Post by Exceller Fund on Oct 20, 2006 3:31:45 GMT -5
PLEASE READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE UPDATE. THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION HERE! THANK YOU!
Dear Exceller Fund members,
Fall is definately here! Even in Southern California, the air is getting crisp (and the Santa Ana winds are kicking up), and the stores are filled with Halloween displays an candy. The Christmas displays are also peeking around the corner.
We will be gearing up for our annual HOLIDAY HORSES fundraiser and I am also collecting photos for our 2007 Calendar. I have a few already, so if you have a nice photo of a Thoroughbred, at the racetrack or farm, please feel free to submit it. The photo must be LANDSCAPE orientation, and it must be of sufficient size and resolution to print clearly.
Please check out the Handicappers Helping Horses contest offered by the Up In Class Racing Forum. The details can be found at www.excellerfund.org/upinclass.htm If you're a decent handicapper, you may want to give this contest a try!
Don't forget that November 9-12th, The Exceller Fund and Rich In Dallas will be at Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Dallas will again be a Celebrity Horse, and he will be in the Youth Presentation Ring for a special appearance on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. The rest of the time, Dallas will be hanging out in his Celebrity stall and will be available for photos. We'll have to see if there will be an ice cream vendor this time!
If you have not been to the Equine Affaire, you must make plans to come out. The show has just about everything "horsey" you can imagine. There are horses of just about any breed you can think of, tack galore, clothing, fencing, barns, trailers, art, jewelry, collectibles, horse organizations....., you name it, and it's there. The booth will be "manned" by Paul and Kelly Linn, myself, Darlene Robinette, Dean Solomon of Pacific Equestrian Center, and a special surprise guest. Please stop by and say "hi" and get to meet Dallas in person!
NEW HORSE
We have another new horse! He is Northern Shade (2002 Bay Gelding by Lac Quimet out of Shady Roman by Tibaut Two)
7 Starts, 1 Wins, 1 Places, 0 Shows Career Earnings: $17,311
This 4 year old gelding stands at 17 hands and suffered a suspensory injury during training. He was on our Trainer listins for West Virginia but was running out of time. Faced with a deadline that this kind "gentle giant" would be taken to SugarCreek, we acquired him from the trainer with the help of Rachel Paris, a volunteer at the Mountaineer track. Rachel arranged for a rescue group in Florida to foster Northern Shade. He is currently staying with a shipper who works with Rachel and other folks from Mountaineer and will be going to Pure Thoughts Horse and Foal Rescue in Florida. Northern Shade's purchase was made possible by a generous donation from New York based trainer Gary Contessa. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Gary!
Here are pictures of Northern Shade, and I can't wait to update these with photos of him in Florida!
exforg.proboards32.com/index.cgi?board=newarchive&action=display&thread=1159116489
OTHER HORSES
Exceller Fund members have helped out, or are working on helping out, the following horses:
Xcape - This 6 year old gelding was listed on CANTER New England Trainer Listings. He was running out of time and some Exceller Fund members donated privately to CANTER to help save him from going to slaughter. CANTER is placing him with a foster home. You can view Xcape's pedigree and photo at:
www.pedigreequery.com/xcape
Bevelled Edge - This 2 year old filly never even raced but her owner decided to send her to a kill buyer. A rescue volunteer at the Mountaineer track describes her as "Gentle and easy to handle. Doesn't even require a chain to be led around the backside at the track. This mare is a sweetheart who would be great for children." Some Exceller Fund members sent private donations to help a private rescuer purchase this mare. The trainer that had her sold her to another trainer who then doubled her price. The rescue volunteer has learned the mare may to go the Sugarcreek auction tomorrow. I'll let you know what I found out if they can get her from the auction.
Here are some photos of this little filly:
i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Other%20Horses/BevelledEdgeT1rz.jpg
i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Other%20Horses/BevelledEdgeT3rz.jpg
Saturday, October 28, 2006 will be the day for 3 Exceller Fund events:
First Annual Charity Show to Benefit The Exceller Fund
Rich In Dallas will be appearing at the First Annual Charity Show to Benefit The Exceller Fund, October 28, 2006 in Rustburg Virginia. The show will take place at the Patrick Henry Girls Home and will feature English and Western classes. This will be one of the last shows in 2006 to earn 4H points! For more details, please visit: www.woodridgefarm.net If you are in the area, please stop by to cheer on Dallas and help support this fundraising effort.
