Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Reynolds claims third Tevis Cup victory

AuburnJournal.com - Full Article

By: Nick Pecoraro
July 29 2018

The 63rd annual Tevis Cup is officially in the books.

Sixty-four riders in total completed the Western States Trail Ride by early Sunday morning. Hundreds of riders, crew members, board members and supporters gathered Sunday afternoon at the Placer County Fairgrounds for an awards luncheon, presenting the best of the best from the 2018 Tevis Cup.

Heather Reynolds of Florida added a third Tevis Cup victory to her resume, finishing at 10 p.m. exactly – a trip that took her and her horse, Cayu, just under 17 hours to complete.

“I typed into my GPS, ‘Cayu, get me to Auburn,’ and he did the rest,” laughed Reynolds as she was announced to the crowd Sunday.

Reynolds had a seven-minute advantage coming out of the final veterinary checkpoint at Lower Quarry. Forty-four minutes later, she finished with 18 minutes separating her from the next rider for her seventh career Tevis completion.

“Each time is different because each horse is different. It was definitely hotter this year,” said, Reynolds, whose previous victories came in 2003 and 2014...

Read more here:
http://www.auburnjournal.com/article/7/29/18/reynolds-claims-third-tevis-cup-victory

Monday, July 30, 2018

Reynolds and Cayucos Win 2018 Tevis Cup

Thehorse.com - Full Article

Reynolds and Cayucos, a 10-year-old 15.1 hand chestnut Arabian gelding, crossed the finish line at 10:00 p.m. on July 28 to claim her third Tevis Cup victory.

By Marsha Hayes | Jul 29, 2018

Heather Reynolds, of Dunnellon, Florida, crossed the finish line at 10:00 p.m. on July 28 to claim her third Tevis Cup victory. Riding Cayucos, a 10-year-old 15.1 hand chestnut Arabian gelding owned by Hillorie Farace Di Villaforesta, Reynolds finished 18 minutes before second place Wasch Blakeley.

The Blakeleys, from Terrebonne, Oregon, captured three of the coveted top ten slots with Gabriela Blakekley finishing a minute behind her husband, and their son, Barrack claiming fifth place at 10:49 p.m. Lindsay Fisher and Monk—who led most of the course and vetted through first at both major checkpoints, Robinson Flat (Mile 36) and Foresthill (Mile 68)—placed fourth...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/159636/heather-reynolds-and-cayucos-win-2018-tevis-cup/

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Mustang MM Cody and Mykayla Corgnell Win 2018 Haggin Cup

July 29 2018

2018 eighth place Tevis Cup finisher, MM Cody, ridden by Mykayla Corgnell, was named the Haggin Cup winner. The mustang is owned by Mark Montgomery.

MM Cody and Cornell crossed the finish line with ninth place Montgomery and MM Woodrow at 12:22 AM.

Full results of the Tevis Cup can be seen here:
http://webcast.teviscup.org/

Heather Reynolds and Cayucos Win 2018 Tevis Cup

July 29 2018

Heather Reynolds of Dunnellon, Florida, and Hillorie Farace Di Villaforesta's 10-year-old Arabian gelding Cayucos won the 63rd edition of the 100-mile Tevis Cup, crossing the finish line in Auburn, California, at 10:00 PM. This was Heather's third Tevis Cup win

Finishing second and third 18 minutes later were the husband-wife duo of Wasch and Gabriela Blakeley from Terrebonne, Oregon. Wasch rode their 9-year-old Arabian gelding RA Ares Bey, and Gabriela rode their 9-year-old gelding LLC Pyros Choice. The Blakely's son Barrak (Haggin Cup winner in 2014 as a Junior) finished in 5th place at 10:49 PM aboard his 7-year-old mare OMR Quick San.

Fourth place went to Lindsay Fisher and the 16-year-old gelding Monk; the duo finished second in last year's Tevis.

Haggin Cup judging will be this morning and will be announced this afternoon.

64 riders completed out of 150 starters.

Friday, July 27, 2018

WARHorses’ Interview – The Oldest Horse to Finish Tevis

WomenOfAgeRidingHorses.com - Full Article

Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman–everyone loves a super hero. They possess extraordinary traits, aspire to do good, apply their strengths to help others and are reliable, trustworthy stalwarts that inspire and comfort the rest of us. Endurance rider, Claire Godwin, knows something about super heroes. She has one living in her pasture.

