The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways
Recently I attended the FHANA Annual General Membership (AGM) meeting, held in Lexington Kentucky. As always, I met wonderful people who dearly love their horses. While there, my Dad and I had the pleasure of getting to know a young couple named Brian and Kendra, and their friend Michelle. They are officers and very heavily involved in the new (and impressively active, I must say) Ohio Valley Friesian Horse Association. These are just delightful people and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. Brian and Kendra told me the story of their horse Sierra, and how they all came into the Friesian community. I was so touched and impressed by this story that I thought I would tell it here. So, this is the [short version] story of Sierra.
Kendra is an avid horsewoman whose background is with quarterhorses, though she dreamed of having a Friesian. One day she and her husband Brian heard of some neglected horses who were up for adoption and they opened their hearts and homes to a few of these starving animals. One mare was so dirty and skinny that they did not know what they had, other than a very sick horse. They named her Sierra and began to nurse her back to health. Due to malnourishment and horrible living conditions, Sierra suffered from arthritis. Her coat was in miserable shape, missing gaps of hair. She was so sad and weak that she could hardly lift her head. As the mare began to heal, Brian and Kendra started noticing how this horse sort of looked like a Friesian. They decided to embark on a fact finding mission. The DeBoer family from “The Friesian Connection” (also, the owners of the wonderful stallion Mintse 384) helped Brian and Kendra learn more about Friesians and they loaned a scanner so the mare could be checked for a microchip. Sure enough, Brian and Kendra found that their mare Sierra is indeed a Friesian. But not just any Friesian – she is an A-book KFPS registered mare (I think the breeding is Sjaard x Brandus). Her registered name is Femke. Brian and Kendra now have Sierra’s official papers, and can see their name right there on them.
Next, Brian and Kendra decided to try to do something truly amazing with their recuperating mare. They actually got her well and fit enough to take to a keuring. And this mare – whose movement was still suffering from her arthritis – scored high enough overall that she was entered into the studbook. This means she can be bred and have her foals registered as A-book KFPS Friesians. In fact, her scores were ster caliber, with the exception of some movement scores which will always lack some due to the arthritis. To be able to make studbook under these conditions… What a monumental achievement; I cannot overstate how impressive this is for Sierra and her owners.
Sierra is now pregnant and her baby is due is April.
Today, Sierra is in a safe, happy, and loving home. Brian and Kendra have their Friesian mare, with a little Friesian on the way. From the light I see in Brian and Kendra when they talk about Sierra, I am unsure of who has benefited more from this relationship. In ways Sierra has brought just as much to Brian an Kendra as they have brought to her. Sometimes life does not work out as it should and we often dwell on the negative. But sometimes our compassion and efforts make a difference. Sometimes good deeds are generously rewarded. Sometimes those who suffer are made whole. The Lord does work in mysterious ways, and sometimes dreams really do come true.
Click here to see before and after pictures of Sierra.
To read the long version of Sierra’s story (written by Brian), and to see more pictures => click here then go to Page 4.