Halloween Party and Adoptathon
Everyone is invited to Triple L Stables in Fulton New York for a Halloween party. Bring a dish to pass. We will have a bon fire again this year and have horse rides at $2.00 a ride. There will also be a donation box for those of you that would like to make a donation to The Exceller Fund. Also there will be forms to become a member of the Exceller Fund.
There will also be $100 off of any horse you wish to adopt. You can also sponsor any of the Exceller horses if you do not wish to adopt one. Lets make a difference for these horses. The Exceller Fund cannot take in anymore horses until some horses get adopted! Come and see Distant Kid, Wild Eye Bill, Our Son Rob, Winds of Summer, Pro On The Road, Mad Mac, Handsome Jolly Jim, and the ever sweet Sully's Silver.
Moss Landing - Millersburg Kentucky
Open House at Moss Landing will feature an Exceller Fund horse, Dah Waterboy, available for adoption as well as ReRun horses available for adoption. For more information and directions, contact mosslanding@opexonline.com
505 Millersburg Cynthiana Rd
Paris, KY 40361
These events and more are now listed on our website - check it out at www.excellerfund.org/events.htm or link to it from the Main Page under "What's New."
ADOPTED!
Spectacular Won has been adopted! One of the boarders at Triple L Stables fell in love with this chestnut son of Thunder Gulch. She will be keeping him at Triple L Stables, so I know that Lisa Leogrande will be sending us photos on how he's doing. One bad habit that "Spec" has is that he likes to eat the tails of other horses! Naughty boy!
UPDATES
ALMATA - Lori Neagle contacted us with concerns about Almata. At first, the vet though that she had laminitis, but further treatment revealed that she has very thin soles on her feet. Almata had been barefoot but was experiencing a lot of discomfort. Special shoes were crafted for our lovely daughter of Exceller to keep the pressure off of her soles, and she is feeling better. The shoes are going to be a bit costly, ($200), so I encourage everyone to continue with the Members Challenge. Lori sends this report:
PATRIOT - Patriot is settling in well in North Carolina. If any of you know someone in the area that would like a nice big walk-trot trail/pleasure horse, please have them contact us. It's about time that Patriot found a forever home! His foster Lisa Schuler sends us this report:
KING'S TEMPER - "Randy" is doing well and gaining weight, and his foster, Jennifer Hand, is working on his cribbing. We are receiving some adoption inquiries on King's Temper, and hopefully he will find his forever home soon. Jennifer sends this report:
UPON THE ROOF - We have been receiving inquiries on "Topper", and Paul sends this report to interested parties:
MEMBER CONTEST AND CHALLENGE!!!!
More than ever we are more than at an all time high for the number of horses we are helping - we are in a negative cash flow! We need to make sure we can take care of additional expenses our horses may need, such as Almata's special bar and plate shoes.
We will continue the challenge out to all of our members. The Challenge will run through November 30th. If each member can get ONE friend or a family member to send in TEN DOLLARS, we would receive over $1,000! For each member that gets a friend to send in at least $10, I will send a 4x6 confirmation photo of Exceller to you or anyone of your choosing. Please send me an e-mail with your request for the photo!
I have attached a form that you can give to your friends to fill in your name when they send in their donation. The member who generates the largest amount of donations will receive their choice of:
A copy of William H. P. Robertson's classic book The History of Thoroughbred Racing In America (good condition - no dust jacket)
OR
A copy of J.K.M. Ross's book Boots and Saddles which chronicles the stable of his father Commander Ross, owner of Sir Barton, Billy Kelly, and other notable racehorses from the early 20th century.
Both books have an excellent number of photographs of some very great horses as well as wonderful stories of the horses and people that make up the great history of the Sport of Kings.
We will continue to save up for Sully's surgery and have received some wonderful offers of support. I will let you know when Sully will be scheduled for surgery and keep you updated on his progress.
