PERSONALLY MYSELF
To be sure, the MOST important area and work of my life is
my service in the ministry of Jesus Christ and the on-going work
of this Website. My service to God as related in the SHORT
BIOGRAPHY of myself, started when I was just a young child, but
it certainly developed as the years went by, until I was ordained
into the ministry of Christ at age 40 in 1982. This Website was
first started in 1989, expanded and developed more by my friend
Jesse until she fell asleep in death.
Did I have, as a young man, intentions on being a minister
of Jesus Christ and developing this work into the modern age of
the Internet. NOT AT ALL!
Though I was in love with God's word and serving Him, and a
steady Church goer, my thoughts and desires as to what I would do
in life was far different than eventually being one of the Lord's
servants.
So this is the other side of Keith Malcolm Hunt. I was born
in a small village in South Wales. Within a literal stones throw,
there was the open pasture field containing horses and a lovely
stream, with trees here and there. It was immediate love between
me and the open country-side, horses and the beauty of it all.
God's clean open nature and riding horses through it all ....
well, years later my Mom told me I was a cowboy at heart from
birth. I must have been the only kid that a mother refused to put
in those leather harness reigns, when shopping (so the child does
not wonder off and get lost) - I loved to pretend I was a horse,
trotting and making horse sounds in public. I would want my Mom
to put me in that harness, but she soon refused, when she knew I
would pretend to be a horse.
I was 7 years old when I saw my first Roy Rogers movie, and
it was in full Technicolor. That was it for me ... Wow, that was
the life, fancy cowboy clothes, a golden Palomino horse like Trigger, a
guitar and a song, add some trick riding, the open spaces,
beautiful sun-rises and sun-sets, and .... well I knew what I
wanted to be from the age of seven. I mean somebody had to
continue on from Roy Rogers and Trigger, it was just simply too
good to ever stop. I once read where Roy bemoaned the fact that
on one had come along to ride a famous horse and sing cowboy songs
on the silver screen. My mind was made up at age 7. I would, when
old enough, move out west, and continue where Roy and Trigger
left off.
But for now, all I could do was collect Roy and Trigger
comic books, watch them at the movie theatre, and dream .... of
being another Roy Rogers and riding a beautiful golden Palomino
horse, with a white mane and tail flowing majestically in the
wind as I galloped across the west.
Until then I had to be a kid, now growing up in an
industrial part of England, as my parents had moved from the
small village in the country-side of Wales to the dirty, smoky,
industry of a town in Yorkshire, England. It was there that work
was readily available for them both.
But, the open country-side was still in my heart, and it was
re-enforced at holiday times when we would go back to south Wales
and visit relatives.
I was happy to be a kid with dreams, dreams to eventually,
one day, head towards making come true. Until then, I would enjoy
being in the Boy Scouts, being on the Athletic Team for my school
(the sprints, some cross-country, and later some half-mile),
being on the Cricket team, and captain of the school Soccer team.
Yes, life for me as a kid to age 18, in England, was very good
indeed. I started to learn to play the guitar at age 11. Coming
from Wales I could sing, I mean all Welsh men sing. After my
voice broke and came back to me I started to learn to yodel. Ah,
now I was 17 and not far from putting my dreams that had been on
the back burner since age 7, into effect.
The day after my 18th birthday I was heading for the
immigration office, and Western Canada, here I was coming. I had
to wait until age 18 as I had no relatives in North America.
Getting into the USA was for now out of the question, so Canada
and the West was for me (it was easy for a young man back then to
immigrate within the British Commonwealth).
I left England in May 1961, and arrived in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan (took my a week to learn to say Saskatchewan) at the
end of May. Within the first week I was on a local TV "western"
program singing cowboy songs and strumming my guitar. At the end
of that week I was out to the local "western" riding stable. Oh,
I had taken a couple of years "English" riding from age 16 to 18,
but of course the western horse and cowboy stuff was my passion.
I hit the right western riding stable for sure. The cowboy
owner did everything with horses, from breeding to breaking and
training "wild - not touched by human hands" horses. I look back
now and see the immense and broad training I got from working at
what was called "Buckhorn Riding Stables" - it was truly
invaluable. And yes, riding horses was a natural for me, doing
much of it bare-back and then learning to trick ride.
Three of four years into my living at Saskatoon, the Lord
opened my mind to some wonderful truths in His word .... the
truth about heaven and hell, the purpose of human life, the
correct weekly Sabbath day, and the wonderful Festivals of God,
as opposed to what the Christianity of the world celebrate.
