Dodge City ? Twelve-year-old Aryn Schowengerdt waited years for her father to make good on a promise to give her a pony.

But after receiving the horse of her dreams this Christmas, Aryn decided to give it to the children of United Methodist Youthville, a 75-year-old foster care agency with a ranch and horse program on 120 acres in Dodge City.

“I thought it would be better to give it to them instead of being selfish and keeping it for myself,” said Aryn, a sixth-grader whose grandfather is a volunteer at Youthville.

As it happened, Youthville was looking for a new horse.

Aryn gave the horse his name, Avalanche, and presented him last week to the children of Youthville. She will visit Avalanche from time to time and even be able to ride him occasionally, said her father, Andrew Schowengerdt.

Aryn had started asking her dad for a horse when she was 5, and he had promised to give her one “someday.”

Finally, he relented. But Aryn had no pasture in which her pony could run, so she agreed to give it to Youthville.

“I think it’s pretty special of that little girl to do this,” said horse breeder and saddlemaker John Turner of Milton, who had designed a set of harnesses for the mules of Youthville and was on the lookout for a new horse for the agency when Andrew Schowengerdt called with the offer.