In case you haven't heard the news about Thunder and the Denver Broncos...
Our daughter Sarah and her family lived in the Denver area and still avidly follow the Broncos (and the Packers and the Seahawks and...) They took me to the stadium once for an August scrimmage, so I have actually seen the team live and in person.
My classroom colors were orange and blue, too, but actually that is because my college degrees are both from the University of Illinois, a Big Ten team. (If there's anything I will root for avidly myself, it's Illinois basketball! )
But I have another connection to the Denver Broncos - one of those "who'd have thought" ones.
Denver's mascot horse, Thunder, is ridden by a woman I went to junior high and high school with, Ann Judge.
Ann trains Thunder (not the horse's real name) and is a judge and horse trainer, living in Bennett, Colorado.
She is a year younger than me, but we were in choir, band, and drama club together. I remember her as a very nice gal, one who was quiet and even a bit shy. And, our high school colors are orange and blue, just as the Broncos' are!
I actually remember very little of her horsey side. I think that is because, even as a teenager, she was riding in big Arabian breed shows while I was on a backyard Appaloosa mare participating in local fun shows. She and I were both in 4-H together, though, attending Horse and Pony Club meetings and showing at the local 4-H fair and show every summer.
Our paths haven't crossed since high school, although her family is still here in West Lafayette. We are friends on Facebook and share a lot of mutual friends there. Ann is really good about staying in touch with her high school friends.
Some time ago, her father wrote and published a book titled The Bronco Girl. The book is still available on Amazon, and I have a copy and have read it. Ann came back to Indiana and did some local book signings with her dad when it first came out. I thought about going to one and saying "hello," but had a conflict and could not make it.
Here's a fun interview with Ann, Sharon, and Ernie appearing with Thunder(s) and sharing some history on the Thunder Spirit Team.
I usually don't watch much football but when I do, I root for Denver (and the Colts.) And, I am also hoping to catch a glimpse of Ann and Thunder racing across the football field every time the Broncos score.
I'm sad to see Ann and Thunder retire, but Sharon Magness Blake did say in an interview that they were all getting older and that it was time to step down. Ann has posted about it on her personal Facebook page a couple of times, but I never saw a reason given other than what was written in the official announcement above.
