by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 14, 2022
Interested in finding out what’s new in equine nutrition and health? There’s a free seminar being offered through Rutgers on Feb. 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. rotational grazing, metabolism and microbiome also will be covered by Dr. Jennifer Weinert-Nelson, formerly of Rutgers, who is doing a post-doctoral program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service in Lexington, Ky.
Also offered is something that’s really up to the moment, “New findings on CBD/Hemp in Horse Nutrition” will be offered by Anna Collins from Murray State University in Kentucky.
To register, go to this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 13, 2022
Those who have cancer or survived the disease can take advantage of a free therapeutic program, Horses for Healing, involving bonding with equines at Mane Stream in Oldwick this spring.
The mission of Mane Stream, which is marking its 50th anniversary, is to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges. That is achieved through equine-assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
The cancer program aids in recovery through helping participants to relax and lessen their stress level. It involves not only riding, but also horse care and grooming, as well as interacting with others in the same situation and volunteers.
Riding helps develop balance and coordination, while improving body awareness. Through weekly lessons, stability and coordination will improve, helping participants communicate with the horse and positively impact their daily life.
Mane Stream instructors are certified by PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) and have strong backgrounds in horsemanship. They are all trained in first aid and CPR. A key element of the Horses for Healing team is the group of specially trained volunteers, many of whom have their own cancer journeys.
For more information or to register, click here.here
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 11, 2022
Professional show jumper Cassandra Kahle today was flown to a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta from Gainesville, Fla., where she has been hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury for nearly two weeks.
“The move and flight went very smoothly. They had a team of doctors immediately assess.her. She seems to be settling in well,” said Emil Spadone, the owner of Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Califon, N.J., where Cassie works.
Cassie, 29, has been able to open her eyes and follow commands, but at the Shepherd Center, the emphasis will be on getting her fully awake before she starts on the next stage of rehab. which will involve physical therapy, possibly lasting for four to six weeks.
Cassie Kahle.
When the Redfields crew returns to New Jersey after the Florida shows end, she can go to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. Kessler is where 2008 dressage Olympian Courtney King Dye did her rehab in 2010 after a serious head injury after her fall from a young horse.
Thousands of people have been following the progress of Cassie, a Canadian citizen who is very popular on the circuit.
“She’s a role model to me. As a person, as a rider, in every facet of life, she really executes it to perfection,” said close friend and fellow competitor Brian Feigus, who shares her love for all things Disney.
He admires her dedication and determination.
“If anybody is going to make a full recovery out of this, she’s the one. She’s a fighter and she’s strong,” he observed.
“There’s not one person in this industry who won’t stand behind her and support her. What everyone has seen is how many people she has touched and how many people care abut her. It’s because of who she is as a person. It’s nice to see that everyone recognizes how incredibly special she is.”
A GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate.
Emil hopes his insurance and workman’s compensation can pay for much of Cassie’s costs, though these situations are always tremendously expensive and not everything needed can be anticipated at this point.
If money is left over, it will be donated elsewhere when Cassie can help make the decision of where it should go, but Emil needs to find out the rules of how that’s handled with GoFundMe.
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala Jan. 29.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered the TBI in her fall.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 9, 2022
After several days without much progress, Cassandra Kahle thrilled everyone at her hospital bedside about 9:30 yesterday morning when she opened her eyes. And today, it got even better.
“Her eyes were open for several minutes at a time,” reported Emil Spadone, who owns Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Califon, N.J., where Cassie is a professional rider.
The 29-year-old show jumper, who suffered a traumatic injury when her horse fell during a jump-off last month, was “understanding what we’re saying, seeming more comfortable with her additional clarity, Emil said.
A trip to Atlanta’s Shepherd Center that specializes in rehabilitation for brain injuries has been put off until Friday as insurance issues are dealt with.
On Tuesday, the physical therapy crew at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., sat her up and started giving commands. After she opened her eyes, they said, “Can you open your mouth?” She opened her mouth.
“Can you stick your tongue out?” they suggested, and she did. Next, they gave her a washcloth and asked her to wipe her mouth, then give the cloth to her father. She was able to follow the orders.
As Emil noted Tuesday, “The doctors are like, `That is really impressive.’ They’re super, super thrilled.
“The doctors feel this was the first day she was starting to get conscious. She’s doing amazing. and the doctors are so impressed with her, but she’s not totally awake,” Emil cautioned.
“They call her semi-conscious. It takes a little time, but what a great day today. It was an amazing day. We always had the faith, but it just kind of renews it when you have a day like today.”
