Saturday, June 4, 2011

Success for Silva and Stately at VADA/NOVA Summer Dressage Show

Yesterday Silva and Aesthete ("Stately"), owned by Faye Woolf, scored a 7.9 overall, with an 8.3 for their trot work at the VADA/NOVA Summer Dressage show at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA. All through this past week Silva has dealt with the aftermath of the fire at True Prospect Farm in which Faye's lovely event horse, Call Me Ollie, was one of those that perished. Silva headed to this qualifier for the World Breeders Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany mainly for a change of scenery, since she hardly had time to ride any of her horses last week, so the outcome so far has exceeded her expectations. More news after the finals!

For more about the show as well as results, read the report at www.dressagedaily.com.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Optimism!

A pleasant visit today at New Bolton Center revealed 3 patients who are recovering well!
It seems that everyone's good wishes are helping our patients on their road to recovery.

MIN ENJOYING HIS SNACKS!


CATCH A STAR LOVING THE ATTENTION!


NEVILLE DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST!

Carolina Horse Park Donates Portion of Upcoming Horse Trial Proceeds to Fire Recovery Funds

Press Release

June 3, 2011 (Raeford, NC) It is with deepest sorrow over the tragedy at True Prospect Farm that Carolina Horse Park announces a portion of all proceeds from the upcoming Lumber River Starter Horse Trials will be donated to the fire recovery funds. CHP both commends and is inspired by the heroism portrayed and the strength of the rallying eventing community. Our most heartfelt sympathies go out to all of those at Phillip and Evie Dutton’s True Prospect Farm, including: Boyd and Silva Martin, Ryan Wood, Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman and the owners of the six horses lost.

As long time supporters of the Park, Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton and their entire True Prospect Team have continuously supported CHP, inspiring both fellow professionals and those new to the sport. Their dedication to their horses, each other, and the growth and betterment of the sport is unparalleled. This year, Boyd and Phillip partnered closely with CHP in ways well beyond riding including community and media relations as well as strong leadership of Southern Pines Horse Trials partnership with the Professional Riders Organization. It is without hesitation that CHP joins in the support effort after this tragedy.

In addition to a direct portion of the Lumber River Starter Horse Trials proceeds going to the fire recovery funds, the Carolina Horse Park will also be collecting any additional donations at the June 11-12 event for the relief effort. Links to donate are also posted on the CHP website for those wishing to participate. The closing date for the Lumber River Starter Horse Trials has been postponed until Sunday, June 5.

About the Carolina Horse Park

The Carolina Horse Park Foundation (CHP) is North Carolina’s premiere equestrian center for both national and international competitions and hosts a diverse calendar of equestrian and community events on over 250 acres of protected land. Founded in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) by a group of equestrian enthusiasts devoted to preserving open space and promoting equestrian competition, CHP encourages responsible land use and low density development. For more information visit www.carolinahorsepark.com.

How to Donate to the The True Prospect Fire Relief Online Auction

The True Prospect Fire Relief Online Auction will take place on Ebay. PRO will be working with the Southern California Equestrian Sports Foundation (SCES) to organize the auction that will benefit all those affected by the barn fire at True Prospect Farm.

SCES is a 501(c)(3), which will allow for your donation to be a tax deduction. When the auction closes SCES will distribute all the proceeds directly to Boyd Martin, Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman, Ryan Wood, Abbie Golden and the Duttons. Our goal is to have the auction up and running in a week. We plan to have all auction donors ship their items directly to the winning bidder (we will provide you with the address of the winning bidder once the auction closes). We are happy to have a wide variety of items donated as we believe that this will appeal to many different people.

If you are interested in making a donation this is what we will need:

(1) photo - if possible
(2) detailed description
(3) value
(4) donor info as you would like it to be listed
(5) Name, telephone number and email address

Everyone at True Prospect Farm is truly speechless by the the outpouring of attention and generosity headed their way by the equine community. THANK YOU for your contribution, it will make a big difference!

