The horses are headed to their various camps. Last Saturday 8 made the trip to Roaring Gap country club in the NC mountains close to Mt. Airy. Heather Jackson and Gabby Gubric are up there running the riding program. Heather’s horse and Bilbo were already happily enjoying the beautiful setting when Dale and I dropped off the other horses.
Jessica Rhymer bought Onyx back and picked up three horses for Camp Keystone.
This week we made 2 trips to Camp Seafarer in Arapahoe NC and delivered 24 horses to Sarah Rhymer who is in charge of the equestrian program at that camp. Sarah will be a little busy for a few days until her staff arrives on Monday.
The last group of horses are shipping out commercially to Rockbrook to spend the summer in Brevard with Cara Thompson and Bridget Hutchins and their staff at that camp. That leaves somewhere between 30 and 40 horses at the equestrian center for the summer.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Focus Fund
From a recently circulated email
Focus, a 6 year old Thoroughbred, who was rescued in Indiana three years ago from a failed racing career, was severely injured during a storm May 11th while at a foster farm in Laurinburg, NC. The storm produced straight line winds gusting in excess of 125 miles an hour that ripped the roof off the barn, damaged the house and fencing of the foster, flipped the horse trailer and ripped out trees.
Focus, a 6 year old Thoroughbred, who was rescued in Indiana three years ago from a failed racing career, was severely injured during a storm May 11th while at a foster farm in Laurinburg, NC. The storm produced straight line winds gusting in excess of 125 miles an hour that ripped the roof off the barn, damaged the house and fencing of the foster, flipped the horse trailer and ripped out trees.
The foster family, thankfully, survived without physical harm, but the same can not be said for Focus, who sustained a large open wound that stretched from his sternum almost to his back leg. It took the veterinarian almost 9 hours to clean and stitch the wound back together. While it is unknown what caused the injury, the possibilities are endless as Focus was found two paddocks over from where he was at the start of the storm.
Focus now has a very long road to recovery ahead of him and he needs your help! His medical bills will continue to mount and any donation towards his care is greatly appreciated. Please help this former racehorse to win the race of his life – that to survive!
Donations for Focus's recovery can be mailed to:
USERL
9660 Falls of Neuse RoadSuite 138 Box 300
Raleigh, NC 27615
Checks should be made to USERL, and noted to be allocated to the "Focus Fund".
A donation link for online donations on our store page will be up soon and posted here when available.
USERL wishes to extend sympathy to the foster family, and others in the area, that were struck by this storm. Many prayers are with the family.
USERL also wishes to thank Dr. Kellam of St. Andrews Presbyterian College for her quick response and wonderful care of Focus!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wilson Farm and Stanton's Badly Hit.
They called is a “microburst” Those that lived through it disagree. They heard the “freight train” coming.
From an email sent by Peggy to our Equestrian Student’s List, Pictures: Pebbles Turbeville
“This morning Laurinburg had a "suspected" tornado. The campus and the equestrian center are fine. However, Wilson Farm and Nancy Staunton's farm on McLeod Road took a direct hit. Everyone and all animals survived! Two of Nancy's horses were injured and Dr. Laura spent all day caring for them - and will be spending a lot more time with them until they are healed. One is a precious mini named Toby and the other is a TB gelding named Focus. They are now living with us at the Boarder Barn. The nine horses at Wilson Farm are now safely living at our Annex Barn on Barnes Bridge Road - thanks to tremendous effort from all of the St. Andrews Equestrian Staff. Natalie and Bridget have moved into the farm house at the Equestrian Center.
Ashley Colvin's horse trailer was flipped over - as were all the horse trailers at Wilson Farm including Natalie's and Erin Cooper Baldouf's. Ashley had been planning to leave today with her three horses for her new job in Wilmington. She had moved everything out of her house and into her horse trailer yesterday. Her truck and trailer were hooked up and somehow during the tornado the trailer was ripped off the truck. The truck was still upright and had minimal damage and started right up. We won't know all the damage to the trailers until they can be righted.
The power companies worked all day getting downed power lines up. McLeod Road really looks like a war zone. If you want to see a few pictures, go to https://navajo.sapc.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=426db07c4b554ab6b592266a2dfd7513&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.laurinburgexchange.com. Three of the barns at Wilson were totally destroyed and the main barn is badly damaged. The houses are in a little better condition but not much.
We just wanted you to know what had happened in case you heard about it on the news or on a website. We feel so blessed that we were spared so that we are able to help others.”
