May 2022 Issue

Page 34 May 2022 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Alicia Stephens Martin Ellie Harnish can’t remem- ber exactly when she fell in love with horses or pyrography. But in 2021, the combination of equines and art provided strength and healing to survive after a devas- tating barn fire. Equines and Art Help One Woman Survive Devastating Fire Her parents, Jeff and Mar- ianne Gerlach, ignited Ellie’s horse obsession. Ellie recalls her dad meeting her at the bus stop with a horse named Cinnamon when she was eight and the love affair began. At the advice of Lancaster, PA trainer John Weaver, the Gerlachs were directed to Terry and Peg Helder, owners of Ever- green Farm. Ellie and her sister started showing around ages 8 and 10, riding both English and Western disciplines. The two girls excelled in Western and the speed events, competing in 4-H at the state level. Horses became a fire in Ellie’s blood. She graduated high school in 2007 and that same year had her first official date with Alan Harnish, her future husband—to a horse show. Ellie says Alan knew right from the start that horses would be a part of their lives even though horses were not his first choice of a hobby. Art too is in Ellie’s blood. Her mother and sister are both talented artists, and Ellie dove into photography. In 2017, her grandfather introduced her to pyrography, or wood burning, and she fell in love with the craft. Pyrography is a free-hand- ed art where the person deco- rates wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from a controlled heated tool. Turn- ing this talent into a business allowed Ellie flexibility to stay home with her children. It also incorporated both her creative passions. Her first piece was a recipe box for her father with a calf etched on top. In 2021, Ellie and Alan were looking forward to a successful year for many reasons—her wood burning business was growing, they had purchased her father’s half of Creekside Red Angus Farms which had been in the family for thirty years and were growing a legacy of their own through children Rhya (11), Isaac (8), Ada (6), and their five- month-old Judah. But then on the tragic evening of April 24, 2021, Ellie Harnish looked out the window of her home, horrified to see black smoke rising from their barn, a fire in the structure that housed their beloved animals. They rushed outside and did exactly what no one should ever do. Ellie said, without hesitation, she raced first into the structure. Alan ran for the fire extinguisher. “We both quickly realized our time was limited. Alan worked at freeing the calves, but the heat was too intense.” They labored side by side with the intention to save their entire stock, including four horses, two of which were older and an integral part of their fami- ly, Maggie (26) and Mabel (25). (Continued on page 40) The Harnish family lost seven calves—the kids’ best friends—two of their older, treasured horses, Ma- bel and Maggie, and all the tack, hay, equipment, and supplies in a devastating barn fire in 2021. Hors- es, Ellie’s art, family and the community helped them heal. Photo credit: Nicola Herring Photography