To all our fellow Horsemen, Horsewomen, Friends and Business Associates;
On June 1, 2014, we experienced the worst type of tragedy anyone can experience in a lifetime. We lost seventeen horses by smoke and fire. There are not words to describe the pain and heartache we feel.
When you start out in the horse business, experienced horse people tell you to not let yourself get too close to the horses. They tell you getting too close or too high on the horse can lead to heartaches and heartbreaks when they don’t make it to the races or you lose them through claim or injury.
But no one can prepare you for this.
The majority of these horses lost were products of planned mating by buying the right mares to breed to the right stallion. Then, watching the mares foal, watching the babies grow and develop individual personalities, watching them run in the fields and being part of the training program as the babies become race horses. You drink and talk with your friends about potential stake winners and even dream about owning a world champion. You live with the reality of success and failure. You can’t help but develop relationships with horses. You know them like they are part of your family.
Then it’s all gone in an instant.
Getting through this has been painful. The help and support that you all have provided has been enormous. Not just the help and support in replacing the capital loses, but the personal help and support provided to help us escape the heavy burden of guilt, repression and depression.
On behalf of Bill Davis, Laurie Davis, Carrie Paus and our Families I want to sincerely thank every one of you.
Yours sincerely
Rick Mowles
JJJ Stables