When Citizen managing editor Neil Godbout put out the call Thursday to identify the young Citizen carrier perched on a Shetland pony in an old photo, there were two calls to identify the carrier and one to identify the pony.
Carl Fillion was the carrier and Dapple Prince was the Shetland pony. The photo was taken on Airport Hill on January 27, 1964, which means Carl had turned 13 two days before the picture was taken.
Unfortunately, Carl passed away in 2012, and as much as we'd like to think ponies live forever, Prince has passed away too.
Sydney Miller (maiden name Plumridge), whose family was Prince's last owners, said the horse died when he was about 18 years old, as best as she can remember.
"I recognized the horse in the picture because he was extremely distinctive," said Sydney.
Before the Plumridge family bought Prince, he belonged to Wild Bill Dagg, who allowed Carl to ride the pony.
Duane Dagg, Bill's son, said an uncle surprised the family by sending the pony by train in a crate from Saskatchewan. Dagg was two years old at the time and he was too young to ride the horse so his dad, Bill, would let the neighbour boy, Carl, ride him.
Because the gift was unexpected, Duane said they didn't even have a corral to hold Prince at first. And even when it was built nothing could keep that pony from visiting his friend Carl as he would break out of the corral frequently and gallop down the road to find him.
"I remember Carl would always have to bring him back," laughed Duane.
Prince had a big personality and Duane remembers when the empty beer bottles were stored near the corral, the horse would trot over and take a bottle in his mouth and tip it up to get the last drops of beer.
Ross Fillion, Carl's brother, said the horse was hard to handle and Carl was the only one who could ride him.
"The horse was a little stud and the kids couldn't handle him and Carl was always really good with horses so he rode it - it was like that horse was part of him," said Ross.
"Carl would put a blanket on the horse with holes cut out for his eyes and ears - like a knight's horse - and chase all the kids around."
Ross didn't remember much about Carl's carrier days but he did laughingly recall Carl would spend his hard-earned money on candy.
"He was quite a stubborn little horse but Carl knew how to handle it but not the rest of us - I got trampled by that horse actually," said Ross. "He didn't like anybody but Carl."
When the Daggs sold the pony to the Plumridge family, daughter Donna rode him and showed him at the Prince George Exhibition.
Sydney, Donna's sister, remembers during a competition at the fair, little Prince, who loved to eat people food, stopped short in the arena right in front of a man eating a hamburger and fries.
All Donna's efforts to make that pony move failed because Prince wasn't going anywhere until he got his fries. Luckily, Donna's dad intervened and Prince got moving - right into the winner's circle.
"He was a real hambone," Sydney said of Prince. "He was awesome."