MEMBER FORUM
You can see the link to the new message board in our Members Area. You can also bookmark the board at almata.proboards106.com/
You will need to create an account with a User Name and Password. We will review the accounts to make sure only Exceller Fund Members have access to the Message Board.
EXCELLER FUND HISTORICAL POSTS - I have gone through my e-mail archives and found Exceller Fund Updates going back to January 2000. They say that in order to figure out where you are going, you need to see where you have been, so I have posted these updates in the Member Forum. Please feel free to browse through these olds posts. I have included in the posts the photos that went out with these updates. There are some very touching photos of No Small Wonder, the Belgian we rescued from New Holland, including photos from the auction, and photos of him at EPONA with his "girlfriend" Mabel.
For those of you who are newer members, the original President of The Exceller Fund was Barbara Kraus. Back in the early days, The Exceller Fund was much smaller both in terms of members and horses. You can see what it took to bring us to this point. I am still in the process of posting the rest of 2004 and 2005.
Any original members, if you still have Exceller Fund Updates from September 1997 to January 2000, please forward them to me so I can post them! Take a look at
DEAR MEMBERS - This is YOUR forum to post and communicate with each other, brainstorm on ideas for helping horses, or simply have fun! I will also start posting updates in this forum starting with our Year-end Reviews and then leading up to the present time. YOU CAN CHECK this forum for the latest news and happenings with The Exceller Fund. It's also a great place for those folks with dial-up or AOL to receive news and information.
CHECK IT OUT!!!!
DUES AND DONATIONS!
Please don't forget to send in your dues for November. October dues were better than September, but we still have a ways to go to be in a good position to help a lot more horses. The demand is greater than ever. If you forgot to send in past month's, you can combine it with November. We need you now more than ever! You can also pay ahead of time for any number of months up through the end of the year. There are several ways that you can make your monthly donation:
Checks (mailing address is below)
Credit Card donation through our Gift Shop: excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=E
Credit Card - automatic deduction - Gayle Pruitt will be taking over the credit card authorizations. Karla Phaneuf has had to take time off to tend to a family situation. You can send an e-mail to Gayle at gpruitt@frontierwireless.com for instructions. Gayle has been our loyal accountant for many years now.
PayPal - The PayPal address is donate@excellerfund.org
American Express now offers cardholders the opportunity to donate using their American Express card and earn Reward Points at the same time: www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=donateonline
If you pay by check, please make them payable to The Exceller Fund, Inc. and mailed to:
The Exceller Fund
3572 Star Ridge Road
Hayward, CA 94542
Thanks to all of you for helping horses!
Bonnie Mizrahi,
President
The Exceller Fund
Providing a Future Beyond the Finish Line sm
Dear Exceller Fund members,
Fall is definately here! Even in Southern California, the air is getting crisp (and the Santa Ana winds are kicking up), and the stores are filled with Halloween displays an candy. The Christmas displays are also peeking around the corner.
We will be gearing up for our annual HOLIDAY HORSES fundraiser and I am also collecting photos for our 2007 Calendar. I have a few already, so if you have a nice photo of a Thoroughbred, at the racetrack or farm, please feel free to submit it. The photo must be LANDSCAPE orientation, and it must be of sufficient size and resolution to print clearly.
Please check out the Handicappers Helping Horses contest offered by the Up In Class Racing Forum. The details can be found at www.excellerfund.org/upinclass.htm If you're a decent handicapper, you may want to give this contest a try!
Don't forget that November 9-12th, The Exceller Fund and Rich In Dallas will be at Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Dallas will again be a Celebrity Horse, and he will be in the Youth Presentation Ring for a special appearance on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. The rest of the time, Dallas will be hanging out in his Celebrity stall and will be available for photos. We'll have to see if there will be an ice cream vendor this time!
If you have not been to the Equine Affaire, you must make plans to come out. The show has just about everything "horsey" you can imagine. There are horses of just about any breed you can think of, tack galore, clothing, fencing, barns, trailers, art, jewelry, collectibles, horse organizations....., you name it, and it's there. The booth will be "manned" by Paul and Kelly Linn, myself, Darlene Robinette, Dean Solomon of Pacific Equestrian Center, and a special surprise guest. Please stop by and say "hi" and get to meet Dallas in person!
