Our eventing community was rocked on Tuesday with news of Lisa Marie Fergusson’s Smart Move being euthanized. Smart Move was struck by a car after after escaping from his barn in Wellington, FL. It’s impossible for a horse’s family and connections to fully recover from a tragedy like this and Lisa’s journey towards recovery has just begun. To make matters worse, Lisa’s previous upper level horse Uni passed away following the cross-country at an event in 2009. Lisa rides Uni’s full brother who is 6, and Smartie’s full brother who is 5, so the future is bright but getting out of the darkness of this week is going to take time and prayers.
We have an opportunity as a community to support the recovery from this tragedy. A non-profit tax-deductible fund has been established through Southern California Equestrian Sports (SCES) to cover some of the expenses which include thousands of dollars in vet bills and cremation expenses (around $3,000) and the sad news that Smartie did not have life insurance due to the yearly expense of insurance. Let’s gather together as a community and help a family that has lost a companion, friend, partner, and loved one. Spread the word.
I also want to thank Lisa Thomas and Margie with SCES for helping to set this fundraising effort up. Go eventing.