Godwin, 59, is a Companion Animal Veterinarian and Practice Owner at Laytonsville Veterinary Practice, Laytonsville, MD. Like many WARHorses, Godwin grew up loving horses but put them aside to attend college, establish a veterinary practice, and start a family. Inspired by a dinner conversation about endurance, Godwin purchased an Arab and began competing in her 30’s.

Years later, PL Mercury, or Merc as he’s known, came into Godwin’s life quietly. At 15 years old his job was to merely be a horse for the kids to ride, but soon he began revealing his super powers to Godwin. Turns out the mild mannered kid’s horse possessed a talent for distance. As recently as June this super horse carried Godwin 100 miles in the Old Dominion, defeating “the Beast of the East” as the race is dubbed and finishing sixth! And this super horse is not done yet. On July 28th, Godwin and Mercury will tackle Tevis, one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Godwin hopes they can break Mercury’s current record as the oldest horse to complete Tevis (the Ride). This year Merc is 27-1/2 years old!...

Read more here:
https://womenofageridinghorses.com/training/features/warhorses-interview-the-oldest-horse-to-finish-tevis/

2018 Tevis Cup Provides Equine Research Opportunities

Thehorse.com - Full Article

The 100-mile ride has long provided a unique opportunity to conduct research on well-conditioned endurance horses working in extreme conditions and this year is no exception.

By Marsha Hayes | Jul 26, 2018

When the 63rd Tevis Cup event kicks off at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday July 28, 156 of the top endurance horse and rider teams are slated to start the cross-country quest to cover 100 miles within 24 hours. This event has long provided a unique opportunity to conduct research on well-conditioned endurance horses working in extreme conditions, and this year is no exception.

Researchers studying this year’s Tevis field will include David Horohov, PhD veterinary science chairman and director of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington, and Allen Page, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian and scientist at the Gluck Center. They plan to continue their research started in racehorses and look at links between exercise and inflammation in equine athletes...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/159598/2018-tevis-cup-provides-equine-research-opportunities/

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Endurance Horse Podcast Episode 7 - Potato Richardson-Tevis


EnduranceHorsePodcast - Listen

July 23rd, 2018

Hello from Wisconsin & Welcome to Endurance Horse Podcast!

Episode 7 is being published on the 23rd of July 2018

I am your host, Christina Hyke- a Wisconsin based Equine photographer who also happens to love the trails and distance riding enough to create a podcast about it to share stories with other riders from around the world.

Here, we gather to cheer each other on, share stories and to make connections with riders from around the world. It is, in a sense, a virtual ride camp. I once had a friend ask me, “What does this podcast give to me that facebook doesn’t?” And my simplest answer was this, ‘Your hands, eyes and feet.” You don’t need any of them to listen in to the podcast, all you need is your ears.

I’m happy to bring to you a special treat in Episode 7, really it is Jenny Chandler who has taken the time to create a special file with an icon of the Endurance world, Potato Richardson. It is this file that spurred on an additional call for more audio files to create yet another episode in July- we wanted to share the audio sent in from Jenny and Potato before Tevis.

We are also going to, for the first time - hear from/about Ride and Tie competitors, we are going to hear updates from the Midwest and Coolich Endurance, the Southwest from Keisha, a great update from Marvel Endurance at the State Championships Down Under and we will be welcoming another rider to the podcast- Erin Glassman.

Please check the show notes for links to websites and also to blogs.

Without further ado, I am happy to bring to you, Episode 7, of the Endurance Horse Podcast.

Listen:
https://endurancehorsepodcast.podbean.com/e/potato-richardson-tevis-episode-7-endurance-horse-podcast/

New Tevis 'Mediators of Inflammation' Research Study for 2018

July 24 2018

Mediators of inflammation in endurance horses attempting a 100-mile ride.

The University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center will be on-site with a study looking at mediators of inflammation in endurance horses. Thoroughbred race horses have been studied with findings that revealed the levels of these mediators correlated with levels of fitness and exertion. Drs. Page and Horohov from the University want to see what influence intense and prolonged exercise would have on the same markers.

The study is **ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY** but the results will be shared with the riders who participate after the ride and may provide valuable insight into a horse’s ability and success at endurance. We also have a thank you gift for all participating.