To make a donation please contact Margaret Rizzo: margaret@professionalriders.org

Arenus Fundraiser


Boyd and Silva's sponsor, Arenus, have set up a special promotion so that customers wanting to support the victims of the fire at True Prospect Farm can enter promo code PRP-72378 to have 15% of the sale donated to Boyd. In addition customers will benefit from a 5% discount.

You can order at www.arenus.com or contact the Customer Service Department at 866-791-3344.

A Note from Silva

This was obviously a horrible week and probably the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, and hopefully I will never experience something like that again.

We are all very sad, but we are also just amazed by this country and its people – it’s unbelievable how generous and amazing everyone has been. People have put everything on hold for us and have done everything they can for us, from cooking food and sending flowers, and sending donations to the funds that have been set up. We’ve been getting phone calls and emails from all over the world and even though I’m really sad, it’s such a good feeling to know that so many people are behind us. I think the American people are amazing that way, making things happen the way they are making things happen for us. I hope someday I can help someone out the way people are helping us out. We’re going through our time right now and it is tough; I know there’s no way we can possibly repay everyone but I hope that someday we can do the same for everyone else.

I think Lillian, Caitlin, Ryan, Boyd and Phillip are the real heroes, and we are indebted to the others who put their lives on the line to save Boyd’s horses. Lillian, Caitlin and Ryan have seen the worst of it and we’ll be indebted to them forever.

Phillip and Evie, like they have been with everything since we got to this country, have been amazing to us. I hope I can be such a good person someday. They have a big loss themselves, since it took place on their property, but they are just being good friends to us and supporting Boyd right now. Of course what happened to the horses is awful. I rode all these horses but I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose one of my own. I’ve known Neville longest and I know that he’s a fighter.

I am actually now on my way to Morven Park for the Young Horse selection trials. I was not planning on going, but there’s not really anything left for me to do at home for the moment. I can’t say that I have had the best preparation for this show, but I think it might be good to get a change of scenery and keep the horses on track. This is the selection trials for the world championships in Germany, but at this point I feel there are more important things than qualifying so I’m happy however the weekend turns out.

Once again I am so thankful to everyone for their support. Words are not enough to express how grateful we are and how lucky we feel to have so many friends and supporters in America and around the world.

Silva

Jennie Brannigan's Blog


Jennie Brannigan (left) posed with friends and barnmates Lillian Heard and Boyd Martin at The Fork Horse Trials in April.
Photo by Amber Heintzberger.



Jennie Brannigan wrote a touching blog on The Chronicle of the Horse and we would like to share it with everyone.
Please click here to read.

Video (News Coverage) of Barn Fire

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Fundraiser this weekend at Fitch's Corner

Our friend and horse owner Fernanda Kellogg, who owns Fitch's Corner in Millbrook, NY is organizing a fund raiser this Saturday to aid in the fire relief effort. It should be a fun day out for those who can attend, and we are so grateful for the help. We spent the past weekend teaching a clinic at Fitch's Corner and it's one of our favorite clinics every year. Luckily Fernanda's horse PartyBoy was turned out in the pasture and safe from the fire. For additional information click here.

-Boyd and Silva

Clear Round Jumping
Saturday June 4th, 2011

Fitch's Corner offers the "Clear Round" again in 2011, the weekend after you have honed your skills with Boyd Martin on Memorial Day weekend! Course Designer Chris Barnard will create courses using a combination of the Fitch's Corner's Horse Trials stadium obstacles, and, in selected classes, cross country obstacles to complete the course. This will be fun!

Ribbons awarded to all who jump clear!
This event will be a fundraiser with net proceeds donated to
Boyd & Silva Martin's rebuilding effort after the tragic fire at True Prospect Farm.
Order of Go:

2'6" - 9AM
Stadium jumps only
Five stadium jumps, followed by five cross country obstacle
3" - Not Before 11AM
Stadium jumps only
Five stadium jumps, followed by five cross country obstacles
3'3" - Not Before 1PM
Stadium jumps only
b. Five stadium jumps, followed by five cross country obstacles

Entry Fee: $25 per class.

Entry Form
Release Form

Note: May be limited to 2 rounds per horse/rider combination at each height.

