IT WARMED MY heart seeing how much pleasure the 50 campers and helpers encountered during Fox-Bell Farm & Training’s 2024 Horse Camp last weekend.
The weather was sunny and warm — and not stifling hot — for the entertaining occasion that catered from the young and inexperienced to the more advanced. On Friday, the more skilled riders joined owner and farm owner Shelby Vaughn for a no-hands, no-reins jump lesson followed by a trail ride at Robin Hill Park.
On Saturday and Sunday, the kids had several stations they rotated through, including obstacle courses, relays and scavenger hunts. A favorite of many was the “ride-a-buck,” where the kids placed $1 bills under their legs on the lunge line and competed to win some money.
Non-horse events kids had partakers wearing their Hawaiian leis as they played games like ring toss and tug-of-war, and learned how to tie-dye their own T-shirts and get their faces painted. I think they had the most fun overall when they got to apply glitter paint to their ponies with horse-made products by Twinkle Glitter (Twinkle Glitter Products).
As a side note, Twinkle Glitter’s company founder Tina Billings (mother of a horse-crazy daughter) just happens to be the previous owner of my horse Lacey and her son Indy (sadly both deceased). Indy’s dad was a gorgeous buckskin who, at the time, was featured on their advertisements and many of the products. When I purchased them from the Billings family’s hay-producing farm in Bend, Ore., in 2003, we were given lots of Twinkle products — colorful glitter gel paint for the mane, tail, body, hooves, eyes and muzzle, stencils and a variety of sponge-shaped brushes — to play with, and boy did my niece and her friends have a blast painting their horses.
Tina’s daughter-in-law Kara Billings took over the company in 2014, and since then, the company has grown to include products for both dogs and humans. The majority of Twinkle products are still made and packaged at Billings Farm off Gerking Market Road.
Sorry, I got side-tracked, likely because I’ve seen the products light up the faces, and heard the giggles, of a great many girls as they painted their ponies.
Shelby said the camp got “rave reviews, and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team.” Included in the camp were rescue horses (including several from Olympic Peninsula Equine Network) that were rehabilitated and are now used in the farm’s lesson program — which, I think, makes the farm’s programs extra special.
A popular pony among young students is Moon, an older Halflinger who was rescued by “a dear friend of ours when he had been injured as a jumping pony,” Shelby said. “She rehabilitated him and brought him to us, where we still teach with him many years later. He is absolutely wonderful with children.”
There’s also Waylon, a quarter horse gelding “who was a very loved horse, and one of the lucky ones we take in,” Shelby said, “but his owner fell on hard times due to health problems and could no longer care for him.”
He became part of the farm’s lesson horses, and then adopted by Sally Sprenger, who continues to board him there and takes twice-weekly lessons with Shelby. Sally’s young grandsons McCoy and Murphy both got to attend the horse camp, where Sally and her husband Mike took an abundance of photos of campers and events, many featured on the Fox-Bell Farm & Training Facebook page Kids Camp post. They’re sure to bring a smile to your face as they did mine.
Dog rescue
I wrote about Shelby’s being born into the animal rescue mindset, as her mother Martha Vaughn is a longtime rescue advocate in my May 18 column.
Martha owns the wedding and event venue at 137 Barr Road in east Port Angeles. Their joint mission statement, found at the Fox-Bell website, https://www.fox-bell.com/our-mission1, states in part: At Fox-Bell, the animals come first. Our priority is helping abused, neglected and slaughter-bound horses as well as other animals.
Naturally, when hearing the news that the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society was closing its doors and is no longer accepting dogs at Bark House, its facility at Old Olympic Highway, the two became extremely concerned and were spurred into action. More so, as news of dogs simply being dropped off at somewhat secluded roads throughout Clallam County by owners who no longer wanted, or could no longer care, for them.
Shelby told me she and her mother, through the non-profit branch of their Fox-Bell business organization, “have been closely looking into starting our own shelter for dogs. Clallam County is currently in a crisis situation and we are currently drawing up plans to expand into more dog rescue.”
Both astute businesswomen, they are carefully looking into and studying costs to get the new shelter up and running, and, most importantly, to succeed for the long-term. She said Fox-Bell “had hopes to purchase the Bark House from OPHS to get operations moving sooner,” but discovered that wasn’t feasible, so they are now looking into building their own sanctuary for the growing number of dogs in need. She said Fox-Bell will be starting a 501(c)(3) for the dog shelter, at which time they will be able to take donations.
“For our 501(c)(3), we have a couple directions and are still deciding which way to go,” Shelby said. “This process should be anywhere from 30 days to six months, depending on the direction. Once in place, we plan to host a large fundraiser at our Fox-Bell Venue on North Barr Road to fundraise for a few immediate needs.”
She’s going to let me know when they have solid plans and a fundraising date is set. In the meantime, I’d like to point out, for the past 10 years, Shelby’s been running a fully self-funded and successful horse rescue operation in Clallam County at Fox-Bell Farm — which is no small feat since they own, house and care for 50-60 rescue horses at time, in addition to offering full-care horse boarding, training and lessons to the public.
While their hearts are open wide, and even bleeding over the recent news of dogs abandoned, mostly at the forested edges of rural roads, they recognize financially they couldn’t sustain a self-funded dog shelter for Clallam County without the community’s support, so they will be asking for donations and operating it as a nonprofit.
Stay tuned for more details and the date of the upcoming fundraiser.
Fox-Bell Farm offers boarding, training, lessons, horse shows, camps, birthday parties and more. Located in Agnew at 136 Finn Hall Road. For more information, call or text Shelby at 206-399-7683; e-mail Shelby.blakelyhillfarm@live.com.
Shows
On Friday, Shelby and her instructors were at Kari Payne’s 4L Arena for its second annual Animal Rescue Fundraiser to host the English riding and jumping show.
Today is the silent auction and raffle, plus, the big event — Western Games. Speed events include barrels, Cal stake, pole turn, half-eight and tarp alley. There will be four timed brackets. Custom trophy buckles will be awarded to the top three riders in each bracket (that’s a total of 12 buckles award). All participants will receive a nice day-end award. It’s only $65 to compete in the entire day’s gaming events and have a chance to win a belt buckle.
Games begin at 10 a.m. today (front gate opens at 9 a.m.). 4L Arena is located off Blue Mountain Road at 95 S. McCrorie Road, Port Angeles. Visitors are welcome. Hope to see you there.
All proceeds from both days go to support local pet emergency groups and Center Valley Rescue.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also call her at 360-460-6299.
