When Hope Watson dresses up her best friend for special occasions like Easter, it’s literally too cute.
That’s because “Too Cute,” or “TC” for short is the name Hope gave to her kindred spirit, a Belgian Draft cross-bred beauty that will be turning 19 years in August.
“When we moved here I really wanted to get back into horses,” said Hope, a Grade 8 high school student.
“We found this really nice horse - she is like no other - so we bought her and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
The Trail Times first learned of Hope and TC when the duo dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day and strolled through rural village streets to bring some merriment - from a distance - to the neighbourhoods of Fruitvale.
“We took her to town to bring smiles to people’s faces,” said Hope. “In these hard times of pandemic, everyone has been so worried about what is going to happen, so I just wanted to bring some smiles to people who are worrying about all that is happening in the world.”
Since March 17, as contagion precautions have clamped down tighter each day, the pals are staying home, and no longer venturing off the rural property.
But Hope and TC are still donning fun garb like bunny ears and colourful feather boas for their daily walks that this Easter, will have to be celebrated without a little parade through town.
Most of all, however, TC is helping Hope to keep her spirits up as she looks forward to the day when the horse-and-girl team can once again walk through town and bring some welcome cheer to the neighbourhood.
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Dr. Bonnie Henry is urging everyone to celebrate Easter in a “safe way” so the holiday doesn’t lead to more viral outbreaks.
“We need to think about what we can do to support people in practicing their faith without having to have in-person gatherings,” Henry said. “Followers and congregations around British Columbia, please, now is our time that we need to pay special attention to our elders and seniors. We protect them by connecting safely from a distance.”