This is an ASAP Christmas letter - trying hard not to make it too wordy,
but my heart is so full of great things to say about the outstanding
adopters that have found their equine friends........I don't know where to
start.
With Brenda's blessing, I'd like to share a bit about her new horse, Mc
Dominant. Mc Dominant came into our program as a 3 year old several years
ago, from a loving owner Len Cummins and his wife, who knew Mc Dominant
would not make a champion race horse. Tall, reddish, BEAUTIFUL to behold,
Craig and I traveled to central Illinois to the county fair track to pick
him up.
It was very difficult for Len and his wife to say "so long", yet they knew
that by donating him to ASAP they would be a part of his journey to a new
home. He was adopted by his first unbelievably loving adopter and
traveled right back to Illinois within the first couple of months! There
he was retrained to saddle, and ASAP received many pictures of McDominant
being ridden English, and being very much loved by a little girl.
As things go for us in life, it became impossible for Mc Dominant to
remain with this family who had put so much of their money, their heart,
and soul, into this big, gentle horse. The adopter was courageous enough
to allow him to be replaced, and she became part of the decision on where
he should go and with whom.
Along comes Brenda, a woman that I enjoyed talking with on the phone, who
was remarkably similar in personality to Mc Dominant's first adopter, and
who was committed to meeting him. She flew to the MidWest and drove many
places on her quest to find the right horse. She saw Mc Dominant first
(and her mind was probably made up the first day), but to be fair she
traveled to Cedar Rapids to see Goin Ballistic and Izabeau, and then came
to Wisconsin to meet DT. I had the best day this past summer when Brenda
came to ride, and we took a one or two mile jaunt with her aboard DT.
It was a real toss-up.........but in the end Mc Dominant was the horse
Brenda chose to bring home to Colorado (not many Standardbreds out
there!).
She has never looked back. I received a card from her today that brought
me to tears, and reminded me why we do what we do for the horses. I want
to just quote a few lines from her letter.....
"I called Len and he is just as wonderful as you said he was. His love
for Mac is just amazing. Mac gave Len his all and Len gave Mac his life
and freedom. He loves the ASAP program. I do, too. Not a day goes by
that I don't think about DT. I wish I could have 3
horses........everything around Mc Dominant is Mc - McFeed, McWonderful,
McNaughty, McBuddy, and of course Macadoo- he loves everything! Thank you
again for helping us find our McFamily member. Again, all my love to DT. You are amazing and such a blessing to these wonderful, loving animals".
Speechless......
Another story arrived a couple of months ago, and I did write the racing
owner of this racing champion to let him know the lengths that adopters
will go through to protect and continue to provide for the horses they
adopt.
Master Miles made about $800,000 as a race horse. He was another BIG
Standardbred. His racing owner cared so much for him that when his racing
days were over he had only one place in mind for him , and that was with
ASAP. There was a little problem that may have prevented him from being
adopted if it were not for Beth E. Master Miles was not sound. There
were some old racing injuries bothering him, but it did not dampen his
spirits. He arrived at ASAP with an air of feeling quite good about
himself, and eager to be turned out to eat and rest.
Beth had planned a trip to see horses all the way from Mississippi, and
she wanted to come in January! BRRRRRRR.......it was frigid here......one
of the coldest winters we have had.......and I was lying in bed on New
Year's Day trying to sleep in a bit, when there was a rap rap rap on my
bedroom window. I don't know how Beth knew it was my bedroom, but she
tapped and said, "Get up sleepy head!". I had never met Beth, but we
became fast friends within the first few minutes, as I could see her heart
and her intentions to adopt not one, but THREE horses! She had been in
Illinois and gone to see Zagnut who was boarded at Dr. Anna's farm. That
was instant love. Then she drove up six more hours to ASAP to see
Bullwinkle, and somehow, someway, Master Miles worked her way into her
heart. Bullwinkle, in my opinion, as the safest horse for Beth and her
son to start on, since he had been ridden for years since he retired from
the track. Bullwinkle has a super personality, the uncanny ability to
just roll with the punches. He was "coming back" from an unfortunate
situation where had had lost quite a bit of weight, but Beth loved him. Before long, we made plans to personally bring all three horses down to
her within a matter of weeks.
We loaded up Miles and Bullwinkle and headed to Dr. Annas, and away we
went with the kids and all to warmer places. The horses were happy to get
out and see grass! That began the love story between Beth and Bully and
Zagnut (who was ultimately to be her best riding buddy).
