Harley earns hero award
Animal Planet sends film crew to Woodville
By SHARON KERR

Harley the Horse has the right stuff to become a Texas legend. He has the film credits and the big silver award to prove it, too, according to owner Pam Riley of Woodville.

The Riley family acquired Harley a few days after Hurricane Rita. The storm took the barn and there were damaged fences all over the property, but Harley seemed content to pasture with the Rileys’ 35-year-old mare, Girl Friday.

One day in late October 2005, Riley went out to feed the horses, who were usually waiting at the gate.

No horses. Riley called, using a yodel famous in Tyler county because it carries so far. Still no horses.

Finally Harley came to the gate, but would come no farther. “He was raring up and bucking and squealing,” Riley said, “so I jumped in my truck and followed him.

“He wheeled around and led me a long ways away to an area with a bunch of trees down, but I still could not see my mare.”

Riley said Harley put his nose down and began stepping across the trees. She followed, sometimes having to sit on a log and swing her legs over, crossing tree after tree, until finally she saw the mare, trapped.

HARLEY THE HORSE rescued Girl Friday and owner Pam Riley.

The trees had knocked down a cross fence and the barbed wire was wrapped around the mare’s haunches.

“She wasn’t down, not even seriously injured, but I couldn’t get her out.” Riley was also experiencing extreme pain with every step. An x-ray later showed that somewhere along the way she fractured her ankle.

It was getting late and Riley didn’t know how she would get herself out of this situation, but she had her cell phone and was able to contact rescuers.

The only problem? They asked where she was, and when she looked at the Rita-damaged hills, she realized all familiar landmarks were gone.

The rescuers set out in what they figured to be the general direction, but when they could not find Riley they asked again where she was.

“I don’t know,” she told them. She wasn’t even sure she was still on her property or her neighbor’s. It was a long shot, but Riley told Harley to go find the rescuers, and off the horse went to the top of a hill.

The rescuers came back on the phone and said, “Tell your horse not to move. We can see him and we’re coming to you.”

When they reached Riley, they wanted to take her and the mare back to her property because it was shorter than the circuitous route they had taken to find her.

Riley was in pain, disoriented and unsure of directions, but by then she had some confidence in her horse.

“Harley, take us home,” she instructed, and Harley led the way.

Girl Friday recovered with a few stitches. Riley sent Harley’s story into a newsletter, not expecting it to amount to anything.

The next thing she knew, the TV show Animal Planet was arranging for a film crew from Houston to come and film Harley, who was an obliging show off.

Riley was flown to a national ASPCA gala in New York.

“We had a great big fancy wine and tuxedo banquet,” Riley said. She was presented with a trophy for Harley as “Horse of the Year.”