From the moment the aging stallion stepped off the trailer, it was as if he knew he was finally home. The 25-year-old horse reared its head back, letting out a bellowing nicker.
"We're just so grateful to have him back and have him home," said Michelle Postma.
Sixteen years ago, Michelle was forced to give up Ballo and through the years he was never far from her mind.
"For sixteen years every once in a while I would say I wonder what happened to Ballo, where he's at," said Postma.
Recently thanks to a Facebook post she found out.
Sadly the former prize winning horse had bounced from home to home over the years, eventually ending up in the hands of a rescue, close to death.
"The gentlemen who surrendered him gave them papers, gave them a folder that had his registration papers in it," said Postma.
Also inside was a photo of Michelle's Husband with Ballo at a competition 16 years earlier. The rescue group quickly posted the photo next to the emaciated pictures of the horse.
"It got shared and next thing you knew friend after friend was seeing the post and tagging us in it," said Postma.
Those same friends lined up to welcome Ballo home for good Thursday. A day Michelle says she had no doubt fate galloped them towards.
"It's almost like it was meant to be for us to get him back," said Postma.