A Legendary Horseman Passes

Local horseman Charley Vaughan passed away last week at the age of 96. You may not know his name, but his influence on the western horse world was strong and lasting.

He was born and raised here in Lafayette, and as a  horse-loving child, he used to ride his bike over to the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds where his family kept a horse. His participation in the horse world continued throughout his life.

Charley was a breeder and a competitor in the National Reining Horse Association, and he built a program whose bloodlines run through some of the best reiners in the sport, including Miss Tinseltown. The list of his winners on the NRHA and the AQHA national circuits is extensive.

One of Charley's breeding barns is catty-corner from Tim's and I drive past it whenever I go out to the barn.

A friend of mine from teaching who is also a horsewoman has been caring for the mares, foals, and yearlings that are kept here for years.

Miss Tinsletown, the NRHA's all-time leading dam, came right out of this barn. 

The mares have a huge pasture to roam with their foals and in the spring I love driving past and looking at the new babies.

Charley was also a lawyer, and through his work he unexpectedly became famous for something else, something that was at the center of national attention and made headlines worldwide. Celebrities flocked to the case in support including Oprah, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and more.

 His obituary reads:

Charley's most nationally recognized work was his successful representation of Ryan White, the Kokomo teenager barred from attending school after contracting AIDS. Ryan's lawsuit against the Western School Corporation became one of the most closely followed legal battles of the mid-1980s. 

Through Charley's efforts, Ryan was allowed to return to school despite his illness. The case set an important precedent protecting individuals with AIDS from discrimination.

I never met Charley as his horsey circle was on a much different plane than mine, but I did know him by reputation. 

And that reputation was a good one.

Rest easy, Charley. You will be missed.