Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Vol. 43, No. 43
– SINCE 1913! –
Your LOCAL Paper!
$1 (includes GST)
Teen loses two horses in tragic accident Patricia Harcourt Editor
A local teen lost his two beloved horses early Monday morning when a truck struck them in front of his home on Highway 26. Fellow 4-H’er Katy Poche-Hegland has started a GoFundMe page to help him continue on in the Viking Outriders 4-H Club where he has found friendship and a second home. “My friend Keegan Grisdale has just lost both of his beautiful 4-H horses in a horrible accident,” says Katy. “Both of his mares, one young, only 7, and the other, older, 18, were hit and killed last night on the highway outside of his house. “He and his family are devastated as these horses meant everything to him, especially after all of the time, love, and money put into these mares and having lost another only some time ago. “Ally and Eve were amazing mares and I will miss them so much as will the rest of Keegan’s fellow 4-H members.” The two horses had been hit by a truck between Viking and Camrose. Ally, 18, was a warm blood show mare and Eve, 7, was an Appaloosa mare. “We would like to help raise money to find two good horses to replace these horses to encourage this 4-H member to stay in 4-H,” said Katy on the GoFundMe site she started for him. Keegan’s mother, Crystal, said that, in the 16 years the family has lived there, none of their horses has ever gotten out of the fence line. But somehow both Ally and Eve managed to do it and were on the road early that morning. She recalled how Eve had been with the family “her whole life,” having been born to her own mare and raised from a colt. Ally had been bought just last year after Keegan raised money for her by working at a local restaurant. “I don’t know how the horses got out,” said Crystal, adding they had never been out before. “The fence lines were checked and we didn’t see any-
thing.” Crystal works as a primary care paramedic out of Bonnyville and had just left that morning for a four day round of shifts. “We were wondering if our dog was going to have her puppies but we weren’t expecting that,” she said, of the accident. Ironically, Zelda gave birth to five puppies that same morning of the tragedy. Upon hearing about the accident, Crystal offered to come right back home but Keegan said no. She recalled how her own mare of 22 years gave birth to Eve and how much Keegan liked to ride the young Appaloosa. “If there was money raised it would go towards a new horse for Keegan,” she said, adding: “Keegan’s heart is broken.” “I’m not exactly sure what I feel,” said Keegan, speaking the next day. “I think I might be in shock.” The 16year-old is a Grade 11 student at Viking School, and currently is also being treated for a lung infection. “It feels odd being here and not seeing them,” he said, of his horses. Just the day before he had been woken by the RCMP asking if he had lost any horses. And they were there, on the highway together, which didn’t surprise him. “They were basically mom and daughter,” he said, of the relationship between the two horses. Katie and her mom, Carole, started the fundraiser the same day the accident happened, he said. “I loved those horses to death but if I wait I won’t want to get any more horses because I’ve lost three horses in two years,” he said. “I am that person who does get attached.” With 4-H winding down now for this year, he plans to get going again in the spring. But he will need a horse to make that possible. “Those horses were loved very much and I will always remember all of the memories I made with them,” he said. Anyone who wants to help can reach the GoFundMe page at bit.ly/3kgfkGR .