Unfortunately, Bullwinkle began going blind, and lost vision in both of
his eyes. Beth, being in the military, was deployed for duty out of the
country and had to make sure Bullwinkle and Miles would be cared for
adequately, and Zagnut. She located a friend in Kentucky who agreed to
take on the horses, making provision for Bully's failing eyesight. Bullwinkle could not have been more happy at this new place, but Master
Miles did NOT adjust to his life away from Beth and his "home" in
Mississippi. He lost weight. He wasn't his proud self. The woman caring
for him communicated with Beth about her concerns, and the minute that
Beth was back home she sent for Master Miles. The response to his
homecoming was evident almost right away. Miles began thriving again. Just think of the heighth and breadth and width of these adopters' love
for their horses! Aren't these horses truly blessed?
Unconditional love brings me to my last story, about adopters who have
never really gone out and personally selected the Standardbreds they were
going to adopt, except for maybe one. Their first horse was won via a
raffle that ASAP had one year, and Mini Happy Times was the horse that was
going into a really great situation with a really great couple, Ray and
Alice! Well........Mini was sassy, in a way........but never too much for
Ray and Alice, who worked with her diligently, and now, years later, she
is one of their favorite horses to hitch up and pleasure drive.
I hope I get the order right in which they have adopted, but I believe
their second horse was Pistol Pete N. I cried the day that Pete left,
believing in my heart that he was supposed to remain at the ASAP farm. He
has an incredible soul, and just think of all the living he has done -
from being born on a farm in New Zealand, to coming in an airplane to
America, racing and being owned by Bell Valley Farms, then being donated
to ASAP. He was in his first adoptive placement, but that did not work
out (it was not Pete's fault). He came back to ASAP and I took him on a
trail ride at Yellow River and fell in love while riding him. Ray and
Alice spotted a true prize and wanted him, and we released him to them,
despite how difficult it was. Then again, it is always hard to let go,
but necessary!
Pete has taken up competitive driving with Ray and Alice for the past few
years and has taken many firsts and seconds, it seems. Mini has arthritis
now and probably won't be competing much longer, and Pete is getting on in
years, so physically it is getting harder to compete, but there is rarely
a day when Ray and Alice aren't out there loving and handling their
horses.
Next Penguin Beware, a trotter who made $80,000, came to ASAP. Tall, dark
and handsome! Sassy! Loving. Sometimes a weenie when it comes to new
situations......but always a goof. Then Sunny Forecast, a 21 year old mare
who had raced and then been a brood mare. Then last but not least, Ray and
Alice took Goodnight Starship, a horse who had been with the same family
his entire life since age 2. Poor Goodnight, he was displaced and did
mourn his family for awhile. Ray and Alice came to ASAP to look for a
horse that could be trained to do competitive driving with them, but, as
always, asked, "What can we do to help? Which horse would you suggest is
not as placeable right now?". Well........they asked that more than once,
and we knew that Sunny was, at age 21, going to be more difficult to
place. Penguin Beware had enough attitude that we knew whoever adopted
him would need to be loving and consistent and give him time. And
Goodnight was a big more skittish than we realized, and wouldn't make a
good "first" horse for a beginner. Still........soooo much potential. Ray and Alice took Goody home, and this year has been the best year of
Goodnight's life, thanks to them! He has been ridden, hitched, and is now
ready for competition as a driving horse! The only downfall is that he is
15, so a little bit older than they had planned on. They were only
fostering Goodnight, but the amount of training and love they have
provided him is priceless. Ray and Alice are two of the most incredible
people I have ever personally met, and staunch supporters of ASAP. I
can't say "thank you" enough.
This is only a fraction of the stories......but ones that right now stand
out in my mind and bring tears to my eyes. Perfect love, unconditional,
stories of people who go way beyond their means to make sure the horses
are cared for, loved, happy, and treated like true family members.
This Christmas season we can only imagine the numbers of horses who are
homeless, unwanted, uncared for, and unloved. Horses who have never known
love and may never have a chance at these kinds of families. I just want
to whisper a prayer for all of them - that somehow the spirit of the
Christmas season will move people and melt their hearts, and that those
who can make a difference won't be afraid to step up and just do it.
Jesus is the reason for the season! Thank you God for 18 great years of
serving you!