Course will be set in the water complex field (grass). Parking will be in the same field, entrance on N. Mabbettsville Rd. Helmets required while mounted, all dogs must be leashed.

Fundraiser at The Whip Tavern

Last night The Whip Tavern just down the road from True Prospect Farm hosted a successful fundraiser for Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman and Ryan Wood, who lost their homes and most of their personal possessions in the barn fire. According to Boyd $6800 was raised in total. Amy Dragoo took some fun photos from the evening. To see more of her images click here. -AMH

Scenes from a Benefit

Thanks also to Amy for going above and beyond by donating 20% of all her print sales this year to the True Prospect Fire Recovery Fund.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Photos After the Fire

Boyd emailed these photos over today, taken at TPF and New Bolton Center, plus the touching photo collage tribute. Click on the photo to go to the gallery.

True Prospect Farm: After the Fire


This video was also posted on Youtube:

Boyd Martin Thanks Everyone For Support After Barn Fire at True Prospect Farm


Many thanks to the person who sent this photo composition of the
six horses lost in the barn fire at True Prospect Farm.


I just got off the phone with Boyd, who sounds about as exhausted and overwhelmed as anyone possibly could after enduring the worst imaginable ordeal over the past couple of days and nights. Even though he is in the middle of a crisis and still very concerned with the welfare of the surviving horses, he wanted to take the time to acknowledge the huge outpouring of support from people around the world. - AMH.

This is probably the hardest blog entry that I’ll ever have to do. To be quite frank, I really don’t feel like writing it but I feel that I need to say something because of the amount of support that I’ve had through so many friends around the world with text messages, emails and phone calls in the last 24 hours. The support has given me a new burst of life to push on and continue and I feel I owe these people this update.

You probably heard that I endured the most tragic event that I’ve ever experienced in my life. The fire in the upper barn at True Prospect Farm has not only shattered my life but it’s also devastated many people involved in the facility, including the owners Phillip and Evie Dutton, the residents Caitlin and Woodsy, and all of the people who had a sleepless night Monday evening struggling to salvage and save what we could.

In all honesty my heart goes out to the devastated owners who received a phone call from me at 6:00 yesterday morning telling them that their horses were lost. Calling Anne, Abbie, Bonnie, Faye, Ron and Densey was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.

The five surviving horses that were in the barn, I believe will all live. Neville, Min and Hoku, (Catch a Star) are all in the intensive care unit at New Bolton Center. Otis and Rose are in stable condition in the general section of the hospital. All five of them are receiving 24-hour fluids and Neville, who looks to have the worst case of smoke inhalation, has two oxygen tubes in, assisting his breathing 24 hours a day. Min also suffered smoke inhalation while Hoku has got the worst burns, which cover a great deal of her body.

This tragic event has brought the community that we live in even closer. It’s an amazing feeling having so many people willing to help and assist you when you experience this kind of misfortune. I am also absolutely taken away by the bravery of our staff. Sara, Caitlin, Lillian and Ash, Randall and Devon not only showed bravery and heroism but they are showing resilience by continuing and pressing on in their lives despite the tragedy.

I will forever be grateful for the way Phillip and Evie Dutton have treated us through the horrifying event of watching a structure burn to the ground on a farm they own. I’ll always be indebted to Phillip, who assisted me in dragging out Neville when the inferno was raging hot and we ignored the orders of the fire chief to not go in to the barn. I’m also indebted to Woodsy, Caitlin and Lillian who raised the alarm and freed the bulk of the surviving horses from the blazing barn.

We relocated the majority of the horses in our training program to the Delaware Equine Center, which is next door to Phillip and Evie’s. We will continue training out of the facilities at True Prospect Farm.

I’m sure this event will forever haunt me and the people who were involved. I think there be many more tears and more healing and it is going to take a long time to get over the experience but I really feel that life must go on.

I wish to thank everyone who has sent an email or a text message, sponsors who have donated tack and supplies and those who have contributed to the various funds that have been set up. Your support has lifted our spirits in this very dark time.

