Well I am the very proud owner of Simply A Legend, a Raindance Farms’ Tennessee Walking Horse, and half brother of WindChill,  The Walkaloosa Colt who fought so bravely.

I am presently just letting my passion lead me. A passion that I had to bury years back, that WindChill in February 2008 brought back to my life.

I currently live in Hawaii but I can relate with the bitter cold of winter cause I lived it for many, many years having been born & raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. It is on the same latitude as Superior, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. Other than always having a passion for horses I think knowing the feel of the bitter cold also connected me to WindChill’s story.

I am wife to Ken, mother to Jill & Mitch and grandmother or Tutu Wahine as they call me to Juli & Joey. During the 80’s we built our home in the country in a town called Echo Bay just outside of Sault Ste. Marie where eventually we shared our 3 acres with 4 horses. Winter’s were long & cold therefore with my husband being a carpenter lay off’s during the winter were common. This became a hardship and led to us moving five hours south to southwestern Ontario where winters were much shorter & less severe. We were unable to purchase property suitable to bring our horses with us resulting in us carefully selling them to horse lovers we knew in the area.. My lifelong dream of owning horses had to be set aside or forgotten.
In early 2001 we were given the opportunity of relocating to Hawaii. With our children being grown and on their own, we decided to accept this rare opportunity. Over the years we’ve been back to Ontario many times including during the winter sometimes barely making it to the airport cause of winter storms. But here in Hawaii we continue to live. It was one early morning while sipping my first coffee that I saw on Fox News the story of a 9 month old colt rescued from freezing to death and brought to a farm in Wisconsin. From that moment my life forever changed.

Since that day I’ve helped my granddaughter Juli, 6 yrs old become an equestrian rider having recently competed in her first competition just 3 months after starting her lessons. Joey, 4 yrs old intently accompanies his sister to lessons and also was given the opportunity to ride a horse for the first time. When WindChill died, Juli was silent and Joey was mad. Why they asked. They had along with me followed his story from day one. Their Tutu was passionate about it therefore so were they. The morning I found out WindChill died I cancelled my plans for the day and stayed home and cried and cried. I couldn’t believe he was gone..I still can’t. I still cry.
But life goes on.

My husband & myself help out at Kalees Retirement Stable who now have more than 15 horses who will live out their lives at Kalees. It became apparent that after these horses fulfilled their owners’ needs as working horses, trailrides; polo; barrel racing etc. they needed a place to retire so that is how Kalee’s came to be. You can read their story at http://www.kaleesretirementstable.com/
We have donated and helped them to build a tack room, plant trees and build a hitching post. It was the venue for the Equine Therapist Seminar I hosted so that I & others can become certified equine therapists and offer our skills to these horses who give so much to us and gave so much to their owners. I have helped place 5 horses to live out their lives at Kalee’s.

I give & I help all that I can to The WindChill Legacy and I know that this will be my life long mission. I miss WindChill everyday and feel blessed to be one of The Herd Who Heard. As I said I am letting my passion lead me, led by magnificent WindChill. The journey continues. I am ready and trusting of WindChill & his rescuers and look forward to seeing again the wonderful & amazing Legacy members. A new path continues with my new horse, Legend. I thank You, WindChill for bringing you beautiful creatures into my life again. Thank You Kathi & Jeff Tucker for allowing us into your lives.

Darlene Burgess, Maui, Hawaii