NORWAY - Thirteen trainers have signed up for the Trainer's Challenge For Horses Without Homes fund-raiser, four of them from the local area.
Sherri Miller of Norway, Jeff Conroy of Florence, Wis., Serenity List of Fence, Wis., and her father,. Kevin List, and are participating in the project.
The challenge was initiated by Jill McDermott of Bark River.
McDermott volunteered to care for a group of 16 neglected horses that were seized from a farm in Rapid River in February.
McDermott stepped forward rather than have the horses sent to a rescue farm downstate.
A previous group of 16 neglected horses were seized from the same farm in Rapid River in January 2009. After receiving care at the McDermott farm, they were transported last August to a lower Michigan ranch.
Earlier this year, six of this original group of horses were brought back to McDermott's farm.
The abused horses - most of them Arabian - have improved considerably. In addition to getting nutritional food, the horses have received medical care including shots and de-worming. Their teeth and feet have also been examined. McDermott is paying for the care of the animals.
In an effort to train the horses and encourage adoption of the 22 animals, McDermott put out a call to trainers.
"I feel like this project is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done and, believe me, it was with divine intervention along the way," said McDermott. "One of the reasons it is the most fulfilling is the trainers."
The four local trainers and their counterparts will be competing in the Trainers Challenge on Aug. 14 at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds in Norway.
McDermott created the Trainer's Challenge For Horses Without Homes fund-raiser to benefit the horses and find families for them.
The event is being hosted by FOOD (Finding Options, Opportunities and Direction) 4 Our Horses and is running along with the Niles Hiltunen Memorial Family Support Fund Benefit. This will be the second annual Hiltunen Benefit where proceeds are used to help families with children who are autistic or have seizure disorders.
The Trainer's Competition will be judged by a panel of three judges, all professionally involved with the horse industry.
There will be stations where the trainers can display horse activities that might be done at home.
There will also be a trail course where the trainer mounts and attempts to accomplish each obstacle while displaying walk, trot and canter. Then, for the finale, the trainers will have free range to show anything that might persuade the judges in their favor.
The final prize includes $2,500 split among first, second and third place.
Kevin List and his daughter, Serenity, will be competing against each other in the trainers event.
"I am really enjoying competing against Serenity," said Kevin List. "Some how I feel closer to her now than I have for the past several years."
Kevin List said he was told that he was getting too old to be training horses, but after reading McDermott's email to his daughter inquiring if her father would be interested in training a horse, he decided this was the precise moment he was seeking out to validate his point, almost like accepting a dare.
"Just because there is snow on the mountain, it doesn't mean the fire is out in the furnace," Kevin List said.
Kevin List will be riding the 12-year-old purebred Arabian gelding named Encore, who will be available at the silent auction for adoption at the fund-raiser on Aug. 14.
Serenity List sees the Trainer's Competition as an enjoyable way to challenge her father, but her main goal is about the horse.
"Over the course of the challenge, I'm hoping to transform Journey from an untouched, fearful mare to a confident, safe and enjoyable riding horse," said Serenity.
Her horse was named appropriately for the transformation from being kept in a neglected environment to finally improving and hopefully being adopted into a loving family.
Even though she had a shaky beginning, Journey is becoming a safe riding horse and comfortable with human contact. The horse is a purebred Arabian and will also be available in the silent auction.
"In the end, I chose to compete in the challenge to benefit the horses," said Serenity. "I want nothing more than for this mare to have a happy and joyful life."
Along with Serenity and Kevin, Sherri Miller will be riding with her horse, Destiny, and Jeff Conroy with his horse, Tessa. Both Destiny and Tessa are also Arabians.
"The main purpose of the fund-raiser was to stage an event for the trainers so there was incentive to take these horses and enter because they needed training for any hope of finding homes," said McDermott.
After learning about the Niles Hiltunen Memorial Family Support Fund, she came up with having a silent auction for the horses to pre-approved bidders with 50 percent going to the Niles Hiltunen Fund, 25 percent going to the trainer and another 25 percent going to Food 4 Our Horses.
"I think the good will intent from all of this has motivated everyone from me to the trainers and even to the horses more than the (money)," McDermott said.
Horses and trainers can be visited at the barn and on the grounds throughout the day before the bidding.
"(This competition) gives the (horses) a new lease on life," said Kevin List. "It will show prospective buyers how well these horses are trained and that they can be, not only good companions, but serve a useful purpose in life, and make at least one individual very happy."