The study involves blood draws at the vet-in at Robie Park, at Robinson Flat, Foresthill, and the finish. Pulled horses will be tested at the earliest time after their pull either at Robinson, Foresthill, or the Fairgrounds. Similar to the blood draws for electrolyte levels done over the past five years, the procedure should take less than a minute and cause no delay.

Riders can register for the study on-line:
 https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ctCOCXGarCLUwVT

Research done at the Tevis Cup Ride has been crucial to the understanding of the physical and metabolic stresses put on these incredible athletes. It is part of our mission to allow and to fund on-going research that will better the lives of our equine partners.

We encourage your participation in this important study.

Jeff Herten
Vet Committee Chair

Saturday, July 21, 2018

A Mix of Equines Set for Tevis

July 21, 2018

A variety of 157 equines* are set to take the stage over the 100 miles of the 64th annual Tevis Cup on Saturday, July 28, 2018.

A few equine stats:
There are Arabians and part Arabians galore, 1 Hanoverian, 6 mustangs, 5 mules, 1 Rocky Mountain horse, 1 Missouri Foxtrotter, 1 Quarter horse, a few Quarabs, 1 Saddlebred, 1 Shagya, 1 Standardbred and a couple of Standie crosses, 1 Morgan, 1 Tennessee Walker.

The youngest is 6 years old; 6 horses are over 20, including one 27-year-old gelding.

21-year-old SMR Fifi d'Or won the Tevis Cup in 2005 with Cathy Richardson; she'll be ridden by Potato Richardson this year.

The start will be at 5:15 AM on July 28 at Robie Park above Lake Tahoe, and end in Auburn, California, 24 hours later.

Current entries can be seen here:
http://teviscup.org/2018_tevis_rider_list



*sign-up as of July 20

Thursday, July 19, 2018

AERC International Youth Exchange in the Works



AERC.org

YOUNG RIDERS EXCHANGE! Attention young riders between the ages of 13 and 20: We are in the early planning stages of the AERC International Youth Exchange. We will be going to a safe country in 2019 but have yet to make final plans on the location. We will be taking up to 4 young riders. In 2016 we took 4 young riders to Australia for a trip of a lifetime (see photos)! 

Qualifications in order to apply: 
1. Must have 500 AERC endurance miles 
2. Must have ridden more than one horse in competition 

Online application: https://aerc.org/2019exchange
Application deadline: August 31, 2018 

This is still a pilot program of AERC. The funding has been obtained from the Gator Run Benefit rides, veterinarians who have worked these rides, silent auctions and also sponsors. If anyone would like to help out with funding please contact either the AERC Office or Connie Burns-Caudill. Looking forward to another exciting trip with our young riders.




Follow the Live Tevis Webcast

The Western States Trail Foundation (Tevis Cup Ride) has a loyal group of volunteers that will be working hard to bring you up to date information during the ride weekend. When the ride starts, there will be a link on the main website http://www.teviscup.org/ to the LIVE WEBCAST. That link will allow you to search the progress of a specific rider, information status by checkpoint, current leaders, and a list of pulled riders. You can even save a list of Favorites to make checking on their progress throughout the day more streamlined!

You can also find updates, live streaming videos and photos during the course of the ride on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TevisCup/ We have webcast photographers and crew at MORE checkpoints than ever this year. We will be doing our best to provide continual coverage, upload pictures and video live during the event. Live streaming was a big hit last year. We plan to have even more if possible this year!

Additionally, this year we have a totally new feature of optional live GPS tracking for riders! For an additional fee, riders can elect to carry a live tracker, which will send pings to update the riders’ status on the trail every 5 minutes. There may be locations on the trail where GPS signal is too weak to successfully send a ping, the unit will try three times before waiting for the next 5 minute interval. You can follow along with those riders who have elected this service here: http://trackleaders.com/teviscup18 Individual riders GPS units should also be linked to their “Where’s My Rider” webcast page.

All of the people helping to man our EIGHTEEN various checkpoints are volunteers, typically working long hours for nothing more than the love of the event and a spiffy Tshirt. They do their best. Several new innovations have been introduced to provide updates as quickly and error-free as possible. Most stops are either direct internet uploading from the check point or through technology called Winlink which enables emails to be sent over short wave radio. These two things allow us to be more accurate than in the past. We will do our best to keep everyone up to date on their rider.

