Friday, November 28, 2003
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Friday, November 28, 2003 |
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Local girl aids horses during California wildfires By MICHAEL BOYLAN The footage of the California wildfires las month were haunting, but many viewers in this part of the country felt safe, as the fires were occurring thousands of miles away. One local woman was worried, though. Coweta resident Tammy Waldrop was concerned about her daughter, Dawn, who is working with horses near Malibu Canyon and was in the path of the fires last month. Dawn, 26, was alone on the ranch with five horses, a pony, and no trailer. The rest of the crew was at a show in the desert. The company she works for shows hunter/jumpers and Dawn rides and grooms the horses and takes care of them as well. It is something she is very passionate about, according to her mother, and when the fires started approaching, even though they happen every year, Dawn was a little freaked out. Dawn was on the phone with her mother throughout the ordeal, but she also called a shipping company to come and take the horses to safety. At this point no roads were closed and the shipping company felt that they could get there in time. Unfortunately, roads began to close and it took the company four hours to arrive at the ranch. “At one point, the man from the shipping company told her that he might only be able to get as close as possible and that she would have to walk each of the horses out individually,” said Tammy. “Luckily, he was able to get on the premises and, according to Dawn, the horses loaded in faster and easier than ever before.” The property on the ranch was saved, as the owner arrived before the fires got there and wet down everything. Other barns in the area were not as lucky and burned down. This was Dawn’s first year in California, but she has been able to experience the wildfires for herself. Next year, should the same situation occur, she will be better prepared for the situation. However, there is probably a part of her that will try to be at a show instead. Dawn Waldrop lived in both Fayette and Coweta County while growing up and attended East Coweta High School. Tammy Waldrop lives in Senoia.
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