Horse Highlight: Meet Hugo & Teddy
We have been so blessed here at Blue Sky Acres to have the opportunity to use the horses of Mrs. Tina Bragg in all three of our programs. For those of you that have not had the chance to visit her barn or view a lesson in progress, we thought we would take a moment to introduce two of our equine partners to you.
Hugo is a Belgian Warmblood. He comes from the famous Zangersheide horse registry in Belgium that focuses on the development and improvement of show jumping horses. These “Zang horses” can be identified by a “Z” brand on their right flank and have a Z suffixed at the end of their registered show name. There are many famous Zangersheide Warmblood horses in the international show world and even the Olympics. Hugo is a 15-year-old chestnut gelding and stands at over 17 hands high. He has competed in show jumping, cross country, and dressage. At BSA Hugo is used in our Equine Assisted Activities Program with our more independent riders and our foster care participant chose him out of the herd for our Blue Sky Moments program.
Teddy is an American Miniature Horse. He is a black 17-year-old gelding standing 34 inches tall. His official registered name is Loquitos Morning Star. We are told he used to pull a cart and his previous owner had started long lining or ground driving him. We used Teddy in the EAA program with our students with special challenges, even one in a wheelchair!
Hugo and Teddy have a very unique story of how they became a part of Ms. Tina’s life and ultimately a part of the Blue Sky Acres story. For those that don’t know, Tina was born and raised “across the pond” in England. That is where she met her friend of 30+ years, Samantha Jannereth. They attended school together with Samantha a couple of years ahead of Tina. They had an instant connection through their mutual love of horses. Living only about six miles apart, they would ride all over the countryside together in their rural, farmland town. They also competed in horse shows and gymkhana fun shows together. Samantha was the daring one, loving all things fast and furious, pushing Tina to do crazy things on horseback. She was a fantastic horsewoman and could get on anything and ride. Tina remembered a story where they were riding in the woods, she on her horse Carly and Samantha on her horse Chico, when suddenly Chico is spooked and takes off at a gallop with Samantha screaming, seemingly unable to control the running horse! Tina is forced to follow and tries to help her friend. Samantha then pulls up Chico, telling Tina through laughter, that she pretended her horse took off! At the time this scared Tina to death but she can shake her head about it now, fondly recalling how her friend loved to take risks.
Fast forward to many years later and the two friends are both living in the States. Samantha resides in Colorado and Tina has made a home in Georgia. Both are still riding and involved with horses. Samantha acquired Hugo from California and used him in Colorado to compete in eventing, which is a 3-4 day competition that combines the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping. The two friends managed to keep in touch even through the ups and downs of life. In September of 2020, Samantha lost her battle with pancreatic cancer, saying goodbye to her husband Chris as well as her beloved horses.
After a few phone conversations and Tina’s curiosity about what was to happen to all of Sam’s horses, Chris offered to give her both Hugo and Teddy. He knew Tina would give them the best of care and she agreed to take them. This was a major step of faith to add a pair of horses to her own herd, sight unseen from all the way across the country. In this case, a lifetime of friendship and memories trumped fear and uncertainty.
A horse transport company was hired, Zac Johnson of Triple J Carriers in North Carolina to take the precious cargo to their new home. The Lord had His hand in the middle of this situation. When he got to Colorado and heard the story of Samantha’s battle with cancer and why the horses were taking the trip, he hugged Chris and even prayed with him. Upon his arrival in Guyton, Georgia he talks with Tina and her husband Ken, finding out they are a military family with a son at Camp Lejeune, NC. He and his wife live near the base and often have marines over. He offers to take her son in if ever needed and even mentions the use of his truck. This story just keeps on getting better and better. When Teddy and Hugo are unloaded at 2 am in the morning, Tina says to the large Warmblood, “My, aren’t you a big one!” and Hugo’s head comes up, ears turning at the familiar sound of a British accent, the same as his mum.
The two horses took some time to get acclimated to the Georgia climate which is very different from Colorado. They settled quickly into a new routine and even made friends with their pasture mates Vinny and Belle. Tina thinks of her friend Samantha often and knows she would be so pleased that both of her beloved horses are helping to change the lives of children with special challenges and now children in foster care. These two horses have had quite a journey along their way to Tina and Blue Sky Acres but they are a continual memorial to their owner and a dear friendship that started long ago in another part of the world.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
-From the desk of Jackie Garman