You can imagine how hard it is to not transpose numbers, either verbally when reading/calling them out (especially for tired riders), or while writing them down/typing them in (think of 3-4 people having to hear/write the number for each instance), especially when you've been awake 20+ hours. Keep in mind it's possible to miss a rider # if they all come in in a big group. If your rider shows up pulled or in a strange place - check again later and don't automatically take it as gospel. There are automated tools to help the webcast volunteers find and correct a mistake at the next update. With the batch uploading process, and some of the remote locations, they may take up to an hour to fully upload.

Also just because your rider stops at a particular location for longer than usual/planned, it's not necessarily significant. It could be that the spotters missed their number going out, or perhaps they stayed longer than planned to let their horse eat or rest for the upcoming trail segment. There will be volunteers in Foresthill with computers if you need assistance in looking up a rider.

Summary of how to follow us online:

Main Tevis Website:
http://www.teviscup.org/

Official Tevis Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/TevisCup

Event GPS tracking:
http://trackleaders.com/teviscup18

Twitter Account:
https://twitter.com/tevisnews

Flickr Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/teviscup/albums

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tevisfeed/


~ Crysta Turnage
Webcast Volunteer

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Tevis Cup 100-Mile Endurance Ride time

Auburnjournal.com - Full Article

Saturday Jul 14 2018
By: Julie Miller, Design and Content Manager

Last month for the Endurance Capital of the World, runners near and far conquered Western States 100. This month, it’s Tevis Cup’s turn to take to the Western States trail.

Around 200 horses and riders will take on the 100-mile race from Truckee to Auburn. Last year, the weather was cool with a bit a of rain and 56 percent of entrants finished the race. That’s about typical, generally 50 percent will finish the race.
It begins at Robie Equestrian park at 7,000 feet elevation south of Truckee goes through rugged miles of ascending and descending before reaching Old Town Auburn.

“Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the trail, the Tevis Cup Ride differs substantially from other organized endurance riding events,” said the Tevis Cup website. “Adequate physical training and preparation for both horse and rider are of the utmost importance. The mountains, although beautiful, are relentless in their challenge and unforgiving to the ill-prepared...”

Read more here:
http://www.auburnjournal.com/article/7/14/18/tevis-cup-100-mile-endurance-ride-time

Saturday, July 14, 2018

US Equestrian Names U.S. Endurance Squad for FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018


Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has announced four athlete-and-horse combinations for the U.S. Endurance Squad for the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018, which takes place Sept. 11-23 in Mill Spring, N.C. Following the 2016-2018 selection period, the US Equestrian Board of Directors approved the following combinations for the U.S. Endurance Squad to be named to the FEI Nominated Entry List.


The following combinations have been named to the U.S. Endurance Squad for the WEG (in alphabetical order):


Danielle Crouse (Lexington, Ohio) and AM Mysterious Mopsa, Wendy MacCoubrey’s 11-year-old Arabian mare


Gwen Hall (Woodland Park, Colo.) and SizeDoesntMatter, her 12-year-old Arabian gelding


Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.) and Fireman Gold, Wendy MacCoubrey and Valerie Kanavy’s eight-year-old Arabian gelding


Rae Shumate-Tysor (Cumming, Ga.) and DM Michaelangelo, her nine-year-old Arabian gelding


Erin Champion (Clinton, Tenn.) and Kongtiki, her own 15-year-old Arabian stallion, will serve as the traveling reserve combination.


Additionally, the following three combinations have been named to the reserve list for the U.S. Endurance Squad for the WEG (in alphabetical order):


Cameron Holzer (Houston, Texas) and Kong, her nine-year-old Shagya Sporthorse gelding


Erin Lemmons-Innes (Hico, Texas) and Tuscarora John, her 12-year-old Arabian gelding


Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and Hoover the Mover, her 14-year-old Arabian gelding


For more information about the WEG U.S. Endurance selection process, view the U.S. Endurance team selection procedures.


For more information about FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, visit Tryon2018.com.


The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

2018 July's Endurance Day on Horses in the Morning


Horsesinthemorning.com - Listen

Tevis, Tevis and MORE Tevis with Lora, Kellie and Natalie – Endurance Day for 07-10-18
Jul 10, 2018

On today’s endurance episode its all about Tevis, and we’re joined by Lara Wereb who is riding her gaited horse Spin Out Merlin this year, Tevis first timer Kellie Moore Fryman, and Natalie Sundstrom wraps up the show with some Tevis Gremlin stories.