Emil recalled that she gave a thumbs-up and a peace sign to him and her father last week, but then she didn’t do it again, which was disheartening.
“It was so up and down for a little bit there,” Emil conceded, while citing the “amazing nurses and doctors” at Shand for all they’ve done. But it hasn’t been easy for those around Cassie.
“I do think positive, but it’s taken its toll.”
Emil said the Shepherd Center, where Cassie will begin the rehabilitation process, has “helped a lot of horse people. Everybody said it’s the place to go. She’ll start with a Disorders of Consciousness program to get her fully awake.”
Next, “they start the physical therapy part for another four to six weeks. After that, she can have more (therapy) or be an outpatient.”
Emil noted when the people at Shepherd were told how well Cassie did, they said “`It looks like she’s already beginning to wake up.’ If she winds up fully waking up in a week, they’ll immediately graduate her to the next step. As soon as she’s ready, she moves to the therapy part.”
When it’s time for her next move, after the end of the winter show circuit, “We’ll be heading for New Jersey,” said Emil, thinking she can go to the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation in West Orange as either an inpatient or outpatient.
Meanwhile, Shepherd has strict Covid rules, only allowing one person to be in a patient’s room each week. At the moment, the thought is that Cassie’s mother, Natasha Brash, will alternate with Emil. At Shand, Natasha stayed with her daughter through the night, while Emil had the day shift and would leave at 10 p.m.
As always when there’s a crisis, the horse show community pitches in.
A GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate.
Emil anticipates GoFundMe could cover the $15,000 needed for the plane to get Cassie to Atlanta. But he hopes his insurance and workman’s compensation can pay for much of Cassie’s costs, though these situations are always tremendously expensive and not everything needed can be anticipated at this point.
If money is left over, it will be donated elsewhere when Cassie can help make the decision of where it should go, but Emil needs to find out the rules of how that’s handled with GoFundMe.
Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses at Shand as a thank you for her care. We will let you know if the program will continue at Shepherd.
Cassie in action. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
In case you’re not up to speed on what’s happening here, this is the backstory on Cassie, culled from previous reports:
Last Thursday night, she “cracked her eyes open and stared right at me,” said Emil.
“Then she followed the command of the thumbs up and two fingers.” That was something she was able to do earlier in the week, even though she hadn’t opened her eyes at that point.
“It was an emotional moment,” Emil noted.
“That was the up. The down is she hasn’t done it again since.”
He had mentioned earlier on Thursday that because she had aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube, her infection was likely to slow down her response time. However, he reported, her cough is almost completely gone.
Shands Hospital quickly addressed the change in Cassie’s situation with antibiotics when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Being young and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
Cassie is as talented on a hunter as she is on a jumper. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered the TBI in her fall.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 8, 2022
There are several choices for those who would like to make a donation in memory of Audrey Bostwick, well-known throughout the driving community, who died last month at the age of 91.
Growing up in Mount Airy, Pennsylvania, she graduated from the Stevens School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and Master’s of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. Her early careers included nursery school teacher, social worker and positions within educational program research and development.
Audrey Bostwick
An avid horsewoman and humanitarian, she started her involvement with horses at the age of five and spent her early life riding and driving in Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia. Her lifelong passion for all things equestrian led her to be a competitor, instructor, and clinician in many disciplines, including hunter/jumpers and equitation, side- saddle,and carriage driving.
She was a licensed judge, steward, and technical delegate specializing in pleasure driving (The American Driving Society Inc., U.S. Equestrian Federation, and American Horse Shows Association), Hunter/Jumper and Equitation (AHSA), as well as Side-Saddle (International Side-Saddle Organization). Audrey was a founding member of the American Driving Society. and served in various roles within the organization.
Her specialty in pleasure driving gained her participation and coaching opportunities at notable competitions throughout the U.S., Canada and England. As one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in the pleasure driving community, she leaves behind a network of those brought together by her endearing personality.
Her commitment to education was evident in her efforts with the American Driving Society and Delaware Valley University. She taught at Delaware Valley University as an adjunct instructor in the Equine Science & Management program for nearly 20 years. She was a mentor and friend to many students, sharing her passion for carriage driving, side-saddle, and intercollegiate riding.
