It's official: 'Smoke,' the blind horse from the High Desert, sets Guinness World Record
“Smoke,” the blind horse with a “heart of gold and soul on fire,” is a “Guinness World Records Title Holder.”
Yermo’s Britney Swenson and her sightless equine companion were emailed about the title on Thursday, she told the Daily Press.
“We are thrilled to inform you that your application for the fastest time for a blind horse to weave five poles has been successful,” the Guinness Records Management Team stated.
On Thursday, the Guinness website showed that the record run of “6.50 seconds was achieved by Smoke them all the Sightless and his owner, Britney Swenson.
A 'true champion'
Swenson, the owner of Pegasus Training Stables, and Smoke set the world record on Nov. 19 at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds and Event Center in Ridgecrest.
“Because of all the obstacles on the way to setting the record, it was mission impossible, but we did it,” Swenson said. “And now, it’s time to plan a big old party.”
The Guinness website stated that Swenson attempted the record with Smoke because she knows he is a special guy “with a special story and hopes this achievement inspires other horse owners to not give up on their blind horses.”
“I was so excited when I read the email from Guinness,” Swenson told the Daily Press. “Smoke performed like a true champion to become the record holder.”
Guinness officials will send the riding duo a complimentary “certificate of title” for their record-setting accomplishment, they said.
Human and equine obstacles
Swenson shared that several obstacles stood between the riding duo and the record-setting attempt, including riding a blind, cancer-surviving rescue horse that a previous owner abused.
Additionally, scheduling changes, injuries, event cancellations, and difficulty finding a traveling veterinarian to be on-site during the record attempt.
Swenson, a trailered Smoke, and their support crew also battled heavy winds on the way to and at the fairgrounds in Ridgecrest.
“The certified judges, who measured the patterns, made an error by adding another pole, which added 6 feet to the course,” Swenson said. “I had already made two failed attempts with the incorrect course.”
She explained that Guinness had stipulations that you can not have more than a certain number of attempts or runs in 24 hours.
“The first two runs didn’t count, so we had the option of scrapping the whole thing or running again for the last time,” Swenson said. “We had one last true attempt with the course correction, and we did it.”
Additionally, the president of the Thundering Hooves Gymkhana Club, an official witness at the record attempt, broke his elbow a few weeks before the race.
“Despite canceling the other Gymkhana events, the judge still showed up,” Swenson said.
After losing her onsite veterinarian just before the race, Swenson found another doctor who wanted to return the favor after she gave her a free riding lesson,” said Swenson, who owns Pegasus Training Stables and manages Lil's Saloon at Calico Ghost Town.
Smoke’s Equine Oasis
Swenson shared that she’s working through the legal process of her Smoke’s Equine Oasis becoming a nonprofit.
“The nonprofit is a rescue horse sanctuary with forever homes, meaning they will be safe here and never adopted out,” Swenson said. “I want to invite people who are not horse savvy to come and interact with the horses.”
Swenson thanked all her supporters, including the Desert Empire Fairgrounds, Thundering Hooves Gymkhana, David and Virginia Leighton.
To read more about Swenson and Smoke, visit Smoke’s Equine Oasis page on Facebook. Also, read the Daily Press story “High Desert ‘Smoke’ and rider may have set Guinness World Record for a blind horse.”
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Blind horse from High Desert is a Guinness World Records holder
