HHCC

Huffman Horse and Critter Company. I wanted the Traditional ...and Cattle Company, but since we don't actually have any cattle, my husband prevailed and hence the name.

Eowyn

Eowyn was a warrior princess, a shieldmaiden of the Rohan, the horse people, of Middle Earth. Her Uncle, King Theoden refused to let her go to battle, instead, sending her in charge of the women and children into hiding. But once they were safe, she disguised herself as a soldier and went into battle with the troops. She was not discovered until the end of the Battle of Pelennor Fields, when she removed her helmet before the Lord of the Nazgul, proving the evil creature correct, the no living 'Man' should be his doom.

Quotes from The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien, regarding the Lady Eowyn

"...slender and tall she was...but strong she seemed and stern as steel, a daughter of kings."
"She is fearless and high-hearted. All love her."

"A little to the left facing them stood she whom he had called Dernhelm. But the helm of her secrecy had fallen from her, and her bright hair, released from it's bonds, gleamed with pale gold upon her shoulders. Her eyes grey as the sea were hard and fell, and yet tears were on her cheek. A sword was in her hand, and she raised her shield against the horror of her enemy's eyes.

Eowyn it was...

Suddenly the great beast beat its hideous wings, and the wind of them was foul. Again it leaped into the air, and then swiftly fell down upon Eowyn, shrieking, striking with beak and claw.

Still she did not blanch, maiden of the Rohirrim, child of kings, slender but as a steel-blade, fair yet terrible. A swift stroke she dealt, skilled and deadly. The outstretched neck she clove asunder, and the hewn head fell like a stone. Backward she sprang as the huge shape crashed to ruin, vast wings outspread, crumpled on the earth; and with its fall the shadow passed away. A light fell about her, and her hair shone in the sunrise.

Out of the wreck rose the Black Rider, tall and threatening, towering above her. With a cry of hatred that stung the very ears like venom he let fall his mace. Her shield was shivered in many pieces, and her arm was broken; she stumbled to her knees. He bent over her like a cloud, and his eyes glittered; he raised his mace to kill.

But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee.

'Eowyn! Eowyn!' cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength, she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulder bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards. The crown rolled away with a clang. Eowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But Lo! The mantle and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground, torn and tumbled; and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing, passing with the wind, a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world.

Dax

Jadzia Dax is about as close as I come to a real-life hero. She was smart, beautiful and strong. She was very human, yet also much more. Jedzia was young, Dax was ancient, they were separate individuals, but still one being. They strengthened each other. I was very intrigued by the symbiotic relationship Jedzia had with Dax. I thought that it was an appropriate ideal for the endurance horse and rider.