Members Forum  
  

This happened to friends of Gold Coast Members Neil & Karin Whitty and Fred & Kathy Forgnone during the month of October 2009.

Submitted by Kathy Forgnone

One Saturday afternoon, Donald had just come home from splitting wood on the ranch, his wife Tammy was still at work. He thought he would relax a bit on the couch. All of a sudden he heard a crashing sound and the dogs barking wildly. He got up and looked out the picture window to the backyard pool area and saw his wife’s quarter horse “Buster” struggling to get out from under the pool cover in the deep end. I won’t repeat the words he uttered in surprise!

Donald got a knife and finished cutting the pool cover the length of the pool. He ran to the barn for a halter and lead rope. He managed to get it on “Buster” who was able to put his front feet on an extended step to the side of the diving board. “Buster” couldn’t have been calmed by the fact that their second horse “Buddy” was running around loose whinnying with the dogs on his heals.

Something Donald remembered to do with a horse who was frightened, was to put a blanket over the head. It took awhile to get Buster turned around and headed towards the shallow end of the pool. “He kept slipping a lot” said Donald, who remained outside the pool, but eventually he lead “Buster” to the steps and he got out.

It is suspected that the horses’ performed a “Houdini” trick on the gate. Nevertheless, Tammy has deemed Donald a true hero, who will be busy putting up a fence around the pool….OH and installing a new pool cover!
 

2009 Vanessa Forgnone Sportsmanship Award

The Vanessa Forgnone Sportsmanship Buckle is awarded every year at the Gold Coast Double Header Show in Watsonville in memory of Youth Member Vanessa Forgnone who lost her life at age 16 in an automobile accident in 2002. James and Tami Roberts, GCAHA members, came up with the idea and sponsor the buckle in memory of Vanessa. Vanessa's parents Fred and Kathy along with friends of Vanessa and Gold Coast Show Staff who remember her, play an important role in determining who best exhibits Vanessa's disposition towards others and determination as an exhibitor, regardless of how their show is going for them. They were all busy observing the field of youth exhibitors, (who in most cases were unaware of the award), during the show on Friday and Saturday. As in past years, there was one particular youth that seemed to stand out. This year’s recipient of the memorial buckle was Ashleigh Flores Simmons of Elk Grove, a student of trainer Michelle Canfield. It is always a very emotional occasion for both the Forgnones and the young equestrian receiving the award and this year was no different. It is important to note that Ashleigh actively devotes her free time to a therapeutic riding program in her community.


Ashleigh (left) and a Friend
Photo compliments of Show Photographer
Cindy Fichter, Best In The West Photography

The Forgnones would like to thank the Robert's Family and Gold Coast Show Staff for their input in selecting Ashleigh, and Tiffany Makinster and Zak Blumenfeld, two former buckle recipients, for being there for the presentation of this year’s award.