NEW HORSE
We have another new horse! He is Northern Shade (2002 Bay Gelding by Lac Quimet out of Shady Roman by Tibaut Two)
7 Starts, 1 Wins, 1 Places, 0 Shows Career Earnings: $17,311
This 4 year old gelding stands at 17 hands and suffered a suspensory injury during training. He was on our Trainer listins for West Virginia but was running out of time. Faced with a deadline that this kind "gentle giant" would be taken to SugarCreek, we acquired him from the trainer with the help of Rachel Paris, a volunteer at the Mountaineer track. Rachel arranged for a rescue group in Florida to foster Northern Shade. He is currently staying with a shipper who works with Rachel and other folks from Mountaineer and will be going to Pure Thoughts Horse and Foal Rescue in Florida. Northern Shade's purchase was made possible by a generous donation from New York based trainer Gary Contessa. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Gary!
Here are pictures of Northern Shade, and I can't wait to update these with photos of him in Florida!
exforg.proboards32.com/index.cgi?board=newarchive&action=display&thread=1159116489
OTHER HORSES
Exceller Fund members have helped out, or are working on helping out, the following horses:
Xcape - This 6 year old gelding was listed on CANTER New England Trainer Listings. He was running out of time and some Exceller Fund members donated privately to CANTER to help save him from going to slaughter. CANTER is placing him with a foster home. You can view Xcape's pedigree and photo at:
www.pedigreequery.com/xcape
Bevelled Edge - This 2 year old filly never even raced but her owner decided to send her to a kill buyer. A rescue volunteer at the Mountaineer track describes her as "Gentle and easy to handle. Doesn't even require a chain to be led around the backside at the track. This mare is a sweetheart who would be great for children." Some Exceller Fund members sent private donations to help a private rescuer purchase this mare. The trainer that had her sold her to another trainer who then doubled her price. The rescue volunteer has learned the mare may to go the Sugarcreek auction tomorrow. I'll let you know what I found out if they can get her from the auction.
Here are some photos of this little filly:
i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Other%20Horses/BevelledEdgeT1rz.jpg
i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Other%20Horses/BevelledEdgeT3rz.jpg
Saturday, October 28, 2006 will be the day for 3 Exceller Fund events:
First Annual Charity Show to Benefit The Exceller Fund
Rich In Dallas will be appearing at the First Annual Charity Show to Benefit The Exceller Fund, October 28, 2006 in Rustburg Virginia. The show will take place at the Patrick Henry Girls Home and will feature English and Western classes. This will be one of the last shows in 2006 to earn 4H points! For more details, please visit: www.woodridgefarm.net If you are in the area, please stop by to cheer on Dallas and help support this fundraising effort.
Halloween Party and Adoptathon
Everyone is invited to Triple L Stables in Fulton New York for a Halloween party. Bring a dish to pass. We will have a bon fire again this year and have horse rides at $2.00 a ride. There will also be a donation box for those of you that would like to make a donation to The Exceller Fund. Also there will be forms to become a member of the Exceller Fund.
There will also be $100 off of any horse you wish to adopt. You can also sponsor any of the Exceller horses if you do not wish to adopt one. Lets make a difference for these horses. The Exceller Fund cannot take in anymore horses until some horses get adopted! Come and see Distant Kid, Wild Eye Bill, Our Son Rob, Winds of Summer, Pro On The Road, Mad Mac, Handsome Jolly Jim, and the ever sweet Sully's Silver.
Moss Landing - Millersburg Kentucky
Open House at Moss Landing will feature an Exceller Fund horse, Dah Waterboy, available for adoption as well as ReRun horses available for adoption. For more information and directions, contact mosslanding@opexonline.com
505 Millersburg Cynthiana Rd
Paris, KY 40361
These events and more are now listed on our website - check it out at www.excellerfund.org/events.htm or link to it from the Main Page under "What's New."
ADOPTED!
Spectacular Won has been adopted! One of the boarders at Triple L Stables fell in love with this chestnut son of Thunder Gulch. She will be keeping him at Triple L Stables, so I know that Lisa Leogrande will be sending us photos on how he's doing. One bad habit that "Spec" has is that he likes to eat the tails of other horses! Naughty boy!
