EVENTING NATION

This is a photo of Cagney Herself, sent to us this afternoon from Robin Kelly, who bred and raised her

It's important to remember that the tragedy at True Prospect this morning affected an incredible number of people.  Those who lost horses and their families will bear the brunt of the trauma, but everyone at True Prospect who was there last night will remember those moments for the rest of their lives.  Indeed everyone in the eventing community feels some loss today that so many great horses are no longer with us and at the sorrow felt by their connections.  

The eventing community is banding together today to help out.  Everyone who can help is on scene at True Prospect and New Bolton assisting in the relocation of the surviving horses, the recovery of the injured horses, and helping everyone involved.

As part of the recovery, there are multiple ways we can all band together from across Eventing Nation to help out.  If you are anything like me, you have felt a little helpless today hearing about the tragedy but not being there to help out.  Here is a quick guide to the relief funds and other ways to help out, please help spread the word: 

1) Boyd's website has posted a link to a True Prospect/SCES relief fund set up through SCES that allows for tax-deductible donations.  The site explains: "This relief fund is a general fund set up to help everyone at Windurra LLC and True Prospect Farm, as well as our owners and riders who have been impacted by this tragedy."  [Boyd's blog and donation link, or click the link in the EN sidebar to donate]

2) There is also a True Prospec Farm Fire Recover Fund directly from True Prospect Farm.  You can pay with either a credit card or a Paypal account. [Information on the fund and donation link]

3) Denny Emerson is donating half of his royalties from his new book "How Good Riders Get Good" to help with the recovery.  Click here to buy the book.

4) PRO is putting together and online fundraising auction--we'll have more details on that as it develops.

5) Everyone can also make donations through the American Horse Trials Foundation.  Boyd, Caitlin and Lillian are already listed there, and donations are tax-deductible. As will all AHTF donations, be sure to write the riders name on a note with the check, not the actual check.

The American Horse Trials Foundation
221 Grove Cove Road
Centreville, MD 21617
Phone: (443) 262-9555
Email: ahtf@att.net

As a final good news note, we have been getting a lot of emails checking on Remington--he was turned out overnight and is fine.  Go donate.

There are some scenarios in life, and eventing, that we all put in the very back our our minds on a daily basis, as thinking about their potential is just too scary. Trailer wrecks, barn fires, and really any situation that threatens to endanger our equine companions falls in this category. We rarely think about the potential for tragedy until the tragedy has happened, so it comes with great shock and sadness to hear that a member of our community, or team rather, has suffered such a hard blow. I know that everyone, myself and the EN team included, extend our very deepest condolences to Boyd, his owners, grooms, Abbie, and everyone else involved in the fire. 

 

Boyd's website has posted a brief statement about the barn fire that killed 6 wonderful horses from his program early this morning at True Prospect Farm: 

Obviously this is a difficult time, and our deepest condolences go out to everyone connected with these horses. We are grateful for your thoughts and prayers and all of the messages and well wishes that we have been receiving from the eventing community. We will keep you updated as we receive more information.

[Boyd's website]

When I spoke with Boyd early this morning he was at New Bolton with Neville, Otis, Catch a Star, and Ambassador's Rose.  There will be a fund to help the recovery from this tragedy and we will have more information on that as it is released.

The USEF has sent out the following press release regarding the tragic fire:

At 12:30am on Tuesday May 31, 2011, a fire destroyed the barn Boyd Martin rented from Phillip Dutton Eventing at True Prospect Farm. There were 11 horses in the barn at the time of the fire, Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman and Ryan Wood evacuated five horses, four of those are at The University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center undergoing treatment. These horses are: Boyd's mount from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Neville Bardos, Otis Barbotiere, Catch a Star and Ambassador's Rose. Heard, Silliman and Wood were treated and released from the hospital. Sadly, Martin lost six horses from his program: Faye Woolf's Call Me Ollie, Henley House Stables' Charla, Lillian Heard's Ariel, Kimberly Golden's Phantom Pursuit, Bonnie Stedt's Cagney Herself, and Anne Hennessey's Summer Breeze W. The USEF extends thoughts and sympathies to Martin and his team during these tragic events. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

[USEF press release]

We'll have more information as we receive it throughout the day and until then there is nothing to do but pray for the recovering horses and those coping with losses today.

I spoke with Boyd a few minutes ago and the first thing he said to me was "I'm shattered Johnny, absolutely devastated."  There are some posts I pray to God I will never have to write and this is one of them. 

The top barn at Phillip Dutton's True Prospect Farm, which was being used by Boyd Martin and housed 11 horses in Boyd's program, burned to the ground early this morning.  Boyd told me that 6 horses passed away.  4 horses are at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania receiving care for injuries sustained in the fire.  Neville Bardos is in intensive care for smoke inhalation, Catch a Star who recently placed second in the Jersey 2* with Caitlin SIlliman is in intensive care with burns, and Otis Barbotiere and a young horse are receiving fluids. 