From an email sent by Peggy to our Equestrian Student’s List, Pictures: Pebbles Turbeville
“This morning Laurinburg had a "suspected" tornado. The campus and the equestrian center are fine. However, Wilson Farm and Nancy Staunton's farm on McLeod Road took a direct hit. Everyone and all animals survived! Two of Nancy's horses were injured and Dr. Laura spent all day caring for them - and will be spending a lot more time with them until they are healed. One is a precious mini named Toby and the other is a TB gelding named Focus. They are now living with us at the Boarder Barn. The nine horses at Wilson Farm are now safely living at our Annex Barn on Barnes Bridge Road - thanks to tremendous effort from all of the St. Andrews Equestrian Staff. Natalie and Bridget have moved into the farm house at the Equestrian Center.
Ashley Colvin's horse trailer was flipped over - as were all the horse trailers at Wilson Farm including Natalie's and Erin Cooper Baldouf's. Ashley had been planning to leave today with her three horses for her new job in Wilmington. She had moved everything out of her house and into her horse trailer yesterday. Her truck and trailer were hooked up and somehow during the tornado the trailer was ripped off the truck. The truck was still upright and had minimal damage and started right up. We won't know all the damage to the trailers until they can be righted.
The power companies worked all day getting downed power lines up. McLeod Road really looks like a war zone. If you want to see a few pictures, go to https://navajo.sapc.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=426db07c4b554ab6b592266a2dfd7513&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.laurinburgexchange.com. Three of the barns at Wilson were totally destroyed and the main barn is badly damaged. The houses are in a little better condition but not much.
We just wanted you to know what had happened in case you heard about it on the news or on a website. We feel so blessed that we were spared so that we are able to help others.”
Friday, May 8, 2009
End of the Semester
Time flies when you are busy! Rob Jacobs won the Novice over fences at IHSA Nationals. Congratulations Rob! The western team was fourth at IHSA Nationals and all the western riders placed in their divisions.
The horses that we took to Tennessee were superstars and are glad to be back after a very busy semester. The ride home for both groups of horses was eventful. The truck with the English horses broke down in Bennetsville and Elissa had to go rescue them. Then the rig bringing the western horses home broke down in the mountains. Fortunately Jessica Rhymer was able to pick them up and take them to her barn in Brevard where they stayed for a couple of days. All are home safely now.
Last weekend we hosted the first Instructor’s Retreat and Spa. The two days of brain-storming, demos, teaching and idea exchange were awesome. We had 6 visiting instructor’s from NC & SC and several of our students that are headed to summer camps this year. The equestrian staff presented sessions, cooked and offered advice. The weekend was beneficial not only to the participants but to the staff as well. Saturday evening we watched the KY Derby before dinner and enjoyed chair massages after dinner! My slave (otherwise knows as my intern – Jenna Branson) was awesome producing a fabulous notebook of SAPC exercises, organizing lunch, snacks and logistics as well as helping out with some of the teaching sessions. Pebbles and Liz cooked for us Saturday evening, yummy salads and chicken on the grill. The desserts were great too! Planning another “Spa” for labor day weekend.
Exams were this week so all our schedules are weird right now, graduation is this Saturday. After that we will be in to our May routine (which is tough as all the horses are here with just our summer workers and staff to care for them.) At the end of the month 60 some horses ship off to camp for the summer and we’ll be down to a manageable 30 or so.
The horses that we took to Tennessee were superstars and are glad to be back after a very busy semester. The ride home for both groups of horses was eventful. The truck with the English horses broke down in Bennetsville and Elissa had to go rescue them. Then the rig bringing the western horses home broke down in the mountains. Fortunately Jessica Rhymer was able to pick them up and take them to her barn in Brevard where they stayed for a couple of days. All are home safely now.
Last weekend we hosted the first Instructor’s Retreat and Spa. The two days of brain-storming, demos, teaching and idea exchange were awesome. We had 6 visiting instructor’s from NC & SC and several of our students that are headed to summer camps this year. The equestrian staff presented sessions, cooked and offered advice. The weekend was beneficial not only to the participants but to the staff as well. Saturday evening we watched the KY Derby before dinner and enjoyed chair massages after dinner! My slave (otherwise knows as my intern – Jenna Branson) was awesome producing a fabulous notebook of SAPC exercises, organizing lunch, snacks and logistics as well as helping out with some of the teaching sessions. Pebbles and Liz cooked for us Saturday evening, yummy salads and chicken on the grill. The desserts were great too! Planning another “Spa” for labor day weekend.
Exams were this week so all our schedules are weird right now, graduation is this Saturday. After that we will be in to our May routine (which is tough as all the horses are here with just our summer workers and staff to care for them.) At the end of the month 60 some horses ship off to camp for the summer and we’ll be down to a manageable 30 or so.
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