Miss California International 2008: Riding High Equestrian Program

Sue, Me, and Linda - 2 of the lovely and hilarious friends of Riding High

Last night I had the joy of attending the Blue Jeans Ball, a fundraising event for the Riding High Equestrian Program which is a NARHA center in Auburn, CA. Riding High Equestrian is a non-profit therapeutic program using the horse as a therapeutic mirror. Riding High is dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals with emotional disabilities through Equine Assisted Therapy. The mission is to offer the benefits of equestrian facilitated therapy to clients in a manner that emphasizes the special needs and dignity of each individual. Riding High provides a safe and secure environment which challenges individuals to learn and grow.

When I arrived at their beautiful 10+ acre ranch I was greeted by Honey Cowan, the program director. I have never met anyone that is so passionate about what they do and so willing to give everything they have to see the success and improvement of those around them. She was so energetic about her event and so appreciative of my presence. After she got the attention of everyone in attendance and gave a lovely introduction about the evening's activities, she handed me the microphone to talk about my title, my involvement with NARHA, and then sent me into the crowd with the microphone to get everyone chatting and pumped up about the evening. Upon entry into the event, each person was given a name, stuck to their back, of a famous person. Throughout the evening you had to ask yes or no questions to guess who the person was on your back. As I travelled around the facility greeting all of the wonderful coordinators, volunteers, and sponsors, all of which make it possible for Riding High to exist, I met so many lovely people and had a blast guessing who I was and helping other people guess their identity.

After mingling for awhile it was time to head down to the arena and meet Evan. Evan is a 9 year old boy who, as of two years ago, was curled up in a ball and would not leave his house. However, with the help of Riding High, the lovely instructors, and amazing horses, Evan is now able to stand and walk, enjoys leaving his house and meeting new people, and is able to perform many tricks and abilities on horses. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Evan. He is such an intelligent and bright-eyed young boy that I'm sure will go sooooo far in life.

These are pictures of Evan demonstrating his strength and abilities on horseback as well as showing the bond and trust he has developed with the horse.

Evan gave us a lovely and entertaining exhibition on one of Riding High's Icelandic ponies, and then we all headed into the indoor arena which had been transformed into a lovely barbecue and live auction. While standing in line for food, Honey gave a heartfelt speech about how Riding High is a group effort and there are so many people that give so much for the program. She introduced and gave roses to everyone that has helped make Riding High what it is today. To my surprise, before her speech was finished, Honey called me up to thank me for supporting NARHA and Riding High and gave me 2 gorgeous red roses. Honey's appreciation of my attendance meant so much to me and made me feel like I was already a Riding High family member.

This is the amazing HONEY!!

A list of all the sponsors that help make this program possible!

The night continued with an exciting live auction including a horse trailer and a truck, a silent auction with a plethora of items, a live band with dancing, and so many other fun activities.

I enjoyed the evening soo much, had such a great time with everyone that came to support the center, and last but certainly not least, after a whole night of guessing, figured out I was MARYLIN MONROE!

For more information on Riding High Equestrian or for donation information, please visit their website at http://www.ridinghighequestrian.org/ or contact Honey Cowan directly at ridingHieq@aol.com