-Boyd

A Way to Help

We have put up a page on our website that has all the info regarding the tax deductible fund.
If you are one of our sponsors, or just a concerned friend or fan, can you please put this link on your website or distribute it to those who may help?

The direct link is:
http://www.boydandsilvamartin.com/Pages/boyd/ReliefFund.html

For those who are technical & want to embed the donation button code, it is:


https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">


https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!">
https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1">



Thanks again for all the requests on this.....LT



Update on The Horses

This morning all of the horses are continuing their recovery and are doing much better.  They are more comfortable and able to rest more peacefully, which will help in their recovery.  With smoke inhalation, the most important process is to keep them comfortable & enable the horses to expel the affected tissue from the smoke and for their lung tissue to heal.

We will continue to give periodic updates as to the recovery of our horses when appropriate & thank you again for everyone's concerned emails & calls.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tax Deductible Relief Fund

The following tax deductible relief fund has been set up through our friends at SCES, a national organization based out of Southern California, who supports our sport.  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.  Please help us spread the word by making a donation and then sending out the link to all of your friends & equestrian contacts.  

Once again we'd like to help everyone who has sent their best wishes and volunteered to help us during these trying times.  Samantha Lendl will be writing a formal press release from PRO and distributing that with upcoming fundraising efforts as well.  Thank you again to the entire eventing community for your support.




Working Together to Help

Thank you for all the calls & emails that we have received today.

We are working together with several organizations to set up a relief fund to help all the people & horses who have been effected by the fire.

We will have another update to you by end of day on the relief fund & thank you again for all the support.

Barn Fire at True Prospect Farm

As many of you have already heard thanks to excellent reporting from John Thier at EventingNation.com and the folks at PRO, last night there was a barn fire at True Prospect Farm.

Six horses were lost in the fire: Call Me Ollie, Charla, Ariel, Phantom Pursuit, Cagney Herself, and Summer Breeze.

Currently undergoing treatment at New Bolton Center are Neville Bardos, Otis Barbotiere, Catch a Star and Ambassador's Rose.

Lillian, Caitlin and Ryan were treated and released from Jennersville Hospital.

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.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

A new blog from Silva: WE HAD TO LISTEN TO ASHLEA SING!!!

First of all I would like to say that Ashlea did what I was afraid of: she sang the Australian national anthem "loud and proud"! Thank God she was crying at the same time: that way she could not sing loud enough for everybody to hear.

Besides the fact that she should not ever sing unless she is all by herself, I am very very proud of her! She won her freestyle in the CDI Y at the Horse Park of New Jersey with almost 70%. I am a little embarrassed to say this, since I am supposed to be a tough German girl, but even I got goose bumps when they played the Aussie Anthem for Ashlea. Ashlea has been working very hard for this and this is a very big step towards her goal of representing Australia at the Young Rider World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany.

I would like to thank Ann Miller, who put this beautiful freestyle together for us in time for this weekend. She did an amazing job!

Kymmy and Markie also had a good weekend and Kyymy rode very well today. This was the first time for them to compete in Fourth level test 3, which is a very hard test to ride. They finished third in a big, competitive field! Good job!

I've said it before but I have to say it again: I have the most amazing horses! I am soooo lucky!

Stately did the first qualifier for the World Breeders Young Horse Championship in Verden, Germany in August and he was amazing! Michael Barisone helped me warm up all weekend and Stately got better and better. The qualifier was judged by German judge Peter Holler and American judge Jeanne McDonald. We scored 86% and won out of 25 horses! This has to be the best score I have ever gotten - what an amazing horse!

Stateley and I are going to compete in the selection trial for 6-year-old horses for the World Championships in Germany next weekend at Morven Park. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for us!

Rosa Cha W also had a great weekend. She won Third, test 2 with 74% and Third, 3 with 73%, and scored 72% in the Young Horse class today! Rosa will also compete at the selection trial at Morven Park.

Duvent had a much better test yesterday: we did Fourth level test 3 for the first time and finished third with 63%. I am excited about him - he is going to be great!

Silva

Videos and pics will be posted soon!

6/28 & 29 Clinic at White North Stables & South Farm


Please see their website for full details!