February 2, 2006

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Hi all,

I looked back at my farm updates and noticed I am grossly behind on keeping you up on the latest news and views. Sorry about that!

We have made it to February, and with that I can say that with each passing day we can only look forward to spring. The hosre expos and fairs are just around the corner, and Theresa Pendleton and Linda Bair and Adrienne De Master and ISOBA have been working so hard to get ready for Illinois, Midwest, and Minnesota horse fairs and expos. The time is drawing near, and I had better make motel reservations. You would think I would learn after all these years to make them good and early!!!

I seem to be tired all of the time, but when I look back at the phone messages I keep saved on my computer and the comings and goings of horses and the demands we try to meet daily, I can see why there are times I could just collapse. The most exciting events right now are the planning of John Lyons for July 22 as well as the public service announcement that will be airing on Horse TV channel! Warren Wechsler of Horsetalk Radio in Iowa visited our farm in January with his daughter and brought some donations which we really appreciate. The Star newspaper in Illinois did a feature article on Missile Mike, who is coming to our farm as soon as he can be gelded. Another newsworthy note is a Norwegian horse magazine did an article on ASAP and it was published in December and a copy mailed to us. I was so proud to have my native people interested in Standardbreds after racing and to take the time to interview us and write about it!

I still have about 1000 newsletters to send out, after having mailed over 2,600. The postage and printing costs were covered by donations, but we did not take in any donations over and above that amount to pay for more postage to get the rest of the newsletters out. That blows my theory that if we mail out enough newsletters to all harness horse owners and USTA members in a four state area we would acquire more donations... sigh... back to the drawing board.

I want to thank Marisa and Sally Brose, a relative newcomer, for their hard work with ASAP. I don't know what I would do without being able to lean on people to answer phone messages and assist with office work. I also want to thank Danielle Strom and Dee Dunbar for their assistance with audits and follow-up phone calls.

My children are all doing well, although my 16 year old son has hit some bumps in the road academically. He had to be assigned to an after-hours program so that if he decides not to complete assignments he ends up in another facility until it gets done. He didn't especially like me for this... and he let me know. I guess it is a mother's tough love shining through.

My daughter has decided to put college off to the side, or continue taking basic core classes on line so that she can be a ... mother. She is 19 and now has a little boy named Julien. The dad is involved and is continuing his education at Luther College but what does that make me????? SHHHHH....I don't want to hear it! And Rachel, 6, and Zachary, 9, are aunt and uncle! IT is all too strange... and not planned... my reaction was not exactly warm when she broke the news to me but what can I do? She is a big girl now, and on her own. I wish her the best (let me hold that little guy!)

Zach and Rachel continue to excel in school Zach was proud of his 9 "A"'s and one "B" on his latest report card and Rachel was proud of her "C"'s, which in first grade means "Commendable"... I hope they continue their success in school.

I am continuing my substitute teaching and we have taken a break from therapeutic riding lessons until March to let the weather warm up and give Chief a rest. We now have two additional students signed up for lessons, which also keeps me busy!

Brandy is the apple of our eye here at ASAP. She is a bright and wonderful horse and luckily she loves us! She also jumps over cavalettis every chance she gets with girl scout Amy Anderson. They have developed quite a relationship and I can hardly remember the day when Brandy used to pin her ears and try to bite. Kate the Percheron/Stb cross also has that type of personality, but she is a thinker and a ponderer and wants to take her time to trust which is fine!

Kokinos continues to be sore on his stifle but is getting better. He loves to kick up the sand in the arena and roll and roll and rear up and strike out his front legs to play. I love to watch it! Laredo Hall just wants to be Brandy's shadow but is obedient if separated from her. He has been under saddle three times now - what a good boy!

Miss TJ's Double Mak is still here....sigh...her hormonal issues are minimal and she just wants to be taken out and played with and worked. You can tell she misses being tacked up and trained every day. We have been on her back but not done any riding - just getting her used to the balance and you can tell she likes it!

Lone Oak is still immature but playful and friendly. He is so small it is hard to believe he is a STB!!!

Looks like Miss Josie might have a forever home soon, in exchange for Dealer Donnie D who will be coming to ASAP now that he has put on about 300 pounds and is fat and sassy!

A very sad note : Brittany, my husband's beloved roping horse, passed away Monday afternoon January 30 2006.
Craig and Brittany had been together for 23 years. Brittany, a savvy sorrel QH, was only days shy of her 27th birthday. She had been suffering from a brain tumor, and on Saturday we heard a terrible noise and Tilly the donkey's desperate brays. She always brays when something is wrong, and we went running. The neighbors witnessed Brittany flip up and completely over backwards, landing under a fence a breaking a wood fence post. She was in a full blown seizure. The tumor had ruptured partially and her eyes were very red. She got up after the seizure and began acting very bizarre and was walking backwards. Craig put her in the indoor arena along with Tilly who was her sidekick. She couldn't cope without Tilly at her side. For 48 hours Brittany would get up, then fall down, not knowing up from down. At one time she fell, Craig witnessed Tilly running to her side and trying to nudge her with her muzzle to get Brittany up. On Monday we could not take it any more and realized we needed to do the kind thing. We called Dr. Marilyn Brown and she sedated Brittany first. I removed Tilly from the arena and brought her over to Fargo, but she was concerned and I think she knew what was coming. Brittany passed very peacefully, and as she passed the afternoon sunshine burst through the dreary clouds and I had a vision of Brittany running to meet her Maker, with her mane flying and tail in the air. She had crossed to the other side and God had given me a sign, to comfort us and it was crystal clear that He was very near and very involved. Brittany took Craig to the national semi-finals in PRCA rodeo in Louisville in 1994 and I will never forget that trip with him down there. They would have made the national finals in Pocatello Idaho that year but his partner missed one horn, which blew their time. That's okay, no one was upset, and Brittany was quite content to get back home. She was forever feisty, forever detached, but inside she loved us - I just know it. She spent decades with Craig, roping and riding, and they were a true team. I will never forget Craig getting ready to perform at various rodeos... Brittany would actually fall asleep and her knees would buckle when she was getting tacked up, or the same might happen right before they went in the box to rope. I guess it was her way of coping, and it was funny, but you have to wonder if this was how she coped with the stress. She gave everything she had, and I loved her as a trail horse in later years. She was the one, the only Brittany and today is a hard day for Craig and our family. If only all horses could be lucky enough to have one home for 23 years - we were proud to give that to her!

If you can sell John Lyons tickets for us, let us know. For every ten sold you get to keep a free ticket! We would greatly appreciate the help.

Until next time,
Susan