Meg Sleeper and Shyrocco Rimbauld

MEG'S GOFUNDME PAGE - DONATE!

On August 2, 2016, New Jersey's own Margaret "Meg" Sleeper and her mount Shyrocco Rimbauld were selected for a slot on the United States Equestrian Team by the members of the United States Equestrian Federation.

The selected US members have successfully qualified to compete in the prestigious World Endurance Competition of 2016 and were chosen based on ride record, soundness, and experience.

This year's Equestrian Endurance Competition will cover 100 miles of spectacular countryside across the scenic hills of Samorin, Slovakia.

The cost of World Equestrian Competition is staggering for a rider to bear. Meg has been endowed with a $10,000 grant from the USET towards her competition expenses. However, the cost of travel for her horse alone is a staggering $25,000 to Slovakia and back. In addition, there will be quarantine fees, veterinary testing fees, and travel and lodging expenses for Meg and her crew.

Out of gratitude and friendship for Meg, and the belief that she is the most dedicated and altruistic person I've ever met, I have set up this GoFundMe Campaign to help raise the additional monies needed to cover the costs to get Meg & Rimbaud to the Samorin FEI competition next month.

Our goal is to raise $18,750 in just 16 days.

We appreciate your support and your kindness in assisting us to get Meg & Rim to Samorin.

Let me tell you a bit about Meg Sleeper:

I've known Meg Sleeper for over eight years now. One evening while I was restless and worried about my boxer's health, I began searching for a cardiac veterinary specialist and this led me to Margaret Sleeper, Chief of Cardiology, at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School of Medicine.

I learned that Meg had graduated Cum Laude from the veterinary school of the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and returned for a cardiology residency there after completing an internship in private practice. She remained on the faculty at Penn Vet until 2015, when she joined the faculty at the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine.

I quickly decided I needed Meg to evaluate and treat my beloved Bacio! That evening, at three o'clock in the morning, I emailed Meg Sleeper and gave her a lengthy synopsis of Baci's current condition and his response to his current prescribed treatment.

Meg emailed me back within (3) hours! Not only was she off-duty at the time; she was out of the country on a sabbatical leave studying and doing research in Europe! Now keep in mind, at this point, I'd never met her nor did she even request any compensation to work with me in getting Bacio back on track!

Through our emails Meg gave me professional direction and guided me as we made the necessary changes in Baci's treatment. I quickly witnessed Baci return to his normal energetic boxer self!

I credit Meg Sleeper with saving my Bacio's life! I've since had the privilege and unparalleled opportunity to call her a very close and dear friend!

Meg is the type of individual who exemplifies courage, dedication to her career, and lives her life to the absolute fullest. It is through her love for animals that I have the utmost respect and admiration for Meg. She is honest and integrity-driven.

Let me tell you some more about Meg's character:

Margaret "Meg" Sleeper grew up in South Jersey. At the young age of 11, she began riding horses when she received riding lessons as a Christmas present. Her father bought her a semi-retired horse the following year. It was an Appaloosa named "Tecumseh" or "Tummy" for short. She rode bareback until they were able to afford a saddle, and spent every daylight hour with Tummy when she was not in school.

Meg completed her first competitive trail ride, a 30-mile event with "Tummy" in 1980. That was the beginning of her commitment to Equestrian Endurance Competition.

In 1989, Meg competed in her first 100-mile endurance ride on her half Arabian named "Chaucer." Since then she has never looked back and has competed in nearly 20,000 miles of Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding! She's completed over 70, one-day 100 mile races! She has competed nearly entirely on horses she and her husband Dave have bred and trained!

Meg was on the US East Gold Medal Team in the 2001 Pan American Endurance Championship, where she finished seventh individually. She was on the silver medal US Team in 2011 in Chile. In 2015 Meg finished first individually in the North American Team Challenge in Canada with Shyrocco Rimbauld; who also won best condition and clinched the team Gold Medal.

In 2006, Meg Sleeper was 22nd at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, and she was the second fastest US rider. Since 2006, Meg Sleeper has been on every US Team at the Endurance World Championships.

In 2012, she finished 11th individually on her own bred and trained Shyrocco Reveille, with the fastest US time of 7 hours and 42 minutes! This is a record for a 100-mile race off continent that has not been broken to this day!

In order to be a successful Equestrian Endurance Rider, you need a very special bond with your horse; both human and equine need to literally think and work together in unison. This special bond is one reason Meg loves the sport of Endurance so much. Perhaps this unique bond is strengthened by the added facet of relationships that build from birth with her horses?

Meg Sleeper not only is an expert in her given profession of veterinary cardiology, but she has taken her passion for horses and turned it into a true modern day National Velvet success story!

This picture above is a wonderful photo that clearly shows how much Meg and Dave (Augustine) love their horses and their sport.

Please join me and support Meg Sleeper so she can compete in September in Samorin, wearing the Red, White & Blue of the United States and hopefully bring home a coveted and much respected win for the USA!

Thank you for your kind and generous donations.

Sincerely,

RJ Farrington
Bacio's Mom

With Love from Bacio and all of the hearts Meg's mended along her journeys.

A Mount Laurel veterinarian and her horse prepare to take on endurance event

By Kristen Coppock
August 22 2016

Riding 100 miles on horseback in Europe is just what the doctor ordered for herself.

A veterinarian and accomplished equestrian, Meg Sleeper is preparing to compete next month in the Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2016 with her appaloosa, Shyrocco “Rim” Rimbaud. Held at the Samorin Equestrian Center in Slovakia, the event runs Sept. 15-18 and features some of the world’s most committed athletes.

“It’s an event that’s done in one day, usually about 12 hours,” said Sleeper, whose practice is affiliated with the Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. “There are multiple checks along the way. Horses are evaluated to make sure they’re fit to go on...”

Read more here:
http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/life-style/local-feature/a-veterinarian-and-her-horse-prepare-to-take-on-endurance/article_275e8d8c-6491-11e6-ac2c-57cdf92d948a.html

We are organizing for the trip to Slovakia for the world championship and there are so many loose ends to tie up!! I am rarely on FB, but posts get forwarded so I think I have read them all. I apologize for not responding to each one, but it is impossible for me to express how much the generous donations and the well wishes mean to me!! It makes me realize how fortunate I have been…not only am I able to compete in a sport that is my passion, but I work in a profession I love and have so many remarkable friends!! Thank each and everyone one of you! In particular, I need to thank Robyn, who set up the gofundme site (https://www.gofundme.com/MegSleeperEnduranc) and has been absolutely leaving no stone unturned in her attempt to help raise funds for this event! She even reached out to Bill Gates!! Thanks to Triple Crown and Southern States Feed- not only for making fabulous products that have helped us get here, but also for helping with travel support. Thanks to OmegaAlpha for nutritional supplements that support top level equine athletes (and dogs and humans too!).

I will try to send updates periodically as we prepare, and as frequently as possible once we start the journey. I usually send out an email blog, but I will post it on FB and the gofundme site as well. The horses will leave from JFK on September thth following a 6 hour quarantine and land in Frankfurt on the 5th. They will then van to Samorin, Slovakia and arrive at the venue on the 6th. Opening ceremonies are on September 15th at 8pm, first inspection is on the 16th and the ride starts on September 17th at 6 am. For anyone interested, here is the link for the event website:
http://www.wech2016.com

The venue looks gorgeous and there should be live streaming during the event.