UPDATES
ALMATA - Lori Neagle contacted us with concerns about Almata. At first, the vet though that she had laminitis, but further treatment revealed that she has very thin soles on her feet. Almata had been barefoot but was experiencing a lot of discomfort. Special shoes were crafted for our lovely daughter of Exceller to keep the pressure off of her soles, and she is feeling better. The shoes are going to be a bit costly, ($200), so I encourage everyone to continue with the Members Challenge. Lori sends this report:
Almata is feeling so much better since she has had her shoes on. The day after she had her shoes on she was 100% better. She feels like her old self once again. Dr. Agne will be out in about 4 weeks to x-ray her feet and re-set her shoes. He said that he feels she has very thin soles and when the soles grow out her feet should be back to normal. There is a little rotation in one foot but he can't tell if it is new or from a previous episode of founder. He also mentioned that she may not have to wear shoes forever depending on how her soles grow. The equine nutritionist recommended that we add biotin to her diet to strengthen her feet and help the soles grow faster, so we will start her on that today. Franny has been a true friend to Almata during this stressful time, she stayed in the barn with her for a couple of days. Almata was so quiet and calm, it was amazing because they both hate to be in for any length of time. We are starting construction on a new run-in shed for everyone, it will have 3 separate double stalls so no one will be left out. This will be a huge relief for the girls so that they won't be forced to stay in the barn overnight when the weather is bad. I'll keep you posted on any changes.
PATRIOT - Patriot is settling in well in North Carolina. If any of you know someone in the area that would like a nice big walk-trot trail/pleasure horse, please have them contact us. It's about time that Patriot found a forever home! His foster Lisa Schuler sends us this report:
Patriot's doing GREAT!! He's a good partner and like to learn. There's no problem "catching" him. He really does want to please and be loved on. He wants to trust and is learning how. This morning was wonderful. We played for a little while and he got very calm and left brained. So calm, he had his head all the way down by my chest and was just letting me pet and love on him. It takes a lot for Patriot to do that. Not only did he do it, but he was enjoying it. His eyes were soft and sweet and he let all his walls down. It was beautiful. I almost cried. I loved on him for a while and wanted to leave with him wanting more, so I took his halter off. He stood there and wanted more attention. So, I pet him more and just held his halter. When I walked away, he followed me all the way to the gate. It was beautiful so see him so calm and trusting and enjoying human contact and wanting more. I feel it was a breakthrough for him. I know I'm no expert, but Patriot's a very sweet boy. I think hidden in there is one of the sweetest horses I've ever known, just waiting to trust enough to be able to come out. You can see it in his eyes.
I think Patriot may turn out to be a good trail riding horse. I think he's been pushed his whole life and made to do everything. He needs trust and confidence. He needs to know people care about more than just making him do what they want. He deserves some respect and love. This is just what I feel Patriot's telling me. I'm no expert and I don't know much about his life before he got here. But, I'm trying to listen to him and get to know him.
His swaying at eating time is gone. He waits much more patiently for his food. He stands nicely. Sometimes he'll nicker when I come down to feed, which is cute. It's not demanding, just asking.
He's doing great with the other horses. He's fallen in love with my daughter's pony, Zoey. Her back barely comes up past his belly, so they're so cute together. My vet cracked up when he saw them. When he's determined enough (when she's in heat), he can get the gate open and get to the pasture next to her. So they only have a fence seperating them. It's really cute. I like to leave them like that for a little while and then put him back in his pasture when it's time to eat.
I'm thankful we got to have Patriot here and I do hope a new forever, loving home can be found for him.
KING'S TEMPER - "Randy" is doing well and gaining weight, and his foster, Jennifer Hand, is working on his cribbing. We are receiving some adoption inquiries on King's Temper, and hopefully he will find his forever home soon. Jennifer sends this report:
It is cool and clear and blue (skies) here in Alabama this fall! Makes great days at the barn! Temper is terrific and playful! I bought him a new set of fleece padding for his Miracle Collar. I am ordering him a turnout sheet for the really cold (which here does not last long enough to really even remember it came!). He also has a new set of cross-ties in our new little barn. He is very well-behaved in cross-ties and he does not have to wear his collar during this time. Larry (barn owner) put the ties up especially for Temp. I am also working on his "tangled tail." (He has had a "bad tail day" for a while and I am determined to "straighten it out!").
