Circumstances sometimes conspire to provide an unhappy ending, but as
          Often people can intervene and change "unhappy" to "happy."
          Such is the case with a Standardbred stallion named Pedrine. The subject of a dispersal sale due to the ill health of its owner; a New Hampshire auction ring his next stop; nobody willing to bid on an older horse with little commercial future as a stallion.
          His fate was clear to all. But not entirely clear to a gentleman named
          John Foster.
          Foster knew the only bidders would be representatives of meatpacking
          firms, but he also knew that the neatly-clipped and handsome horse had plenty of life and value left in him. The bidding started at $200, and foster haltered Pedrine for just over $400 -- pennies beyond the stallion's value to those who didn't see what Foster saw walking in the sales ring.
          Within hours of the sale, Foster contacted Jaye-Allison Winkel, president of the Maine Chapter of the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization trying to place Pedrine with someone who would care for him -- not an easy task when the subject is an 18-year-old stallion.
          SPHO is a National organization dedicated to the promotion of Standardbreds as pleasure horses. The SPHO is not an adoption agency, but does try to assist in placements and sales of Standardbreds whenever possible.
          The United States Trotting Association assisted in expediting the placement by obtaining the stallion's ownership papers from the sellers for Foster.
          Fate again knocks; into the story walks Dr. Robert Causey.
          Causey, a short time after Foster's purchase, contacted the SPHO regarding possible subjects for the Equine Reproduction Clinic at the University of Maine at Orono. Hearing of Foster's purchase he drives to New Hampshire to inspect and approve of Pedrine's participation in the UofM program.
          The University is expanding its agriculture programs, expanding studies in equine management and reproduction into the curriculum, and while racing and breeding racehorses is not part of the program the University fields an intercollegiate riding team and breeds mares and trains the resultant foals.
          Causey, before coming to the UofM, had worked in Florida and came to know Standardbreds as a breed with a tremendous number of positive attributes and he was searching for a stallion to include in the program he had come to administer.
          Causey wants more Standardbreds in the program; they make gentle "instructors" for his students. He also knew they were plentiful in New England and contacted the SPHO for potential recruits.
          In a note to Winkel, who is also national secretary of the SPHO, Dr. Causey wrote, "We are looking for animals to be donated to us as charitable tax deductions. We are looking for young mares, about three to six years old, and a calm stallion to help us get the program going. The horses would receive a lot of human contact from our students, and would be educated as pleasure horses while they were with us.
          "Some of the mares would have foals, either their own or embryos donated from other mares. After they had been with us for approximately two years the mares would go to good homes.
          "The stallion could be with us indefinitely. If you are interested in placing an animal with us please contact me at (207) 581-2782, or E-mail me at rcausey@maine.maine.edu.
          "This would benefit the University, the students, and above all give the horses a future."
          Pedrine was scheduled to be transported to Orono this week, and the SPHO is raising funds to reimburse Mr. Foster for his efforts.
          From a grisly fate to a "college scholarship." It shows you what can happen when fate takes a hand —- when assisted by some very fine people.