Five Dollars A Mile
by Brandon Enyeart
Back in December I wrote an article about a lady from Eagle Point, Oregon named Carole Mercer (Oregon Morgans: Turning Nightmares into Dreams). At that time, Carole had told me about a grassroots program she was going to start for her journey to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. First, let me give you a little information on the games.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the games, try to imagine the modern Olympics with only equine events. The games have been held every four years since 1990. The event debuted in Stockholm, Sweden and since then has been held in Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy*. The 2010 games in Lexington, Kentucky mark the first time the World Equestrian Games are leaving Europe to finally give the United States a taste of this amazing event.
World Equestrian Games events include dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para dressage (for disabled riders), reining and vaulting.
From Eagle Point to Lexington
When I first talked to Carole, it was before Christmas. Typical of her selfless personality, she decided that the holidays were a bad time to ask for monetary help from the people following her journey to participate in the Equestrian Village entertainment at the games with her Morgan duo. She told me to wait until after the new year, so I respected her wishes and waited.
The new year has begun now, and the journey from Eagle Point, Oregon to Lexington, Kentucky is approximately 5,400 miles round trip. That definitely means Carole needs outside to allow her to follow through on this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Carole’s idea is simple: $5 a mile. She feels that amount will be adequate for her to make her journey to Kentucky and back to the Pacific Northwest. For every person who donates $5—getting her and her Dancing Morgans a mile closer to their dream—Carole will send a small token of her appreciation, so for years to come everyone who was a part of her adventure will remember it.
I know that simply talking to Carole for 20 minutes on the phone was reason enough for me to skip my soda and chocolate bar for a day and send her the $5 instead. I hope both articles I have written about her now have done justice to what an amazing person she is and what an amazing story she has lived.
If you'd like to help, Carole has set up a PayPal account on her website, www.carts-carriages.com, for donations. It is so easy I just donated my $5 while writing this article. You can also send checks to:
Carole Mercer
2890 Alta Vista
Eagle Point, OR
97524
On behalf of Carole, thank you so much in advance for being part of something truly inspiring in the world of equine sports.
*The games held in Rome, Italy (1998) were originally supposed to be held in Dublin, Ireland, but at the last moment Dublin cancelled the event and Rome stepped in. Because of the late cancellation, the endurance part of the 1998 games were held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
www.alltechfeigames.com
Back in December I wrote an article about a lady from Eagle Point, Oregon named Carole Mercer (Oregon Morgans: Turning Nightmares into Dreams). At that time, Carole had told me about a grassroots program she was going to start for her journey to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. First, let me give you a little information on the games.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the games, try to imagine the modern Olympics with only equine events. The games have been held every four years since 1990. The event debuted in Stockholm, Sweden and since then has been held in Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy*. The 2010 games in Lexington, Kentucky mark the first time the World Equestrian Games are leaving Europe to finally give the United States a taste of this amazing event.
World Equestrian Games events include dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para dressage (for disabled riders), reining and vaulting.
From Eagle Point to Lexington
When I first talked to Carole, it was before Christmas. Typical of her selfless personality, she decided that the holidays were a bad time to ask for monetary help from the people following her journey to participate in the Equestrian Village entertainment at the games with her Morgan duo. She told me to wait until after the new year, so I respected her wishes and waited.
The new year has begun now, and the journey from Eagle Point, Oregon to Lexington, Kentucky is approximately 5,400 miles round trip. That definitely means Carole needs outside to allow her to follow through on this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Carole’s idea is simple: $5 a mile. She feels that amount will be adequate for her to make her journey to Kentucky and back to the Pacific Northwest. For every person who donates $5—getting her and her Dancing Morgans a mile closer to their dream—Carole will send a small token of her appreciation, so for years to come everyone who was a part of her adventure will remember it.
I know that simply talking to Carole for 20 minutes on the phone was reason enough for me to skip my soda and chocolate bar for a day and send her the $5 instead. I hope both articles I have written about her now have done justice to what an amazing person she is and what an amazing story she has lived.
If you'd like to help, Carole has set up a PayPal account on her website, www.carts-carriages.com, for donations. It is so easy I just donated my $5 while writing this article. You can also send checks to:
Carole Mercer
2890 Alta Vista
Eagle Point, OR
97524
On behalf of Carole, thank you so much in advance for being part of something truly inspiring in the world of equine sports.
*The games held in Rome, Italy (1998) were originally supposed to be held in Dublin, Ireland, but at the last moment Dublin cancelled the event and Rome stepped in. Because of the late cancellation, the endurance part of the 1998 games were held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
www.alltechfeigames.com
Labels: northwest news and information, oregon
posted by NWHS at
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