I have been inquiring about "crbbing" from experts in Virginia, at Auburn University, and at Mississippi State University. I want to do all I can to keep him safe and to try to do what I can to diminish the cribbing. Thanks to Darlene R. (TEF). I have found the "McNasty" spray for the fences and the stalls. Am hoping this will help him, too.
I keep forgetting my digital camera when I go to the barn. I will take some pictures and send them to you very soon. He is still eating well and stays dusty from rolling in the dirt! I groom him and we create the look of "PigPen" in the Charlie Brown cartoon strip!
I wanted to try to tell you about Temper in a way "created by my mind" when I go to the barn. Hope this allows you to see him in a little clearer and humorous light. Here goes:
When I enter the barn, I try to tiptoe in to catch the horses in a natural setting--sleeping or playing or enjoying the breeze in their mane. I took two apple wafer treats in my pocket the other day--one for my mare and one for Temp. I first came to a stall where Temper had come into from the outside (no doubt looking for food!). I spoke to him and was walking up to pet him when I heard Gertie (my TB mare) start "talking" behind me. I then turned and went over to see her first and gave her one wafer. I looked around and Temper was now "talking" and I jumped back over to give him his treat. I started thinking of them as "children" (anyone else do this???) and this is what I imagined: Gertie (teenager and prissy): "Mother, You know I always get the first pets and the first treats! Why are you trying to give HIM something first? He doesn't do anything but play around rolling in the dirt and chasing the Arabians! That really makes me mad!" Then here is Temper (six years old and all boy): "Hi, Mom! I'm coming over to you as quickly as I can! Hi, Mom! Did you bring me something? Oh, yes you did! Thanks, Mom. I will follow you around and you can take me out for a while. O.K.? Mom? Can I come out now? MOM! MOM! Don't forget me, Mom! MOMMIE!"
UPON THE ROOF - We have been receiving inquiries on "Topper", and Paul sends this report to interested parties:
Topper arrived at our farm on Wed, Aug 16. I started ground work with him the next day and rode him bareback a little that Friday, then Saturday we took him to his first show! That was a spur of the moment decision - we were going anyway to take one of my wife Kelly's students and her horse and I figured "Why not, it will be good experience for him". He did wonderful and we won 5 ribbons in a combination of In-Hand and ridden classes. Due to not having had the vet out yet to check his bow, we limited ourselves to walk only.
We had the vet out that next week to ultrasound his bow and give us an idea how the healing was coming and what the long-term prognosis was. She said the bow was healing very nicely and Topper could work under saddle, walk and trot. Bows take a long time to heal, however she feels that once his is completely healed he will be sound for many disciplines including jumping to 2'6" or so. The bow would be considered healed within another 6 months or so; in the meantime he is released for full turnout and under saddle work at the walk and trot. Canter will come a little later.
Topper is turned out during the day and stabled at night. We have not put him with the other horses in order to minimize the chance of him doing something silly and reinjuring his leg. Often times we simply open the stall door and let him wander and explore and graze at liberty - he sticks close to the barn, likes to watch what we do while he "weeds" around fences and the side of the barn. Oh yeah - he loves to play "King of the Sawdust Pile" too.
Topper has no vices we have seen. He stands untied for grooming, clipping, feet, shots etc. He is fine with the farrier. He loads well in the trailer. He has learned to lead well, and either comes to you or stands still to be "caught" when out.
He was recently wormed and vaccinated (5-way). Yesterday he had his teeth floated, and today the farrier is coming to reset his front shoes and trim his back feet.
I am riding Topper and working with him. He is learning to yield softly to pressure now and to bend. He stands quietly, untied, for saddling. He will follow you to the mounting block and stand quietly for mounting. He backs easily and is learning to sidepass. Most work so far has been at a walk, but recently we have added some trotting. He is a quick learner with no vices or bad habits. We have alot of fun obstacles to challenge the horses with, and Topper easily conquered the evil ground tarp, the bridge, the tractor tire, logs, the waterfall, big beach balls bouncing off him and other things. He has a good head on his shoulder.
