Re: Re: Dancer's Death--Some Facts

["Celia Krall" <celiak@pcrs.net>]

Thank you Carolee - after all we are all human.  Poor David's heart must be
broken.

My condolences.

Cel

----------
> From: Carolee Dewitt <lisaj@foothill.net>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RC:  Re: Dancer's Death--Some Facts
> Date: Monday, July 03, 2000 9:28 AM
> 
> I have been reading this thread wondering when we would have some real
facts
> from someone who was there. Sounds to me like this was an accident--an
> accident that could happen to any one of us. Rather than judging and
> condemning this fellow endurance rider, we should be extending our
> condolences. This could have happened to anyone. How very sad. I do not
know
> David or Dancer, but my heart goes out to David. I think we all need to
take
> a few steps back and give this guy a break!  Where is our comraderie!
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: guest@endurance.net <guest@endurance.net>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Date: Sunday, July 02, 2000 12:28 PM
> Subject: RC: Dancer's Death--Some Facts
> 
> 
> >Joanclaire joanclaire2000@compuserve.com
> >Yes, there are many facts being left out about the Oakland Hills tragedy
on
> Saturday. Granted these facts can only be known by  those who were
witnesses
> to this very sad, life-changing experience. Many judgmental people
calling
> for bans and 'shunning" and all the rest of it are simply wrong as to the
> chain of events that took place and, to the history of the rider and his
> terrifically talented horse, Dancer. The true circumstances surrounding
> Dancer's accident and the way in which he was trained and cared for are
> known by me.  Lack of  restraint and the mean spirited way in which
people
> have rushed to judge have caused Dancer's family an enormous amount of
> additional suffering--I offer what I know in an effort to add FACTS to
what
> heretofore appears to be nothing but unadulterated GOSSIP.
> >
> >I was with Dancer and Dave at the bottom of the ravine before the Vet
> arrived. I was there when after heroic efforts by many caring,
knowlegeable
> people Dancer was able to get up and walk out of a treacherously steep
and
> overgrown ravine. Mind you, I knew within minutes after the first horse
> crossed the finish line that there was trouble. Call it an instinct. Call
it
> knowing the horse and rider well. Rocky (the first horse in) and Dancer
> began the fourth loop within 3-5  minutes of each other. When Rocky and
his
> rider crossed the finish line I asked how far back he last encountered
> Dancer and Dave and he said "about mile back"...As it turned out it was
some
> three  miles back. I asked the finish line spotter to check on the pair.
Her
> response, "Oh,they're fine... DAve's okay...He's probably lost. He's
always
> getting lost."  I kept pressing her to check up on the lagging pair as
they
> tend to be front runners and if anything were truly wrong there would be
a
> considerable time gap!
> > before help would reach them. I urged her to use the HAMM volunteers.
> Eventually she did, but not before horse number 2 arrived, his
> panic-stricken rider (Suzi Graham) bringing the news that a rider and
horse
> had fallen into a ravine.  She did not know who it was but could hear the
> rider's voice calling out for HELP She was carrying Dave's back pack
which
> had been retrieved from the trail. Mind you, the time is now about 1 p.m.
> Over an hour after the fall. The 2nd -in rider explained  she heard a man
> saying he was okay but that his horse was NOT. I believe she also said he
> told her the horse was in  pain. I immediately asked to take my small
truck
> down the trail to help . "Oh no, can't do that It aggravates the park
> service people and we don't want to do that." I crewed for Dancer and
Dave
> at the Oakland Hills and  Wine Country races-- I was with them at both
> events. I know them well. For those of you offering snide comments
> surrounding the Wine Country race. David came in ab!
> >out 40 minutes ahead of the pack at mile 26. He passed the vet che
> >ulled his horse willingly due to a thrown shoe and two small blisters
> caused by front bell boots   I was there. This is what he told the vet.
"I
> could run him , but why? There's nothing to gain. Nothing's worth making
my
> boy miserable." --FACT.
> >
> >I can attest to Dancer's excellent condition and diet, excellent living
> arrangements, daily groomings and excellent training regime. At the
Oakland
> Hills ride he had  all A minuses save a B+ gut sounds sign off. FACT:  I
> never saw Dave whip Dancer. EVER. I never saw Dave hit him. They were
> extremely close, sharing a bond that I can only describe as a
> once-in-a-lifetime connection. Further, after riding with them many miles
> during training sessions. I can assure everyone that Dancer was
