EJumping in: Equestrian event raises funds for Make-A-Wish

LAYTON — Lady riders saddled up for a good cause Saturday — raising funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The "Jumping Up to Help" event at Saltaire Farm in Layton featured an equestrian jumping show, pet psychic, pony rides, bake sale, raffle, silent auction, games and dutch oven cooking. All funds were donated to the foundation, an issue that hits close to home for staff and students at the stable.

A student of Kari Swainston, stable owner and horse trainer, had her wish fulfilled through the foundation after she contracted leukemia.

"She was in the mist of her showing career and found out she had leukemia," Swainston said. "They granted a wish for her, and we thought that was a great cause. It's a fun way to raise funds for that. Everyone has a good time"

It is part of Swainston's goal to do one benefit a year for a worthy cause. Other events have raised money for the Red Cross, Humane Society and Best Friends Animal Society.

"It's a little more personal this year," said Janet Peters, a student who also rides at the stable as a mother-daughter team with her daughter, Hope, 11. "This barn, everyone here is like a big family. It's competitive, but it's more than competition today because it's for a good cause."

Roughly 50-60 horses were in the competition Saturday and hundreds were expected to watch.

Behind the action in the barn, girls braided their horses' hair and added the finishing touches to their riding costumes. But the thing that attracted the most excitement was the pet psychic, Roxanne Hunt.

Hunt, an "intuitive life coach," would converse silently with the horses and communicate what the horses were feeling to their riders. By using what she calls a keen sense of intuition, she told the riders which unique food their hoses enjoyed, detailed their temperaments, problems during competition and even concerns the horses had for their young riders.

"Horses pick up on your energy. They know if you're sad, happy," said Hunt, who has a masters degree in science and works as a speech pathologist.

She adds that reading animals is an intuitive skill anyone can use. She even found out about her gift a few years ago by accident and says it's easy for her to do because she's open to it.

"Animals see things very matter-of-fact. They're not judgemental like people," she said. "Animals are always communicating to us. They pick up on the thoughts we have," Hunt said.

---

E-mail: astowell@desnews.com