She especially enjoyed her time spent at her home farm in Perkasie, Pa.,with her beloved ponies and dogs. An avid reader and book club member, she studied tree species, historical barns, and bird watching. Ms. Bostwick was passionate about the art of carriage driving and actively participated in the governance and direction of the sport for 47 years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ms. Bostwick’s memory to the Delaware Valley University Equine Department,Delaware Valley University Office of Development,700 E Butler Ave., Doylestown, PA,18901.Donations also may be made to www.americandrivingsocciety.org or by mail to ADS, P.O. Box 278, Cross Plains, WI, 53528.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 8, 2022
After several days without much progress, Cassandra Kahle thrilled everyone at her hospital bedside about 9:30 this morning when she opened her eyes.
And that’s not all she did. The 29-year-old professional rider, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall during a jump-off last month, went on to demonstrate that she is on the road back to consciousness.
The physical therapy crew at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., sat her up and started giving commands. After she opened her eyes, they said, “Can you open your mouth?” She opened her mouth.
“Can you stick your tongue out?” they suggested, and she did. Next, they gave her a washcloth and asked her to wipe her mouth, then give the cloth to her father. She was able to follow the orders.
“The doctors are like, `That is really impressive.’ They’re super, super thrilled,” said Emil Spadone who owns Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla, and Califon, N.J., where Cassie works.
“The doctors feel this was the first day she was starting to get conscious. She’s doing amazing. and the doctors are so impressed with her, but she’s not totally awake,” Emil cautioned.
“They call her semi-conscious. It takes a little time, but what a great day today. It was an amazing day. We always had the faith, but it just kind of renews it when you have a day like today.”
Emil recalled that she gave a thumbs-up and a peace sign to him and her father last week, but then she didn’t do it again, which was disheartening.
“It was so up and down for a little bit there,” Emil conceded, while citing the “amazing nurses and doctors” at Shand for all they’ve done. But it hasn’t been easy for those around Cassie.
“I do think positive, but it’s taken its toll.”
On Thursday, Cassie, her family and Emil will fly to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where she will begin the rehabilitation prcess.
“They’ve helped a lot of horse people. Everybody said it’s the place to go. She’ll start with a Disorders of Consciousness program to get her fully awake,” Emil related.
Next, “they start the physical therapy part for another four to six weeks. After that, she can have more (therapy) or be an outpatient.”
Emil noted when the people at Shepherd were told how well Cassie did today, they said “`It looks like she’s already beginning to wake up.’ If she winds up fully waking up in a week, they’ll immediately graduate her to the next step. As soon as she’s ready, she moves to the therapy part.”
When it’s time for her next move, after the end of the winter show circuit, “We’ll be heading for New Jersey,” said Emil, thinking she can go to the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation in West Orange as either an inpatient or outpatient.
Meanwhile, Shepherd has strict Covid rules, only allowing one person to be in a patient’s room each week. At the moment, the thought is that Cassie’s mother, Natasha Brash, will alternate with Emil. At Shand, Natasha stayed with her daughter through the night, while Emil had the day shift and would leave at 10 p.m.
As always when there’s a crisis, the horse show community pitches in.
A GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate.
Emil anticipates GoFundMe could cover the $15,000 needed for the plane to get Cassie to Atlanta. But he hopes his insurance and workman’s compensation can pay for much of Cassie’s costs, though these situations are always tremendously expensive and not everything needed can be anticipated at this point.
If money is left over, it will be donated elsewhere when Cassie can help make the decision of where it should go, but Emil needs to find out the rules of how that’s handled with GoFundMe.
Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses as a thank you for her care.Those who want to contribute can click on this link. However, do not send food to Shand after tomorrow (Wednesday Feb. 8). We will let you know if the program will continue at Shepherd.
Cassie in action. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
In case you’re not up to speed on what’s happening here, this is the backstory on Cassie, culled from previous reports:
Last Thursday night, she “cracked her eyes open and stared right at me,” said Emil.
“Then she followed the command of the thumbs up and two fingers.” That was something she was able to do earlier in the week, even though she hadn’t opened her eyes at that point.
“It was an emotional moment,” Emil noted.
“That was the up. The down is she hasn’t done it again since.”
He had mentioned earlier on Thursday that because she had aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube, her infection was likely to slow down her response time. However, he reported, her cough is almost completely gone.
Shands Hospital quickly addressed the change in Cassie’s situation with antibiotics when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Being young and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
Cassie is as talented on a hunter as she is on a jumper. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered the TBI in her fall.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 7, 2022
Show jumper Cassandra Kahle, who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a fall during a competition last month, has been diagnosed with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in her brain.
Emil Spadone, the owner of Redfield Farm where 29-year-old Cassie rides and trains, said the diagnosis was confirmed by an MRI. DAI happens when the brain rapidly shifts inside the skull as an injury is occurring. The long connecting fibers in the brain called axons are sheared as the brain rapidly accelerates and decelerates inside the hard bone of the skull, according to medical websites. It is one of the most common types of TBI.
