By Karen Lato-Jensen

Newtown is a great town! It offers so much to its citizens in the forms of natural rural beauty, small town appeal, great schools, kind folks and fun activities such as the annual Labor Day Parade and the Frost on the Pumpkin Hunter Pace, which is put on each year by the Newtown Bridle Lands Association.

Within this slice of Americana, a strong horse community exists. This very special society is comprised of dedicated horse owners, first-rate businesses whose goods and services supply Newtown’s local stables and individual horse owners, and ultimately, the horses.

Horses are powerful animals in many respects. The obvious is physical. However, horses seem to touch the soul of many in a much more powerful way. Month after month, Hoofprints’ mission is to simply celebrate those horses, people, businesses and Newtown’s unique reputation, as the horse community.

While recently researching an inspirational quote for another monthly interview, I came across a quote which struck a chord so deep, it reminded me of the great horse I had been lucky to have known. He was a long-time resident of Newtown, living most of his life at Joe Lato Horse Farm. His registered quarter horse name was Band Time Bailey. His everyday name was Jim.

Band Time Bailey was foaled (born) in April 1960 in Graham, Texas. His sire (father) was Toney Don Jo and his dam (mother) was Dolly Hawkins. For those who study quarter horse bloodlines, he traced back to the great Peter McCue and Joe Bailey.

Band Time Bailey had a strong show record for the brief time he was shown in registered quarter horse shows in the 1960’s. Along with points in halter, he specialized in reining, western riding and working cow horse, accumulating enough points to gain a Performance Register of Merit.

According to AQHA records, during his racing career, he had 55 starts, four wins, one second and one third. The race record that came with his quarter horse papers indicates he won a race at the New York State Fairgrounds on October 15, 1967, bringing in a purse of $18.75.

Band Time Bailey was not only a solid, multi-talented performer, he was a great personality. He was a docile and sweet grey gelding (officially a Roan on his papers) whose only flaw were the cataracts in both eyes that had not taken his sight.

In 1969, my father, Joe Lato, stopped to grab a bite of lunch in a diner while in his travels looking at horses to buy for his customers. My father rarely ever stopped to eat. He never before stopped at this diner. While waiting for his food, he was approached by a man who had noticed his truck and horse trailer parked outside. The man asked if he would be interested in buying a horse. My father was and is always interested in buying a good horse. The man took him to the horse and showed my father a 15.2 hand, shapely, good-minded gelding.

My father said, “he was an eyeful.”

The two men settled on a price and that good-minded horse was loaded on my father’s trailer.

Jim came home to our first barn in Bethel that day. When we moved to Newtown in 1970, after building the barn and house, Jim came with the rest of the stock. Jim was a part of our family and our farm. My dad has countless stories how he used Jim – once to help him rope some wild horses he bought, another time to chase a horse down through the woods that got loose. Jim’s standard job was being the first mount customers rode to show their abilities with a horse, so my dad could match them with a horse for purchase from the stock.

It was unusual for my dad to keep a horse around for just us. We were in the horse business. This was our livelihood and he always could find another good horse to replace what we were riding. However, Jim was irreplaceable. Over the years, my father had been offered a lot of money for Jim and had a list of people that said “Joey, if you ever sell that horse I want to buy him!” Jim was never to be sold. He was part of our family and truly loved was the only horse to stay permanently.

When I started local showing in the late 1970’s, Jim was my first show horse. He was such an easy horse to ride. He had a gentle jog and rocking chair lope. All you needed to do was point him to a task and he willingly did it. I won a large trail class up state because Jim was the only horse to walk in between two clothes lines and go through a water obstacle.

Since he was my first show horse, I did not understand his greatness. He carried me to win and place well at shows. My father prophesied that I would never understand how good he was until I started showing other horses. When I went on to showing other horses from our stock in the following years, I realized the truth in my father’s words. I was blessed to ride some nice registered Appaloosas and quarter horses and had some successes in the local show ring with them, yet none ever came close to Jim’s talent, willingness and grace.

In the late 1980’s, due to old age, our beloved Jim died. Today, I have his quarter horse papers, show and race records and numerous pictures throughout my home. He has been gone a long time yet I still sob whenever I look at his papers. Jim came to Newtown and never left.

My dad says if you are lucky, you have one great horse in your lifetime. Jim was our family’s great horse and we all still miss him.

“In every great horseman’s life, there is one unforgettable horse that opens the door to limitless possibilities . . .” – Author Unknown

If you live, play or work in Newtown and have a special horse that has touched your life, if you are a business that supports the horse industry in Newtown or if you know someone who is connected with Newtown and horses or the horse community, would you please email me at karen2171@charter.net. I would love to share your or their story.