One of Lancaster County's most celebrated residents was laid to rest Sunday.

Nahgua, the fiery Arabian stallion made famous by local artist and author Ron Hevener in his novel "Fate of the Stallion," was buried Sunday at Pennywood, Hevener's Lancaster County home near Mount Gretna.

The 23-year-old horse died late last week of complications from a stroke. He also had congestive heart failure.

"I held him while he died," Hevener said Monday. "I was with him, and I held his head in my arms. I promised him that he could leave this world beautiful and with all his dignity. And that's the way it worked out."

Hevener bought the former racehorse in 1990. A Lancaster County native, Hevener was living in Philadelphia at the time, but was visiting the New Holland Sales Stables horse auction when he saw the "fiery and furious" stallion pacing his stall.

Some inner drive told Hevener he had to have the horse.

Hevener found an auction-house official who told him the horse had been sold for slaughter.

The official asked Hevener, "Do you want to save him?" Hevener did and paid the $570 needed to spare Nahgua from the butcher's block.

"I don't know who the man was, and I have never seen him since," Hevener said.

Hevener had no place to keep the horse in Philadelphia.

After lodging him at the New Holland stable for a week, he moved Nahgua, Arabic for "beyond expectation" and "guardian spirit that resides in the animal," to the Quentin riding stables in Lebanon County until Hevener could move himself back to Lancaster County.

Hevener and Nahgua forged a deep friendship that was highlighted in 2000 with Hevener's book "Fate of the Stallion." It made the two international celebrities in the eyes of millions of horse lovers.

"The novel 'Fate of the Stallion' is in every school library in Lancaster County," said Maxine Bochnia, a spokeswoman for Hevener.

Over the years, horse and owner have been the subject of national news stories and TV specials.

Just as Hevener saved Nahgua's life, the horse returned the favor several years ago by saving his owner from serious injury or possible death.

Hevener had been riding Nahgua when horse and rider fell. Lying on a slope, the horse should have rolled downhill to regain his feet.

However, Hevener lay downhill, injured, so Nahgua, against all logic, rolled uphill before standing up. Had the horse rolled downhill, he would have rolled over Hevener.

"Ron was still badly injured, but it could have been so much worse," Bochnia said. "Nahgua just knew he had to roll uphill."

Hevener was in Michigan last week when he got a phone call informing him Nahgua was very ill. Cutting his trip short, he hurried home, hoping to get to the horse's side before it was too late.

As he neared his home, Hevener saw a double rainbow in the sky.

"To horse people, that's called the Rainbow Bridge," he said, fearing the horse had died. "I thought I was too late."

He wasn't. He was able to share the horse's last moments.

"My veterinarians were there and all my friends, and they had him looking beautiful," Hevener said.

Nahgua slipped away peacefully.

The death was posted on Hevener's Web site, and Hevener, still very emotional Monday afternoon, said he has received phone calls and letters from all over the world. Plus, he said, hits on his home page, www.ronhevener.com, "have spiked."

"I can't count the thousands of people I'm hearing from," Hevener said.

Hevener said his whole life was changed by the horse.

"He showed me how to follow my dreams," Hevener said. "It was the greatest adventure of my life. He was my friend, my inspiration. I was lucky to know him. I miss him."

Hevener said he made the horse "promise to come back to me."

It's a promise Nahgua may have kept.

Hevener has several Arabian mares, one of whom he hoped would have a foal by Nahgua.

"They're all in foal," Hevener said proudly.

So maybe the ride isn't over after all.

E-mail: lalexander@lnpnews.com