Listen in:
http://www.horsesinthemorning.com/tevis-tevis-and-more-tevis-with-lora-kellie-and-natalie-endurance-day-for-07-10-18/

Sunday, July 08, 2018

Endurance Horse Podcast Episode 6 - Rider Option Pulls

EnduranceHorsePodcast - Listen

July 7 2018

Hello & welcome to Endurance Horse Podcast!

This episode is the first topic specific episode of the Endurance Horse Podcast. In this episode riders are sharing stories on the topic of what we call here in the US, a Rider Option pull. A Rider Option pull is when your horse has successfully gone through the vetting process, though you feel that for some reason, you should not go on. In other countries this is called a ‘Withdrawl’.

At the end of the podcast I will share about two times when I decided to Rider Option, once on Faith in 2016 and once on Mandate for Gold in 2011.

Sometimes the stories we share on the podcast are fun and uplifting, so it did give me a bit of a pause to decide to tackle a not so uplifting aspect of Endurance riding, stories about the days when things did not go as planned.

We share the Rider Option stories in Episode 6 in hopes that we will give courage to someone who in the future who maybe faced with that feeling that something just isn’t right with their horse in hopes that the stories you hear here today will help you make that choice if there is ever a day when you are faced with that nagging feeling in your gut, even though all seems to be okay on the outside. I also hope that this episode will lend peace of mind to some of you who had decided to withdraw, or not start a ride- that you made the right decision.

In any case, at some point or another- if you ride long enough- there is a chance there will be a day when you just are not sure. Yes, to finish is to win, though somedays it is best to stop, play it safe and follow your gut instinct.

Thank you to the riders who were willing to share your stories that were difficult to share.

Without further ado, I bring to you episode 6 of the Endurance Horse podcast.

To send in your story to Endurance Horse Podcast please send an email to:
endurancehorsepodcast@gmail.com

Owen “Jake” Jacobs 1947-2018

UintaCountyHerald.com

Owen “Jake” Jacobs died suddenly at his home in Wild River Ranches (in Evanston) on Friday, June 29. He was born May 20, 1947, in Baker City, Oregon, the son of Clarence LeRoy Jacobs and Mildred Helen Burnett Jacobs.

Jake’s early years were spent on the family ranch in Oregon. He enlisted in the Navy in 1967, and he was honorably discharged in 1970. During his naval career, he was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, and at Miramar Naval Station in southern California. While at Miramar, he was an air traffic controller.

After leaving the Navy, he went on to college and graduated from Oregon State University. After graduation he went into the cattle business. In the early ’80s, he moved to Evanston and went to work in the oil and gas industry with Amoco. Later, he and Eileen opened the Book Nook in the Blyth & Fargo building until 1996 when he left to work in the oil and gas industry as an independent contractor.

While living in Evanston, Jake was very active in the community and Catholic church. He was a volunteer at YAHA and received the volunteer of the year award. He was also one of the people instrumental in organizing the re-enactment of the Great Endurance Horse Race from Evanston to Denver in the early 1990s. Jake eventually moved to Denver, where he went to work for Encana until his retirement in June of 2013...

Read more here:
https://uintacountyherald.com/article/owen-jake-jacobs

Thursday, July 05, 2018

Endurance Horse Podcast - Episode 5.0

Endurancehorsepodcast - Listen

July 4 2018

Welcome to Episode 5 of Endurance Horse Podcast

Hosted by Christina Hyke
Sponsored by Christina Hyke Photography, LLC

Welcome to Episode 5! Today is July 4th 2018. In the United States it is a time for family and friends to get together, cook out and celebrate. There will be parades, festivals and fireworks. Today we are heading to a race to cheer on two of our older sons in the Whippet City Mile run that is right before the start of the 4th of July Parade, then out to the lake to enjoy a barbecue with my brother and family. Though, since many of you maybe traveling this weekend, I thought it a good day to get episode 5 galloping out onto the airwaves. So, here you go and I hope you enjoy the audios, I hope you find inspiration, laughter, joy, encouragement, empathy and most of all a feeling of all being a part of the same journey and the most I wish for you is that you enjoy the ride.


Thank you to everyone who made it possible for this episode to be pulled together, and especially to two wonderful midwestern women, Laurie and Beth. Both ladies ride in the Midwest region of the US, both are from WI and I have had the privilege of chatting with both of them on the trails. When I needed two more files to complete this episode it was Beth that was first to answer the call, and then she suggested Laurie, whom I have met on the trail- and she is truly a ray of sunshine. I am so glad that I waited and got the audios from these two midwestern treasures.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in. To all of you who send files in, I know how busy everyone is- thank you for helping me create this podcast and share the world of endurance riding and bringing together riders from across the globe.