Cassie’s supporters are behind a game plan for what’s next from her neurologist at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.
“They are giving her medication to stimulate her to try to wake her up,” Emil reported. It’s slow-working, so there’s a 72-hour time frame for that.
“Regardless if she wakes or not, they want her to go to a special rehab place in about seven to 10 days,” said Emil. He said he is leaning toward the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, which specializes in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with brain injury, spinal cord injuries and other neuromuscular conditions.
He noted, “a few people have reached out that may be able to help with getting her in there.”
That’s important, since Emil pointed out, “it is supposed to be the best place in the country. They have a special division solely dedicated to waking up the patient. And then the follow-up rehab will depend on where she is at when she awakes. She is strong, so of course, I am still hopeful she will recover more quickly than most.”
As often happens when there is a crisis, the horse show community has rallied around Cassie. A GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate. Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses as a thank you for her care.Those who want to contribute can click on this link.
This is the backstory on Cassie, culled from previous reports:
Last Thursday night, she “cracked her eyes open and stared right at me,” said Emil.
“Then she followed the command of the thumbs up and two fingers.” That was something she was able to do earlier in the week, even though she hadn’t opened her eyes at that point.
“It was an emotional moment,” Emil noted.
“That was the up. The down is she hasn’t done it again since.”
He had mentioned earlier on Thursday that because she had aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube, her infection was likely to slow down her response time. However, he reported, her cough is almost completely gone.
Shands Hospital quickly addressed the change in Cassie’s situation with antibiotics when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Being young and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered the TBI in her fall.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
Cassie winning the Grand Prix de Penn National. (Andrew Ryback photo)
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 7, 2022
Canada’s most decorated equestrian, Olympic show jumping individual gold medalist Eric Lamaze, is his country’s new technical advisor for the discipline.
Eric also will serve as chef d’equipe for the squad. He replaces Mark Laskin, who had held the job since 2012 and resigned in November as last year as the role of chef d’equipe was being reviewed. The decision to appoint Eric was made by a hiring panel that included former World Champion Gail Greenough and 10-time Olympian Ian Millar.
Eric Lamaze took gold at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong. (Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I am excited to help lead the Canadian Show Jumping Team to future success in a new capacity,” said Lamaze, 53, who has battled a brain tumor and is cutting back on his own competitive agenda to give the Canadian team his full attention.
“It’s an honor to be named to this position and not one that I take lightly. I look forward to building on the foundation that Mark Laskin laid and am committed to the success of our athletes, both nationally and internationally. I have a strong vision for the sport in Canada and will not stop until we reach perfection.”
In addition to his Olympic gold, Eric earned silver and bronze Olympic medals; an individual bronze medal from the 2010 World Equestrian Games and four Pan American Games medals, including team gold.
He has won every major grand prix event in the world including Calgary, Canada (2007 and 2011); Geneva, Switzerland (2008); Aachen, Germany (2010); La Baule, France (2011); and Rome, Italy (2011) and reached number one in the world rankings several times over the course of his career.
In 2021, Lamaze was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and awarded the Order of Sport, the highest accolade an athlete can receive from the country.
“I would like to thank Equestrian Canada and the hiring panel for putting their trust in me,” said Lamaze, who is based in Wellington, Fla., and Brussels.
“Fifteen years ago, I made the decision to base myself in Europe where I had the opportunity to compete against the best in the world, week-in and week-out, and learned through experience what it takes to win at the highest level. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with my fellow Canadian athletes and guide us back to where we belong, which is at the top of the podium.”
Lamaze’s first opportunity to act as chef d’equipe will be during the CSIO4* Winter Equestrian Festival from March 2 to 6, 2022, in Wellington, Fla., highlighted by the $150,000 Nations’ Cup on Saturday, March 5, as his nation looks toward this year’s world championships in Denmark and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 5, 2022
The Nebraska stable owned by Canadian equestrian team veteran show jumper Karen Cudmore and her husband, Blair, burned early last Thursday in a horrific blaze believed to be accidental, leaving one barn worker dead and a firefighter in the hospital.
The barn worker was identified as Nate Dietrich, 32,who opened several stall doors before succumbing to the smoke. His body was found near the wash rack. The horses that were rescued first lived in the stalls where he had opened the doors. Donations for his family may be made here. (Note that his first name was William but he went by Nate.) With the Cudmores’ approval, the foundation will pay for Nate’s funeral.
