November 2021 Issue

Page 26 November 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Rescuer Charged with Cruelty Gets Seven Years’ Probation The animals that were signed over have found placement in adoptive homes or with rescue or- ganizations. But the dogs and one horse were held in the protective custody of the PSPCA for nearly a year because Fleming refused to surrender them. “The most important thing is that the animals on hold are now surrendered and can find perma- nent homes and that she won’t own or care for animals in the future,” said Wilson. “We think the sentence was more than fair. The number of individuals who go to jail for animal cruelty is very low.” The stiffer penalties were the result of the enactment of Libre’s Law in 2017 giving law enforcement the ability to charge individuals for the first time with felony-level animal cruelty. Anyone with information about cases involving animal cruelty is urged to call the Penn- sylvania SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at (866) 601-SPCA. (Continued from page 6) Young American Endurance Team Finishes Fifth in the Netherlands By Suzanne Bush “It takes a village to raise a child.” The African proverb is quoted so often that it sometimes seems cliché. But the meaning behind the proverb is indisput- able. It’s nearly impossible for any one child to thrive without guidance, support, affirmation and love. Maybe not a village-full of that support, but enough to inspire them. And children who grow up believing they can achieve their goals turn into remarkable young adults, coura- geous and determined. Consider the United States Youth Endurance team of Alex Shampoe, Charly Dugan and Meghan Wert. In September they competed against teams from more than 20 countries in the Fédération Equestre Interna- tionale (FEI) Endurance World Championship for Young Riders in the Netherlands, and they fin- ished in fifth place in the 120 km competition. According to the United States Equestrian Federation, “This was the first international championship for both Dugan and Wert and the second for Shampoe, with the team produc- ing one of the top results within the program to date and marking an impressive accomplishment for all three athletes, who have worked to qualify for the cham- pionship since the 2018 competi- tion season.” Blazing Her Own Trail Shampoe, the 19-year- old originally from Colorado Springs, CO, now lives and works in Virginia. She fell in love with horses as a toddler— too young to even know what horses and riding all were about. But she started taking lessons when she was six, and her par- ents purchased her first horse for her when she was nine. When she was 13, her parents bought her a new horse, an Arabian, and she competed in her first Endur- ance race two weeks later. When she was 16, Shampoe received an exciting, intimidat- ing, life-changing opportunity. “I was at a race in California in January 2018,” she says. “I was riding a two-day 100 for a lady from Wyoming.” The woman had three horses in the race, and one of the people crewing for the group knew a Sheika—a prin- cess—from Dubai. She said she was going to see if the princess would like Shampoe to go to Dubai the following winter to work with her horses. “My mom and I didn’t think much of it,” she says. “It seemed a little crazy. Then late October, the woman who helps coordinate things for the princess called my mom and asked when I could fly out.” Three weeks later, Shampoe was on her way to Dubai. “My parents didn’t know what to think at first,” she says. “They were a little worried about the city and it being a Middle Eastern country with different rules for women.” But, she says, they learned that it was one of the safest cities in the world and that it was mostly westernized, and they felt better. (Continued on page 31) The US team that competed in the FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Riders in the Netherlands are from left : Lisanne Dorian (Chef D’Equi- pe), Alex Shampoe, Meghan Wert, Charly Dugan, Olivia Rudolphi (team vet), amd Mustafa Tehrani (team farrier). Photo credit: US Equestrian Federation