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‘A beautiful soul’: Riders at Son Rise Ranch remember mustang CherokeeSubscriber Exclusive

Horse helped generations of riders gain confidence

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Lynnea Zevely poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Lynnea Zevely poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Cheyanne Greene poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Cheyanne Greene poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

A braided section of Cherokee’s tail is attached to the graduation cap of Son Ranch rider Ilura Anderson in advance of her June 5 graduation from Union High School. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

A braided section of Cherokee’s tail is attached to the graduation cap of Son Ranch rider Ilura Anderson in advance of her June 5 graduation from Union High School. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Lynnea Zevely poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Lynnea Zevely poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Cheyanne Greene poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

Cheyanne Greene poses with Cherokee, Son Rise Ranch’s longtime mustang who died May 18 at 40, in an undated photo. (Contributed by Pam Cronkhite)

On a warm Friday evening in May, Ilura Anderson climbed onto a 40-year-old mustang’s back for what she thought would be just another ride at Son Rise Ranch in rural Clark County near the Vancouver-Camas border.

The mustang, Cherokee, had already outlived most horses by a decade, and ranch staff knew his time was running short. But that night, Cherokee seemed determined to keep going. Riding bareback, Anderson tried to cool him down after their ride, only to find the old horse unwilling to slow down.

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