CMYK 2B
SPORTS
The Paper | Thursday, August 15, 2013
BRAIN FREEZES FOR MIRACLE TREAT DAY
The Dragons and Panthers squared off at DQ to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network
Latrice Williams The Paper
Jackson County (left) and Jefferson (right) competed in teams of four on the patio at Dairy Queen. A winning team was crowned after the last man standing cleaned out his entire cup. BY LATRICE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@clickthepaper.com
Athletes from Jackson County Comprehensive and Jefferson High School squared off at the Dairy Queen in Jefferson for the annual Blizzard Eating Contest. DQ hosted the event in an effort to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network, which then donates the proceeds to the Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. This year, CMN is celebrating its 30-year anniversary and they defi-
nitely got support from Jefferson. A total of $6,332 was raised in Jefferson and DQ Manager David Gillespie said it’s the most they raised since they’ve hosted the event. Not even a brain freeze could stop the two schools from downing as much ice cream as they could. The faculty from Jackson County and Jefferson, as well as cross county, football and others participated. While there were bragging rights at stake, it was evident everyone
came out to raise proceeds for ill children. It would only be fitting that Gillespie chose two foes to compete but it was for a good cause. “I asked the athletic directors and principals from both schools if the kids could compete. I wanted to take things up a notch this year and get the athletes involved. This is the first year we have done it in this format,” said Gillespie. For two hours, local city and county officials took over in the kitchen as they made Blizzards
and served customers in the dining room. Stacy and Bill Halstead, parents of Tripp Halstead, also made an appearance. Tripp, a 2-year-old who now lives in Jefferson, has captured the hearts of many who are following his recovery after he was struck by a tree limb last October outside his Winder daycare center. Also on hand was Katie Testement, a 6-year-old who underwent heart transplant surgery Saturday night, and Braden Knebel, for whom fundraisers are also
being held as he will need a heart transplant in the future. Currently, Braden’s medical condition has stabilized, according to his parents. CMN has raised more than $4 billion since 1983 in which they help support 170 hospitals in Canada and the United States. “I have three kids myself and I have toured the Children’s Hospital. If one of my kids were ever in that situation, it’s good to know that these kinds of resources are available,” Gillespie said.
Jackson County equestrians earn trust and triumph BY LATRICE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@clickthepaper.com
Every athlete has a unique story about how they fell in love with their respective sport. For Payton Abercrombie, it didn’t take long for her to realize she had a passion for riding horses. Though just 11 years old, Abercrombie has graced the equestrian world for three years now and shows no signs of slowing down. “When I was 7, my friend had two horses and would take me up to a barn with her. She let me ride one of the horses at that barn and that’s when I fell in love with riding,” Abercrombie said.
In late July, Abercrombie competed for the Lanier Equestrian Association and she won a gold medal in her division. “At my recent competition, I felt pretty good about the show because I practiced hard the week before. I placed first in both of my dressage tests and got the gold medal for my division,” Abercrombie stated. Abercrombie admitted that it wasn’t love at first sight between her and her horse Riddle, but as time progressed, they built a strong bond that has allowed them to trust each other and win competitions along the way. “At first, Riddle and I had
For the Paper
Payton Abercrombie (above) and LeeAnn Loven (right) have grown to love riding horses and have learned life lessons along the way.
some problems working together. But over the time that I’ve been training and riding him, we’ve worked through those problems and have created a bond with each other. Now that we’ve worked together for a while he knows what I want when I give him a certain command,” said Abercrombie. Trust wasn’t the only thing Riddle had to get adjusted to. With Abercrombie as his trainer, Riddle had to learn how to execute the game plan. “I had to slowly teach him what each command means and what to do when I give him that command. I think I’ve been doing well in my shows because I trust Riddle. I can trust him to listen and do what I ask of him. I wouldn’t be so confident while riding if I didn’t trust Riddle as much as I do. And if he didn’t trust me, he wouldn’t do what I ask him to do,” Abercrombie stated. Riding horses is also therapeutic for Abercrombie who casts all her cares away when she’s with Riddle. “I love riding and competing. It’s a lot of fun. When I am riding, it makes me forget about everything other than riding. I feel like nothing else matters but the horse that I am riding,” said Abercrombie. Like Abercrombie, LeeAnn Loven has gained a ton of confidence through her horse and a strong connection that allows them to compete at a high level. “The relationship I have with Smarty is unbreakable. I consider Smarty my best friend and I literally trust him with my life. I have ridden countless horses in my life but I’ve never had such
a strong trust in a horse before. I feel like I can do anything when I am on Smarty’s back,” said Loven. Loven is the daughter of Shannon Loven, who owns Peace of Heaven Farm, and has equestrian in her blood. Her mother has been in the business for more than 30 years. Loven said her proudest moment was when she came in first place in Hunter Under Saddle and Dressage at a 4-H State Horse Show – and she didn’t do it with the biggest or most expensive horse. Loven recently faced adversity in her one of her toughest competitions but prevailed with a respectable finish. “My most recent competition was the Southern 4-H Regional Horse Show. I competed in Dressage, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Showmanship and English Halter. I faced many obstacles throughout the entire show but, the biggest one was with my horse, Smart Little Stuff or ‘Smarty.’ He was outclassed by most of the horses in my divisions but that didn’t stop us from coming home with an 8th place and a top 20 finish,” stated Loven. Aside from trust, Loven has also learned to ignore negative chatter from outsiders. Once she puts her hat on, along with her game face, everyone else’s opinion is silenced. “This sport has taught me countless lessons. One of those is that when you try your best and do something with all your heart it doesn’t matter what other people say because you’ve already won,” Loven stated.
Saturday. Aug. 24
Activities begin at 8:00 am Primal Run Primary Starts at 11:00 am Crow’s Lake • 155 Crow’s Lake Drive
Jefferson
• Face Painting • Crafts •Inflatables • Candy Art • Crazy Hair • Airbrush Tattoos Food choices will include chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, pizza, shaved ice, and ice cream
Registration: $68 Register online at www.active.com or www.Primalrushocr.com or call the Tree House at 770-868-1900. Proceeds: Proceeds benefit The Tree House, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen communities by reducing the impact and occurrence of child abuse through counseling, educating, supporting and nurturing children and families in Barrow, Banks and Jackson counties.
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Primordial Partners: Crow’s Lake Power Thru Barrow Regional Medical Center Barrow County News MainStreet Newspapers WNGC 106.1 The Paper Homestar Financial Corporation www.Homestar100.com
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