How on earth would I continue in the footsteps of Roy Rogers
in Hollywood (and by the way, I had grown up to even look like
Roy in nearly every way, and had his type singing voice) with
such religious beliefs and practices? Well, now such a dream and
ambition did not seem as totally desirable, as it did. I could
still enjoy horses, and the West, be still a singing cowboy, and
keep my new found faith also.
I settled down at about age 22 to learn the Orthopaedic
Shoemaking trade - learning it from a couple of Englishmen, and
worked with that skill for 10 years or so. I was trained to do
everything from A to Z, as they say. You walk in needing hand
made shoes, I did it all, till I handed them to you. I was also
trained by one of those Englishmen to be an expert in orthotic
making, which is big business today, as so many need supports for
their feet (too much living in our concrete jungles of cities -
hard on the feet).
I returned to England in 1973 and worked for about one and a
half years in the Thoroughbred Horse Stud Farms at Newmarket -
the capital of the Thoroughbred race horse world. Interesting and
educational as well as fun.
Came back to Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, in December 1974,
worked for E.P.Tayor's Thoroughbred Stud Farm for a short while,
but found them to be much less professional than the Stud Farms
in England, and decided to move on.
At this time, a local Oshawa Music School was looking for a
full time Guitar teacher. I had the interview and the job was
mine. This started me on taking my love and hobby into my secular
work life. And today (as I write this in 2007) I am still
teaching children and adults to play the Guitar, and (because of
demand and requests) the Banjo, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, and a
little Classical Guitar. It is hard to believe I've been doing
this now for 32 years.
I had been out of the horse world for 25 years, never
thought I'd be back in it really. I was teaching music. I was
ordained to the ministry of Jesus Christ in 1982 and was indeed
very busy in those two fields of work.
I had served people with Orthopaedic Shoemaking and
Orthotics from time to time since 1975 and with some work also in
the Shoe Repair trade. I had given back to others from the
teaching and training and skills I had obtained since age 18. One
day the thought came into my head, "Keith, it's time you enjoy
the horse world again."
I was now living in Calgary, Alberta, the Cowboy capital of
Canada. I asked at a local western tack shop where I could ride
horses on my own, seeing I was an experienced rider. They gave me
the name of the best Riding Ranch around, out in the wide open
spaces of the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. The right place
at the right time again. For a few years I was a regular
"volunteer" as they call it - helping with everything at the
Ranch and taking out children and adults on trail rides. Again,
the thought entered my mind, "Well, you can have your horse now."
I took the time to read all the ins and outs of owning a horse.
For those interested in owning a horse I recommend you read "Horses
for Dummies" book. I was blessed in that being a volunteer at the
Horse Ranch I could keep my horse there free of charge, as far as
board and room went.
I was blessed also by now being in the position of having enough
income to own a horse.
I looked around, and looked around, for what was for sale in
the horse world. Yes, I wanted my golden Palomino, if possible.
Months went by and it seemed it was not possible. It looked like
I would never have my Trigger. Then a lady had a half page ad in
a horse magazine. I emailed her and asked if she would possibly
have a real golden Palomino - dark gold with a snow white mane
and tail, a Mare (they have some get up and go as opposed to a
Gelding - and Stallions are too hard to handle in the most part),
about 5 to 7 years old, well natured, and about 15 hands high (as I'm not a
tall person). Quite a list of "must be" - never dreamed her reply
would be, "YES, I have the horse you are looking for - a super
well-bred Quarter-Horse."
The Lord says He often gives us the desires of our heart. If
we serve Him faithfully, this can be often true indeed.
I never expected that at the age of 63, I would find the
horse of my young boyhood dreams. I've had "Goldie" as I call her
(registered name is Final Touch) for nearly two years now. What a
horse she has turned out to be. Only "green broke" when I got
her, had to teach her so many things, but what a talented horse
she is, so much so that I believe there is nothing she could not
do in the horse world with the right trainer (I'm limited in time
I can spend - about 3 days a week). And she is FAST (when I let
her out) - like a bullet. Put all that together with her fabulous
looks, and I have been given the desires of my heart.
I enjoy a life today that is full of BLESSINGS, and
wonderful people to serve and know. There is the lovely lady who
owns the Music School. There are the music students and their
parents, there are the people who run and own the "Cinch Trail
Riding Ranch," there are the owners of and children
I work with in the "Horses Are Cool" summer horse camp for
children and adults. There each summer on Fridays I entertain
them singing cowboy songs. And there is my wonderful horse
"Goldie" - my golden Palomino.
This has been the secular work-a-day world of myself, Keith
Malcolm Hunt.
And of course the MOST important part of my life is people
like YOU who take the time to read and study from this Website.
As you do, I pray you will be blessed as I have been. May God
grant you some of the desires of your heart.
.................
Written and entered on this Website January 2007
