middle of the night, he would be the one to come — not his assistant. My favorite memory of Dr. Story is when he didn’t let my horse die. I had taken One Sweet Jess for the first time to a trial. The horse had a hard time adjusting to the altitude. He was severely dehydrated and had kidney problems. He helped us save the horse.” What comes to mind when Bruce Bell, a retired trainer now living in Louisiana, hears Story’s name? “Above all else, he was honest. He would always tell you what’s happening, what the results are and where you need to be,” Bell recalls. “We had a horse that ran a consolation for the All American, Virgil Vengeful. In those days, you had to run three times — elimination race, the time trials and the consolation race. He won. The horse was just exhausted and before we could take his winner picture, he collapsed (in front of the stands). I remember how much Dr. Story worked to revive that horse. He was endless in his efforts to do the best for the horse
and for you, the client. That honesty, that compassion and the passion for his work made him as good a vet as I ever ran across.” “I hope to be remembered for being a veterinarian who was caring, who cared about every horse that he worked on,” Story adds. “And for my organizational skills because I worked very hard on that. And I’d also hope to be remembered as the veterinarian who was always available any time of the day that didn’t give up on any horse.” When he retired in 2012, Dr. Bob Story had been there the longest of any of the veterinarians at Ruidoso Downs. Colleagues presented him with a plaque that hangs above his home office doorway and reads, “See you at the races, Story Equine,” the name of his practice. While he might not be at the track any more, he will long be remembered for his excellent veterinary care, honesty and compassion. And in their hearts, Dr. Story, they’ll see you at the races.
Dr. Bob Story’s home in Perkins is decorated with equine memories throughout.
2017 Oklahoma State University
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