> systematically trained to handle endurance course work and Dave never
> exceeded his ability or Dancer's willingness to "go."
> >
> >For all those throwing about the term, animal abuser, be a little more
> careful. I've spent my entire adult life protecting animals. It is not
the
> time to list those endeavours, but suffice it to say, I would not condone
> animal abuse in friend or foe Frankly, even though I crewed for Dave, I
do
> not fully support endurance riding. Not because of riders like Dave who
know
> the sport and perform it at peak levels, but rather for the indecencies I
> witness from less experienced, overweight, and ignorant riders, who may
not
> in some cases even know how to check for their horse's heart rate. FACT:
I
> witnessed this at the Oakland Hills ride. One woman came in on a horse
she
> said had been in the paddock for almost six months and didn't the know
the
> first thing about cooling her horse, or checking for vitals. I helped her
> cool her horse at the trough feeling a bit sick at heart.  With this
> deficiency in knowledge, would it be likely she understood about
electrolyte
> depletion, or lameness, !
> >or ...?
> >
> >Bottom line:   Dancer was well loved, well cared for, and is at this
moment
> and for the future to come so dearly missed.  I was with Dave and Dancer
at
> Davis. I can assure everyone that no cost, time, love, energy or
expertise
> was spared on this brave horse.  When all hope vanished  I witnessed
Dave's
> anguish, seeing him swab Dancer with cold compresses to add what little
> comfort he could to a feverish, pain wracked horse so undeserving of what
> would lie in store. He held Dancer's sweet soft eyed head in his lap
weeping
> uncontrollably for six and a half hours. I saw him wet Dancer's tongue,
> massage him tenderly as one would a dying child, feed him small handfuls
of
> grain. From beginning to end, I was there. I hope this gives comfort to
all
> of you with "concerns" . Perhaps, sometimes, fate is often the abuser in
> life, not people. Perhaps the compassionate thing to do right now would
be
> to steer clear of mindless accusations!
> >
> >A cautionary note: Most horses if subjected to severe trauma as Dancer
was
> late in a ride (he fell some 200+ feet, was hung up in a tree, head down.
> When Dave broke him free, he fell again head-tail to the bottom.--three
> rotations) will go into renal distress. It can be true that in horses who
> receive bute and bantamine, for them to also acquire gut ulcers after
such
> treatment, given the  trauma.  A catch 22. Countervailing problems
requiring
> countervailing remediation are never easy to treat. Imagine if that hour
> spent just "waiting and seeing had been shortened? It may not have
mattered,
> but it may also have been wise to act with the utmost dispatch. 
Ultimately,
> Dancer gave the most and received the worst. I shall always feel this way
> about him or any animal who dies needlessly in a tragic accident. Please,
> all of you, remember: This was an accident for a horse in great
condition.
> There was a tragic outcome. Unfortunately, for horses in the endurance
game,
> electrolytic shor!
> >tages happen, now add severe trauma, now you've got a good chance renal
> failure will occur. With renal failure often comes  the onset of
laminitis
> and colic. It is not an outcome I'd wish on any animal. Laminitis, being
the
> condition where horses can, and often do, walk out of their hooves.
> >
> >No, Dancer was not abused. Not under my watch. I could not say this and
> live with myself. He was SO DEEPLY LOVED!!!
> >
> >Also I'd like to thank in writing those people who so lovingly gave of
> their time and talent on Saturday to help Dancer. Laura Fend picked
handfuls
> of grass and made endless trips up and down that ravine to give them to
> Dancer. She was solid and helpful and truly tireless in all she did. Lisa
> arrived with oats and water which Dancer consumed with relish, Mike, the
> vet, worked so smartly and compassionately to help bring Dancer up out of
> that ravine, Hugo, the fireman directed the step building brigade and it
was
> his men who literally created steps for Dancer to walk up. It made all
the
> difference. There was Pete, the radio man--his efforts were critical and
> again, he was tireless. There was a man who slid down the ravine on his
back
> side with medical supplies. I don't know his name, but it wss a generous
> much appreciated effort. There was the ambulance driver and all the
> behind-the-scenes people we shall never be able to thank. We do know that
> they gave the situation all they !
> >had. I am sure Dave joins me in thanking each and every one of you. But,
> for now, dear people, he is greif-stricken and hurting beyond description
in
> this period of deep mourning.
> >
> >Joanclaire
> >
> >
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