Changing Lives, One Event at a time

Audrey’s First Horse Show

Article submitted by Sarah Ingram

Spring of 2025 was anything but ordinary for the Letourneau family. After a number of hospital trips with their then 4-year-old daughter Audrey, it was determined that the youngster had a rare and aggressive form of cancer on her kidney – a rhabdoid tumor.

Months of hospitalizations followed, complete with surgeries, chemo, and radiation. She also had to miss many holidays, including celebrating her 5th birthday and the beginning of her kindergarten year. Thankfully, Audrey is a fighter and got through to 2026 with a big smile on her face, a recent clear scan determining her to be in remission! She is looking forward to having ‘the best’ birthday party this year!

Audrey’s mother, Ashley, has been out of the horse world for a number of years but was determined to get her daughter around horses as soon as her strength returned. The pair came to an EAADA members’ farm (an EAADA member)’s in early March to visit the horses. Audrey was smitten from the first moment, bravely riding some big horses around the pasture and getting plenty of horse snuggles. She was hooked!

When EAADA Youth Ambassador Maya Dugas heard that Audrey might be coming to the Sparkle Into Spring show, she jumped into action. Maya took a number of her own ribbons, created a HUGE beautiful ribbon and decided to give Audrey a VIP show experience!

With a little help from some friends and the show management, a plan was formed to get Audrey into her first ever horse show with a Lead Line ‘class’ just for her!

Little did young Audrey know, but her ‘lead line pony’ was none other than Jack Daniels, a spectacular young gelding owned by Debbie Brennan, who had just successfully completed his first ever PSG test!
Audrey is now an EAADA Associate member, and looks forward to receiving updates on her new pony friend Jack Daniels, and hopefully starting in lessons soon!

EAADA and Audrey’s family wish to thank all those involved with making ‘Audrey’s First Horse Show’ another amazing memory for this wonderful little girl.