June 2020 Issue

Page 12 June 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN A Vet Recommended Euthanasia. She Instead Became a Star “I knew she was smart,” Wagner said. “I just had to know how to harness that.” Working along with barn manager Matt Kohlberg in a round pen, they moved Delilah from lunging to riding in Novem- ber. “She didn’t bat an eye when I put the saddle on her,” said Wagner. To compete in Rescued to Stardom contestants develop two routines, one in hand and one under saddle. Wagner decided to aim high with his in-hand routine developing a freestyle routine “at liberty” – or using no lead rope. It would be the first time for such a routine at the Expo, he said. Wagner not only won the trust of a traumatized horse, but he won over members of the Last Chance staff with his progress with Delilah. “I trust Jimmy implicitly. I’ve been nothing but impressed,” said Sharpley. Delilah wasn’t the only one transformed for the competi- tion. Wagner, who hit the scales at 325 pounds when he start- ed working with her, shed 50 pounds in order to ride the 14.1 hand mare. “She gave me motivation and kept me humble,” he said. After months of work, Wagner and Delilah almost didn’t compete in the show. On their way to the Expo, the trailer carry- ing Delilah had to stop sharply to avoid an accident on the Balti- more Beltway. When they arrived at the Farm Show arena Delilah was physically fine but sudden- ly went off her feed. The show veterinarian determined that she had suffered a bout of colic from stress. But two days later she was healthy enough to compete. “My idea was to show how durable she was and how soft she was,” he said about his novel in-hand routine. “She stayed with me for the whole five-minute routine.” For the under-saddle routine the next day, before a packed area, Wagner did a brief at-lib- erty exercise, dramatically removing her bridle as he began his routine. “When I took the bridle off the whole place gave us a stand- ing ovation,” he said. In the end, Delilah and Wagner were edged out of the championship trophy by a New York duo: Willie Nelson, a Morgan-cross, and trainer Hanna Blain of Begin Again Rescue. The remaining awards all went to Maryland rescue horses and trainers: Bad Pony/Izzy Dempsey, Izzy’s Love Rescue in Union Bridge (3rd place), and Girly Girl/Erin O’Neill, Safe Haven Equine Warriors in Sykesville (4th place) and Dakota and Dixie/Ashley Lauer and Aaryanne Cloutier from Rocky’s Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation in Thurmont (tied for 5th and 6th place). Before recognizing the winners, the announcer told the crowd Delilah’s harrowing story and then explained how Wagner had taken on a tough physical challenge himself to lose the weight he needed to ride her. “Win or not you’re a winner to me,” Wagner recalled, think- ing to himself at that moment, through his tears, about Delilah and their journey together. Delilah is now available for adoption along with 11 other Quantico survivors still in various stages of training and getting their second chance at Last Chance Rescue. (Continued from page 1) BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality 24 hour service available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com Remember...tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian. Remember...tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian!