- Despite her age, the world’s oldest mare still likes to flirt with the stable’s young stallions.
There are few things better than a lifelong friendship. Being able to grow old with someone you can trust completely is a rare but beautiful thing.
That’s what Paige Sigmon Blumer and Fancy from Virginia have done. Only, Fancy isn’t a person, but a horse.
The world’s oldest horse, in fact.
Fancy was recently recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living horse. Her record (at the time of recognition on February 25) stands at 37 years and 329 days.
For nearly 30 years, Fancy has been Sigmon Blumer’s best friend and companion. The horse has seen her grow from a young child to an adult with a kid of her own.
“I would never have believed you if you told me at the age of 33 and 37, Fancy and I would still be together and sharing lifelong memories,” Sigmon Bluer told Guinness World Records.
“[We] have been confronted with many health battles as she has gotten older. [But she] never gives up and is such a strong-willed horse, and in return, I never give up on her.”
With the record, Fancy overtook Baskaladd, another American horse who passed away last year at the age of 38. Yet, she still has many years to go to become the oldest horse ever, a record currently held by Old Billy, who died in 1822 at 62 years old.
Here’s hoping Fancy makes it that far.
Hero from the Beginning
Fancy was born on April 1, 1988, in Colorado. At the time, however, Fancy wasn’t Fancy.
Her birth papers give her the name Tracies Lil Kleberg. Yet, she wasn’t ever really called that, going by Josey Wales.
Whatever her name, Fancy was a heroic horse from the beginning. In the early 1990s, a Virginia horse trainer bought her after Fancy saved his wife’s life.
The two were out riding when a tremendous storm rolled in. The winds ripped off the tin roof of a nearby barn and sent it flying right at the riding duo.
If Fancy had run off panicking or stood still, the roof would’ve hit them with who knows what results. But she calmly stepped aside, said “to hell with this” in horse-ish, and galloped back to the safety of her stable.
So, Fancy got a ticket to Virginia. It was there, in the late 1990s, that she first met Sigmon Blumer.
From Josey to Fancy
At the time, Fancy was living at a training facility in Lucketts, Virginia. As soon as roughly 10-year-old Sigmon Blumer saw the horse, she was enamored.
“I met Fancy and was immediately drawn to her strength. She also had such a loving presence. I just always trusted her to take care of me no matter the situation. Her loyalty never wavers,” she recounted.
With that, Sigmon Blumer started asking her parents to take the horse home with her. They, however, didn’t feel like she was yet ready for the responsibility.
Their opinion changed after Paige and Fancy won a team penning competition at the training facility. In June 2000, they took then 12-year-old Sigmon Blumer to see Fancy, telling her they had a surprise for her.
“My trainer brought me to Fancy’s stall and asked what I would say if he told me my dad had just bought her for me. That was one of the best moments of my life,” said Sigmon Blumer.
Immediately, however, she decided it was time to change the horse’s name.
“I quickly renamed Josey Wales to Fancy. I told my parents she was ‘way too fancy to have such an ugly name.’ And the name Fancy stuck!” she said.
Our apologies to any of our readers named Josey Wales. Her words, not ours.
Old Girl Going Strong
Since then, Fancy has lived with Sigmon Blumer in Aldie, Virginia. They’ve gone to competitions all around the world, but the one memory that stands out is the time Fancy first met Sigmon Blumer’s daughter.
“For anyone who puts their love, time, energy and pocketbook into a horse—it is such an honor to see them grow old, continue to take care of them the way they did for you, and then meet the next generation,” mused Sigmon Blumer.
Fancy loves going on “granny walks” with her little girl twice a day. In her spare time, she wanders a dry lot and eats plenty of low-NSC hay soaked in water, as a medical condition prevents her from consuming too much grass.
She also enjoys teasing the farm’s young gelding, showing that the girl still has an eye for handsome young guys.
Speaking of her eyes, Fancy’s eyesight has started failing in her old age. Fortunately, she has a friend to guide her around: an elderly donkey called Rosie.
“Fancy and Rosie took to each other like two old peas in a pod. I giggle that they must spend their afternoons discussing which body part hurts or referring to the ‘good old days’ when discussing their memories,” laughed Sigmon Blumer.
Fancy’s breed of horse typically lives to be between 30 and 35 years old. Although she has surpassed her expected lifespan, she still keeps going strong, partially thanks to the excellent veterinary care she has received for any old-age ailments.
“I am so lucky to have such a spirited horse and sassy donkey to share memories with daily. They have taught me and my young daughter so much empathy, patience, perseverance and grace,” Sigmon Blumer said.
To read about another animal old-timer, check out Jonathan, the world’s oldest land animal. You can also read our list of 8 animals that live into the triple digits.