancé who had ridden horses since a young age however, that was over 20 years ago.

So, at the grand old age of 46, I learned to ride. King Erik, known as Erik at home, is very placid and was very patient with me. I am astounded at some of the things that he does. For example, I tacked him up one day and I hadn't quite done it right. I mounted and he wouldn't move. When I say he wouldn't move, he wouldn't go anywhere. I dismounted to check him over and noticed a problem with his girth. I quickly rectified it, and he walked out when I mounted again. On another occasion, my wife and I were walking back through the field when a few horses came stampeding towards us, Erik turned lengthways to shield us from the horses. We are convinced that this was to protect us.

I never realised the bond that you get with a horse and I decided that King Erik was to be my best man. For 8 months prior to the wedding, myself and a friend Stephanie Marshall prepared Erik to carry the rings down the aisle.

When the day came on Saturday 28^th of May, Erik was my best man. Unknown to the bride and all the guests, King Erik, ridden by Stephanie walked up the aisle to deliver the rings with a grand entrance to the music of Black Beauty. It was a complete surprise and quite spectacular to see a 17"2 hh former racehorse proudly walk down the aisle between 95 guests and all the chairs. He then stood for photos for around 90 minutes and didn't miss a beat, including being the centre of a photo where all 95 guests were around him.

Erik is amazing and is very much a part of our family, he has given us so many happy memories and I cannot speak highly enough about this special boy. The moral of Erik’s story is, just because someone can't do a role because of injury, with the right training, belief and love, you can always do something else.

King Erik is one in a million and we were so lucky to find him.