MEMBER CONTEST AND CHALLENGE!!!!
More than ever we are more than at an all time high for the number of horses we are helping - we are in a negative cash flow! We need to make sure we can take care of additional expenses our horses may need, such as Almata's special bar and plate shoes.
We will continue the challenge out to all of our members. The Challenge will run through November 30th. If each member can get ONE friend or a family member to send in TEN DOLLARS, we would receive over $1,000! For each member that gets a friend to send in at least $10, I will send a 4x6 confirmation photo of Exceller to you or anyone of your choosing. Please send me an e-mail with your request for the photo!
I have attached a form that you can give to your friends to fill in your name when they send in their donation. The member who generates the largest amount of donations will receive their choice of:
A copy of William H. P. Robertson's classic book The History of Thoroughbred Racing In America (good condition - no dust jacket)
OR
A copy of J.K.M. Ross's book Boots and Saddles which chronicles the stable of his father Commander Ross, owner of Sir Barton, Billy Kelly, and other notable racehorses from the early 20th century.
Both books have an excellent number of photographs of some very great horses as well as wonderful stories of the horses and people that make up the great history of the Sport of Kings.
We will continue to save up for Sully's surgery and have received some wonderful offers of support. I will let you know when Sully will be scheduled for surgery and keep you updated on his progress.
MEMBER FORUM
You can see the link to the new message board in our Members Area. You can also bookmark the board at almata.proboards106.com/
You will need to create an account with a User Name and Password. We will review the accounts to make sure only Exceller Fund Members have access to the Message Board.
EXCELLER FUND HISTORICAL POSTS - I have gone through my e-mail archives and found Exceller Fund Updates going back to January 2000. They say that in order to figure out where you are going, you need to see where you have been, so I have posted these updates in the Member Forum. Please feel free to browse through these olds posts. I have included in the posts the photos that went out with these updates. There are some very touching photos of No Small Wonder, the Belgian we rescued from New Holland, including photos from the auction, and photos of him at EPONA with his "girlfriend" Mabel.
For those of you who are newer members, the original President of The Exceller Fund was Barbara Kraus. Back in the early days, The Exceller Fund was much smaller both in terms of members and horses. You can see what it took to bring us to this point. I am still in the process of posting the rest of 2004 and 2005.
Any original members, if you still have Exceller Fund Updates from September 1997 to January 2000, please forward them to me so I can post them! Take a look at
DEAR MEMBERS - This is YOUR forum to post and communicate with each other, brainstorm on ideas for helping horses, or simply have fun! I will also start posting updates in this forum starting with our Year-end Reviews and then leading up to the present time. YOU CAN CHECK this forum for the latest news and happenings with The Exceller Fund. It's also a great place for those folks with dial-up or AOL to receive news and information.
CHECK IT OUT!!!!
DUES AND DONATIONS!
Please don't forget to send in your dues for November. October dues were better than September, but we still have a ways to go to be in a good position to help a lot more horses. The demand is greater than ever. If you forgot to send in past month's, you can combine it with November. We need you now more than ever! You can also pay ahead of time for any number of months up through the end of the year. There are several ways that you can make your monthly donation:
Checks (mailing address is below)
Credit Card donation through our Gift Shop: excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=E
Credit Card - automatic deduction - Gayle Pruitt will be taking over the credit card authorizations. Karla Phaneuf has had to take time off to tend to a family situation. You can send an e-mail to Gayle at gpruitt@frontierwireless.com for instructions. Gayle has been our loyal accountant for many years now.
PayPal - The PayPal address is donate@excellerfund.org
American Express now offers cardholders the opportunity to donate using their American Express card and earn Reward Points at the same time: www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=donateonline
If you pay by check, please make them payable to The Exceller Fund, Inc. and mailed to:
The Exceller Fund
3572 Star Ridge Road
Hayward, CA 94542
Thanks to all of you for helping horses!
Bonnie Mizrahi,
President
The Exceller Fund
Providing a Future Beyond the Finish Line sm