Local horse featured on new forever US postage stamp

The United States Postal Service issues stamps covering many topics. In June, a series of stamps, featuring several different horses was released. One of the models featured lives right here in West Michigan.

“This is Cherry, my 23-year-old half Arabian. “Said, Nicole Vanderhyde. She has had Cherry for the past 13 years, saying, “I’ve always loved horses, they have so much personality.”

When Cherry was seven years old, his former owner had professional pictures taken of him after a horse show.

“I saved them on my personal phone. And I posted them to my Facebook, look at my new horse.” Said Nicole

Three years ago, she got a phone call ago telling her the photographer had submitted a picture of Cherry to the Postal Service to be part of a new horse stamp collection.

Nicole Vanderhyde said, “They warned me that it might not ever come to fruition. There are projects that they start on that they never produce.”

Then late last year the Postal Service shared online the upcoming stamp series.

“They made a post for all the 2024 stamps that were going to be released that year. And of the five horse that are on the stamps Cherry was the one on their little thumbnail on Instagram.” Said Nicole.

The stamp collection featuring horses was released in June

“This is my favorite, so it’s an enamel pin. There is only one horse on it and it’s my horse Cherry.” Said Nicole

She loves that Cherry will be remembered forever, now that he has been immortalized on an official postage stamp, saying, “A lot of people that I know are going out and buying the stamps, and talking about how cool it is to own him, but he's still just a regular horse. I still love them the same.”

Cherry has retired from doing horse shows but still likes being the center of attention. Being featured on a stamp is perfect for him.

Nicole said, “It's a cool experience. Something that me as a little girl I would have been ecstatic about. He is definitely the star of the show.”

Cherry is not letting the fame go to his head. He does ask that the paparazzi by the pasture keep its distance and the next time you pony up for some first-class stamps ask for this ‘first class ‘ gelding.

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