Cadet is Back in Action

With great thanks to the many, Cadet is happy to be back in a new stall in roughly the same location as his stall in the barn that burned. As a result of everyone’s efforts, Cadet is eating again and settling into his new stall.

For those of you who missed the story, Bittersweet Cadet is our 34 year old Morgan stallion. Cadet stopped eating after we lost the 3rd barn to fire caused by lightning.

A barn, approximately one-fourth of the size of the barn that burned is being constructed with the help of many volunteers. The effort is being led by Ron Baldwin, of Baldwin Carpenters and Builders, who is helping to create stalls and storage area for hay before winter arrives. The rebuilding would never have been possible without the assistance of Jim Galusha and his team that led the cleanup effort. With the help of the large equipment, those of us with rakes, magnets and gloves were able to sort through the remains more quickly.

The outpouring of generosity has been a humbling experience. People have continued to call, volunteer, send food for the workers, etc. Thank you to all who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to try to recover from our loss.
Bittersweet Cadet

Barn Fire

Sadly, we lost one of our barns to fire as a result of lightning on Friday evening. We are lucky that every human and animal survived. Thank you to all for your thoughts, prayers, food and hard work over the past few days. The outpouring from the community has been overwhelming and is greatly appreciated. We will continue to keep you posted through this site as much as possible.

Here is more of the story through the eyes of the media and others…

http://iberkshires.com/story/27996/Williamstown-Barn-Burns-After-Lightning-Strike.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39132450@N00/
http://www.thetranscript.com/ci_10138322?source=most_viewed
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_10147984

Greg Best Clinic Oct 23-26

October 23-26, 2008
We are very excited to announce that Bonnie Lea Farm will be hosting a Greg Best Clinic in October. Greg Best is known throughout the world for his double silver 1988 Olympic medals and grand prix show jumping. Greg is now sharing his talents with others, coaching at clinics in the United States and New Zealand. We are pleased he will be visiting us in Massachusetts.

For more information on Greg, please visit his website. http://www.nzequestrianvacations.co.nz/

To those of you who may be too young to remember Greg Best and Gem Twist, here are some links that tell you more about their history, as well as some videos on You Tube that might be of interest. Let”s just say they were the most famous show jumping combination for a long time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Best
http://www.chadofarm.net/Gemtwist/NewMainPage.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv92v6m4iOY&feature=related

RELEASE FORM
All Riders who are visiting for a clinic or event, or who are regular students must complete a release form to ride at Bonnie Lea Farm. Release Form