Norman Fowler had two passions in life. One was race cars and the other was his love for horses. He was lucky enough in life to be able to enjoy both of those passions and to help others enjoy them as well. In 1992 Fowler purchased the Birdsong Trail Ride and began to live a life others only dream of. Birdsong Trail Ride is a large riding facility that offers plenty of riding trails, camper hook-ups, a dining hall, and stalls for the horses. People from all over the country, some from overseas, came to the trail ride facility each year to take advantage of the beauty of the country and enjoy some good, clean family fun. Most who visited there always looked forward to returning next year. Fowler’s wife, Pat describes him as a firm believer in helping the under-dog. The tough economic times have caused some people who own horses to either abandon them and some simply cannot afford to feed them. One phone call to Fowler and he would take his trailer and pick them up. Pat tells of a time when he bought six horses from an owner who could no longer afford to feed them. After taking the horses to the Birdsong property he began feeding them and getting them back to normal. It took him over a year but his diligence saved them. Fowler rode in the Trail of Tears Wagon Train and he worked with the late Mooney Lynn to start the Bicentennial Reunion in 1977. Later he started the Pioneer Wagon Train. Larry Spencer of Bruceton stated, “I rode with him at a lot of birddog field trials. He knew more about a gaited mule than any man I’ve ever known.” Spencer also stated that his youngest grandson really enjoyed coming to Camden for the races during the summer.
Fowler’s wife states that in his younger days he enjoyed being a race car driver. At one time he owned a truck that won him first place 99 times out of 100. Even though he was no longer young enough to race, his love of the sport led him to open a racetrack in Camden. During the summer months most Friday nights were spent at the racetrack. The sound of racing engines could be heard for miles.
Sadly, Fowler lost his life suddenly on Monday. He had suffered a riding accident about a week prior to his death but he had been released from the hospital and had returned home. His birthday falls on March 16 and according to his wife, he had a goal to always ride something new on his birthday. Even though he was injured, he was looking forward to his birthday.
As news of Fowler’s death began to spread, calls started coming in from across the country. Fowler already had April 13 set to begin the trail rides and he and his wife were looking forward to the 2009-riding season. In addition to his wife, Fowler leaves behind one son, Larry, four grandchildren, and countless friends and trail riders across the country. A full obituary will be in next week’s edition of The Camden Chronicle.
Norman Fowler - Birdsong Trail Ride
