“Since the accident, I have been managing the farm, which means overseeing all aspects of the business, including training and teaching. Steven and his mother spend hours with Adrienne every day, and other friends have stepped up to help, too.”
That
they have. Region 14 members have contributed financially and Region 14 Director, friend and client Frank Gaddie has kept the Arabian horse community up-to-date on Adrienne’s situation with weekly Internet postings.
“She
has been a huge presence in Region 14 for a long time,” says Cindy Clinton, well-known horse show manager. “She has probably coached more kids in Region 14 than anyone else has. And she didn’t just give lessons; she taught them responsibility and how to care for their horses. Her students usually prepare their own horses at shows as part of the learning program. I have watched many young people grow up who started with Adrienne. They are the better for having known her. And she doesn’t just bring a couple of riders to support our shows. She brings a whole tribe!
“Her daughter Natacha is a perfect example of what a great
influence Adrienne has been. I am so proud of Natacha’s taking full responsibility for her mother’s business, and for staying strong during this tragic time in their lives. I hope Adrienne, Natacha and Steven know how much everyone really does care.”
C
linton is right: everyone does care. Rooker Training Stable, in Fenton, Mich., and Rushlow’s Arabian Farms, in Romulus, Mich., hosted a fundraising bake and bracelet sale that reflected their concern, and the Arabian
Horsemen’s Distress Fund is staunchly behind HancockLeong. Another effort is the Arabian Horseman’s Helmet Alliance, an organization her friends and former clients Karen and Sarah Martin established to raise awareness of helmet safety and to help support Hancock-Leong’s recovery. The group created a helmet lapel pin with the letter “A” for Adrienne, and at the 2011 Sport Horse Nationals, promoted the cause at a booth donated by the Arabian Horse Association. The group plans to appear at other shows and events, and makes further information available on its Facebook® page and on eBay®.
“We have a number of other groups and people to thank,
too,” Lesburgueres continues. “Kentucky Horse Supply offered a consignment sale, and the Kentucky Arabian Horse Association hosted a silent auction at their general meeting in November. One woman who has taken lessons for the last 13 years regularly waters the house plants and feeds the koi. We could not have made it without this kind of support, and are thankful for everything people have done and continue to do to help Adrienne recover and keep her dream alive. ”
Lesburgueres adds that the AHA staff and other concerned
friends and colleagues have sent her mother enough get-well cards to fill two large shopping bags. “And people have sent her beautiful blankets, and original drawings, and blue ribbons they have won,” she says.
Lesburgueres steps into her mother’s line of sight. “Adrienne
has helped my dreams come true. I miss her presence at the farm and her wisdom and guidance every day! This is a difficult situation, but it has been my honor to manage the business she created. We all hope that someday she can return to riding, training and teaching, but whatever the outcome, I’m just thankful that I can still talk to her, that she recognizes and loves me, and that she understands how much I love her.” Above: Helmet lapel pins sold by the Arabian Horseman’s Helmet Alliance. Left: Adrienne Hancock-Leong
The
love and good wishes are shared by Adrienne HancockLeong’s many friends across the country. n Volume 42, No. 9 | 173