Friends of Twilight
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-Dr Margaret Mead
Click here to see the fabulous horseshoes that the fabulous Friends of Twilight create!
Friends
of Twilight
(Left to Right: Jean, Lynne, LaNell, Susan, Elaine, and Carole)
Two
horses at the extreme ends of the racing spectrum started it all: Smarty
Jones and Stop the Nonsense. While Smarty brought me and most of those
in Friends of Twilight to horseracing, it was Stop the Nonsense that
personally led me to MidAtlantic and horse rescue.
A wonderful trainer at Philly Park named Dee Curry allowed me, a recently
retired high-school English teacher, to volunteer and get hands-on experience.
Nonny (Stop the Nonsense) burrowed into my soul and my psyche. She ran
48 races and won about $30,000. At the end of her career, this low-level
claimer was running in $4000 claiming races at Penn National. At the
end, she was more important to me than Smarty because I had walked her,
groomed her, showered her with peppermints, and she knew she had stolen
my heart. At the end, all I cared about was her safety. At the end,
while safe, she was taken from me.
My love for the endangered horse had been born! Just like a broken-hearted
lover, I needed a new place for my passion. I turned to MidAtlantic
and saved my first horse with Bev’s assistance on July 31, 2006
from the New Holland PA Livestock Auction. His name was El Gato Olivo.
Like Nonny, he had run about the lowest-level possible. What satisfaction
I felt knowing that I had done some small deed that led him to a new
and wonderful life in Virginia!
One day over lunch with two friends and fellow racing fans, Jean Fritz
and Carole Basile, I told the story of El Gato Olivo. They wanted to
help as well. I thought to myself, I cannot afford to save a horse every
month-- but if a group of us agrees to put in the cost of a monthly
lunch with friends, perhaps the group can save a few each year. From
that idea, Friends of Twilight was born! We selected the name Twilight
in honor of my great-grandfather’s best race horse in England
during the 1940s. We wanted to buy Twilight years for all horses and
decided it was an appropriate name.
We now number 18 people in 7 states and are growing! In less than one
year, we have saved 18 horses with funds collected by the group; 10 more
horses have been saved by individual members. Additionally, one of our
members, Shelley Abrams, owns a TB named Mr. Boxcar. When he wins, Shelley
donates part of his earnings to our cause. She calls it “Horses
Saving Horses.”
While we are not officially a non-profit, we work under the umbrella
of MidAtlantic. We collect money which is held in a separate savings
account in Jean’s and my names. Our revenue comes from our members’
monthly pledges, and money made from decorating and selling used horseshoes
from Philadelphia Park race horses. Thus far, the horseshoes have brought
in over $6000. When we have raised enough funds to rescue, we buy slaughterbound
horses for MAHR. Our members are given tax donation acknowledgements
directly from MidAtlantic.
That’s our story. For a few dollars a month, you can join us and
help make a difference for some very needy and deserving thoroughbreds.
If interested, contact me, Susan at sekearney@comcast.net
The
fabulous Friends of Twilight in action!
(Left to Right: Elaine, LaNell, and Nancy)
Click here to see the fabulous horseshoes that the fabulous Friends of Twilight create!
MidAtlantic Horse Rescue horses saved thanks to donations from Friends of Twilight:
El
Gato Olivo (Susan), 7-31-06
Miss Rather,
10-2-06
Swooshell, 10-2-06
Crouching Tiger (Jean), 10-2-06
Lodovico, 11-20-06
Dukes Mixture (Jean),
11-27-06
Morriston Chief, 11-27-06
Last Angel, 11-27-06
Bold Mandate (Lori),
11-27-06
Mattsbrotherrobert (for Angel
Acres), 1-29-07
Aaron's Rocky (Fox Hill Farms
from auction) 3-19-07
Keys to Astro (Fox Hill Farms
from auction) 3-19-07
Nickname (Shelley and Mr.
Boxcar), 4-30-07
R.K's Boy, 5-21-07
Gentleman's Bet, 5-28-07
Civil
Hero, 6-4-07
Dreamy Mover (Jean) (to Akindale Farm) 6-4-07
War Maji (to Akindale Farm,) 6-4-07
Dixie Avenue (to Akindale Farm, Bought out of Nickerson's feedlot NY)
Dixie Rap (Bought out of Nickerson's feedlot NY), 6-14-07
Friend's Case, 6-18-07
City's Big Boy, 6-18-07
Essa's Aim, 7-30-07
Connie Med 9-10-07
Bourbon Gingerbear 9-17-07
What's Your Wish (Shelley and Mr. Boxcar) 10-1-07
Final Nickle 10-29-07
Mount Washington (Shelley and Mr. Boxcar) 11-5-07
Snowanna Run (Doreen Kearney and family in honor/memory of cousin Roy Stevens, from Devon, England) 12-31-07
Sneakylove 12-31-07
Watch the Move (Dee Curry) 1-7-08
Arrearments (Jean) 1-08
Susie's Prospect (Dee), available through Akindale Farm (email for more info) 3-08
Queen of Honey (Lori M) 3-08
Donnabella 5-08
Sweet Mercy 5-08
P.O
Box 403
Chesapeake City, MD 21915
For information call: 302-376-7297
or Email:
Bev@MidAtlanticHorseRescue.org
MidAtlantic
Horse Rescue is a division of Paws
For Life, Inc.,
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Partial funding provided by The National Humane Education Society
©2002-2007
MidAtlantic Horse Rescue
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