Boyd told me that the fire is believed to have started around 12:30am and that authorities currently believe it was an electrical fire.  Boyd's groom Lilian woke up, smelled the smoke, and then sounded the alarm.  Lilian and the other members of Boyd's and Phillip's programs worked heroically over the next few minutes to save as many of the horses as possible.  Boyd was staying at his new farm a few miles away and he told me that by the time he got there the fire department had arrived and firemen were restraining people from running into the blaze.   

Update: PRO has just sent out a release naming the lost horses as Call Me Ollie, Charla, Ariel, Phantom Pursuit, Cagney Herself, and Summer Breeze.  The release also says that Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman and Ryan Wood were treated and released from Jennersville Hospital.  [Press Release]

The families of the horses who passed have been notified.  EN writer Abbie Golden's horse was one of those that passed away in the fire.  

There is ultimately nothing that anyone can say or write to assuage the grief from such a terrible event.  But words and written letters point to a deeper reality and that reality is that all of the Eventing Nation family stands behind Abbie, Boyd, Silva, and all of those affected by this terrible twist of fate.  You are all in our thoughts and prayers.

A barn fire started early this morning at a True Prospect Farm barn housing 12 horses from Boyd Martin's program.  Several horses passed away and several more are receiving care at New Bolton Center right now.  We'll have more shortly and I can't begin to express the sorrow that I feel and I know Eventing Nation does as well this morning. 

I don't think that this is the story I set out to write. What I do know is that I am glad I did set out to write it, otherwise I may not have ever met or spoken properly with John Twomey.

I intended to write a story about a bloke that ended up on the wrong side of gravity and half a ton of living breathing horse flesh. Thankfully John Twomey lived to tell the tale that may have otherwise gone horribly wrong only three weeks ago at the Sydney World Cup event.

Earlier today, I visited John and his wife Caroline at the farm where they are currently living to talk to John about his incident, his injuries and his future. While our conversation did include plenty of discussion about what happened and the road to recovery what I found is a man who loves his sport and his horses.

What I also found and I know it sounds wrong or weird or both, is a man who seems to me to be richer for the experience than he may have otherwise been. I don't mean in terms of money but in true richness, friendship, support and an outlook on life.

John and his mount Flaunt It suffered the worst of all circumstances for horse and rider, a rotational fall. Somehow, although Flaunt It landed on top of John and gave him some pretty horrid injuries, today he is walking, feeding up his horses and frustrated at the fact that he won't be able to ride for at least a few more weeks.

John ended up with concussion, facial injuries, chest and lung injuries, shoulder damage, a dislocated hip and some fracturing to his pelvis. His helmet took a massive hit and compressed to about 50% of it's original thickness. But really for a man who softened the fall of his horse, he looks bloody good.

John and Caroline have recently relocated to Australia after having spent most of the last decade in New Zealand. In fact, despite the fact that John was born in country Queensland, Australia, he rides under the Kiwi flag.

John got a taste for Eventing in the nineties and then went off and had a career elsewhere before returning to the sport almost by accident in 2003 while living in New Zealand. Recently Team Twomey have relocated back to Australia so that John can make a splash in the Aussie scene.

Since John and Caroline have been back in Australia they have been surprised and blessed with the support they have received from the equine community. During the last three weeks that support has been even more concentrated, John is almost awestruck by the offers, well wishes, phone calls, text messages and FaceBook messages.

This to me is why I love Eventing we have a fantastic community that sticks together especially when things don't go to plan. This community is what makes the insanity in the middle so worthwhile. After John's incident I heard comments from people that he is one of the nicest riders in the sport, always thanking volunteers, being respectful of committees and generally nice to be around.

John Twomey and Wade Equine Flaunt It, photo courtesy of Furdography

I also heard some thoughts from a few ladies that were worried that his facial injuries might spoil his good looks. While I am no judge I am pretty sure his few new scars only add character and I now understand those that said he is one of the nice guys.

I could talk to John and Caroline for hours, about the sport, horses, safety and just about anything else. While today's chat was over coffee, I look forward to the day when I can chat to John over a few beers and really hear some old war stories.

What happened three weeks ago was a blip and in the scheme of things will probably become one of those old war stories, perhaps accompanied in the future with a medal, preferably the gold kind. What I do know for sure is that the Aussie Eventing scene is richer for having John back home.

Perhaps we can convince him to ride for Australia, those Kiwis don't need anymore help at the moment, what with young gun Clarke Johnstone making his mark, old guard Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson killing it in Europe occasionally we need to claim one of our own back. I tell you what Kiwis, we will take John and give you back Russell Crowe, a fair swap I think.

I am looking forward to seeing more of John Twomey on the Eventing scene and we will one day see him competing on the world stage, under what flag? I hope it is Aussie.

Yours in Eventing

ESJ