Twelve horses died in the blaze itself and although 10 Heartland Farm horses were rescued, seven were euthanized as a result of the fire. The dead horses included Coneja, Karen’s grand prix mount, who had just won a competition at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala before heading home, and retiree Southern Pride, whom Karen rode in the 2010 World Cup Finals.
Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride (Photo by Cealey Tetley/courtesy Equestrian Canada.
The Nebraska Equine Clinic worked to save the remaining horses at a barn across the street from the structure that burned. Volunteers took shifts to help with caring for the horses being treated. The surviving horses have now been taken to the clinic for further care, while volunteers are still working with them.
Horses living in the pastures that were taken to other sites because there was no water available for them at Heartland due to the fire have been returned to the farm since the well there is now in working order.
The Omaha Equestrian Foundation has set up a fund to help the Cudmores, who will have to deal with bills for veterinary care and rebuilding their business.
According to Lisa Roskens, the organizer of the 2017 Omaha FEI World Cup finals and a member of the Omaha Equestrian Foundation board, the Foundation will work with the family to figure out how to allocate donations (some also are being made to a GoFundMe site) to include Nate Dietrich’s survivors as well.
Click on this link to make a tax-deductible donation, but be sure to specify the contribution this way “To benefit Heartland Farms/Cudmore”.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 4, 2022
Update note: This weekend, things were status quo for show jumper Cassandra Kahle, who is hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury. We will update you as things change. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate.
Cassie’s mother, Natasha Brash, has offered a message to those who are praying for her daughter:
“For anyone who knows Cassandra Kahle they know she takes her time but she always gets everything done and done well. So I know this is no different. She needs time to repair herself so we are all waiting patiently.
We’ve had a few complications but we are all confident that as each one comes up the doctors and specialists are right there with what needs to be done.
We need your prayers now more than ever.
I have read many of your messages to her and played some videos and songs to her that you’ve all been sending.
Thank you to all of you who take the time to send your messages. It is truly unreal that there are literally thousands of messages.
Everyone describes Cass almost the same. Kind, considerate, caring and so fun. She’s always kept her child like playfulness about her. Her optimism, concern, empathy and humility are so genuine.
I have laughed and cried at many of your stories while reading them to her. The ways that you’ve described Cass makes me the proudest mom.
I am very proud of what’s she accomplished for herself, the success and incredible work ethic she has and her humility to always learn more and always give more.
But most of all it is when I meet people and they say to me, “I just need to shake the hand of the mother that raised this girl” and they go on to tell me all about how she has inspired them, or helped, or done a kind act for their child. I love you Cass, I am so proud to be your mother!”
What follows is the story from February 4.
On Thursday night, Cassie “cracked her eyes open and stared right at me,” said Emil Spadone, who owns Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Califon, N.J., where Cassie is a professional rider and trainer..
“Then she followed the command of the thumbs up and two fingers.” That was something she was able to do earlier this week, even though she hadn’t opened her eyes at that point.
“It was an emotional moment,” Emil noted.
“That was the up. The down is she hasn’t done it again since.”
He had mentioned earlier on Thursday that because she had aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube, her infection was likely to slow down her response time. Now, however, he reported, her cough is almost completely gone.
He thinks her weekend may stay status quo, but is looking forward to “a more marked improvement” next week.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are following the progress of the popular 29-year-old competitor, praying and rooting for her as she battles traumatic brain injury.
So in case you missed it, here’s the back story:
UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., quickly addressed the change in Cassie’s situation with antibiotics when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Emil was told it would take “24 to 48 hours to allow the antibiotics to do their job and we expect to be back on track.”
Being young and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her family flew down from Canada to support her and are waiting for her to wake up.
The doctors are “very optimistic,” said Emil.
“They see this all the time. We don’t, so it’s very up and down and roller-coastery for us. The doctor said, `You just have to take that, that’s the way it is, it goes up and it goes down. You’ll have some good days and some-not-as good days.’ ”
Emil said scans show mild bleeding and mild bruising.
“They’re all recoverable injuries,” he noted, adding, “it’s a little bit of a slow process. Every hour, they do a neuro test; it changes from one hour to the next.”
“They’re still very positive and so, of course, we’re very positive,” Emil emphasized.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
Cassie on her way to winning the Grand Prix de Penn National last fall. (Andrew Ryback photo)
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Cassie in action. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
As often happens when there is a crisis, the horse show community has rallied around Cassie. Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses as a thank you for her care.
Those who want to contribute can click on this link
