In many ways, Brin Tabor is your typical nine-year-old girl.
Like many children, she would have loved to have gotten a horse for her recent
birthday, but when asked by her mother, Beth, what she wanted for her birthday,
the little girl’s response was anything but typical.
“Out of the blue she said to us that for her birthday that
she didn’t want any presents — she just wanted her friends to make a donation to
an organization that helps horses,” Beth Tabor explained. “We have an
off-the-track Thoroughbred of our own. He’s 11 and he’s fantastic. He’s out at
Beau Cheval in Batavia. The riding instructor there — Nora Fink — has been
aware of (the) Galloping Out (program) and adopted a horse named Lantic from
them about six months ago.”
Galloping Out is a cooperative effort between the Illinois
Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Arlington Racecourse and
Hawthorne Race Course whose mission statement is “Providing funding for the
rescue, care, rehabilitation, and retraining of off the track Thoroughbreds.”
“I’ve loved horses all my
life,” Brin Tabor said. “They are very interesting animals and we can learn a lot from them.”
“My daughter has been riding for a little while now and
through Nora, I became aware of Galloping Out and they were great to work with,”
her mother added. “They were so pleased (about what Brin was doing) that they
sent us T-shirts to give the girls at the birthday party.”
Of course, Beth Tabor was worried that Brin’s friends or
their parents might not abide by the request and instead give Brin more typical
birthday gifts. Her worrying proved to be unfounded.
“I was delighted that her friends and their parents went
along with her idea and they all came through with checks and we raised a pretty
good amount of money,” Beth Tabor said of the approximately $800 raised for
Galloping Out.
“I must be doing something right,” she added. “Both my kids
are good kids (Brin’s older brother Drew is 12). This gesture came right from
her heart.”
What Brin Tabor didn’t know at the time was that she was going to
be getting a horse for her birthday after all.
“She didn’t even know we were getting her a horse for her
birthday when she asked to do this,” Beth Tabor confirmed. “We found a
seven-year-old
Thoroughbred for her. He’s not on off-the-track horse since I don’t think she is
ready for that.”
Brin Tabor, of course was thrilled, with her gift.
“It was a good
present,” she smiled. “I hope to ride in shows when I get older.”
“This whole thing has been a really good experience,” her
mother added.
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