When I started this podcast I had the idea that it would be a positive in the endurance world, focusing us on what brings us together- the love of a good horse and a beautiful trail, the challenges we face, the goals we set and maybe above all- that we see that, as riders, and really, as people, we all have a lot more in common than not. And just maybe, this podcast would even bring some of us closer together online & in real life.


On June 8th, my mother’s birthday, I saw a share worthy post and shared it. The post was from Potato Richardson, and that he had a horse available for Tevis- I shared the post on the Endurance Horse Podcast.

One of the riders in the Endurance Horse Podcast group saw the opportunity and landed the ride on the horse. I know several of you are going to Tevis and it would be amazing if some of you got together around an actual campfire or met each other at the ride meetings.

Tuesday, July 03, 2018

AERC Award Nominations are due July 16!

Current AERC members are invited to nominate worthy recipients for the following year-end awards.

Awards descriptions:

HALL OF FAME, PERSON AND EQUINE. The Hall of Fame award, presented at the AERC convention national awards banquet, honors lifetime achievements by recognizing outstanding performances or outstanding contributions to the sport or to AERC.

PARD'NERS AWARD. Rider and horse perform together as a mutually bonded team. Rider and horse engender a spirit of friendship, enthusiasm and championship that makes those around them glad to have attended the ride. However competitive they may be, good sportsmanship remains their first priority. Horse and rider take care of each other. Together horse and rider personify the prevailing and abiding goal of AERC: "To finish is to win." This award was established in honor of the late Mae Schlegel. The recipient receives a keepsake plaque and the names of the "pard'ners" are engraved onto a perpetual trophy.

ANN PARR TRAILS PRESERVATION AWARD. This award, named after trails volunteer Ann Parr, was first given in 2012, and honors the member who has worked tirelessly for equine trails. Ann supported the Trails and Land Management Committee with her time, effort and knowledge. She worked with state count and city political offices from her home in Draper, Utah, to promote trail easement preservation and urban trails development. Ann led a campaign to enable the city of Draper to purchase an area previously slated for residential development for use as a public outdoor recreation area. Her trail advocacy and committee work are an inspiration for those who care for and work to preserve and expand equestrian trails across the country. Sharon Ballard proposed this award on the death of her beloved friend in 2011.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD. This award is established to honor an AERC member who has devoted an extraordinary amount of volunteer effort, time and service on behalf of the AERC for many years.

To nominate, use this form:
https://form.jotform.com/80924809683165

Sunday, July 01, 2018

Melissa Margetts remembered 1957-2018

Telluridenews.com - Full Article

July 1 2018
By Sophie Stuber, Planet Contributor

The Telluride community lost one of its most beloved characters Monday, June 25, when Melissa “Lissa” Margetts passed away. She was 60. Margetts was born Sept. 3, 1957, in Vallejo, California, and moved to Telluride as a child. Her father, Dr. Gardiner Pier, was the only town doctor and, by default, the town veterinarian. Her parents founded the Telluride Mountain Center. From childhood, Margetts shared a strong connection with animals and her community.

Margetts’ “friend in crime” for over 20 years, Susannah Smith, described Margetts’ intimate connection with wildlife in a recent interview with the Daily Planet.

“She was an animal whisperer. She could work with almost any animal,” Smith said.

Margetts connected with animals on a deep level. “She was half wild and not to be contained, just like the animals she worked with,” Smith added.

Her son, Jake Burns, said his mother was “a quintessentially Telluride figure.”

After working for several large corporations in Minnesota, Margetts decided to return to her mountain community, where she founded the Rocky Mountain Ark Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Wilson Mesa. The Ark was an internationally known institution that sheltered and rehabilitated injured animals on a 14-acre preserve. For animals that were not able to return to the wild, the Ark became a permanent home. At its peak, the Rocky Mountain Ark housed 165 animals.

“She was a walking encyclopedia on wildlife. She had so many certifications that we couldn’t find anyone to replace her when I was trying to help her sell it, or hand it over,” Smith said...

Read more here:
https://www.telluridenews.com/news/article_fd2262b8-7bf5-11e8-802e-1bf7282272a5.html