Cherie Werfel and DJ Black (TX)
Team #877: Cherie Werfel and DJ Black
From: Brookshire, Texas
Ages: 75 & 25
Combined Age: 100
Test: First Level Test 2
Well we did it… DJ Black and I are now members of an elite club, The Century Club. Not the level I wanted, buy you do what you can when you can before it’s gone.
I have had the most wonderful opportunity to accomplish this with the sweetest and most generous horse, DJ Black. It started 8 years ago when my daughter, Leslie Fan Kohlenberg, had an unusual occurrence, a carotid dissection, resulting from a near accident where her seat belt caught her in a hard stop to avoid another vehicle. She had a “stroke” due to the dissection and could not ride for about 5 months. In addition, DJ could no longer pass CDI vettings so she retired him with me at my farm in North Carolina.
The first thing I did was pull his shoes. He was fully barefoot and outside almost fulltime. It took about 2 months for him to get comfortable with new angles and feeling. Since that time we had the wonderful opportunity to work with Verne Batchelder for a couple of years. We only did schooling shows starting with Third Level, but actually worked up to PSG! We played with all the FEI movements, then Verne passed away suddenly. It was heartbreaking for those of us who knew him, but we soldiered on. My great friend, Amy, took on the task of training us. She has been a wonderful friend and teacher, but of course, no one could replace Verne (or the potluck dinners)!
Three years ago, my husband became very ill, mostly wheelchair bound. We persevered through it for a year and a half with the great medical care and physical therapy from First Health of the Carolinas. Now at 82 he can walk on his own with a cane and mostly manage his daily activities, thank goodness.
March of 2024, I had a scary bout with pneumonia and influenza A which landed me in the ICU for a week. Thanks to wonderful friends, neighbors, and my fabulous daughter, Leslie, who flew from Texas to manage the farm until I got home, it took me about a month to get off oxygen and heal from the broken ribs (no laughing, sneezing, or coughing!) from a fall that a silly patient who knew better took while in the hospital.
My husband, James, and I finally realized taking care of an 8 acre farm was no longer in the cards for us. Three horses and three dogs was just too much. With encouragement from my daughter, we put the farm up for sale and downsized significantly to the Fulshear, TX area. Long and arduous, which couldn’t have been done without my best friend, Judy Foster. She came and organized, packed, and helped everyway she could.
Then moving day came. Leslie helped load the vans, trailer, and truck with three dogs and drove for 26 hours (well most of it anyways). Arriving at the new house, I immediately tripped and fell in the driveway which ended up with me not being able to use my right arm for 5 weeks. After that, I did manage to start riding DJ again a few days a week. Sometimes needing help tacking up from the great people at Twinwood Equestrian Center.
Finally got through all medical evaluations and had both shoulders injected. With that and help from chiropractor, Brynne, I am not at 100% but at least 80% now.
Before I forget to mention this, I need to profusely thank my sister, Marilyn Gilligan. She is a performance barefoot trimmer in South Carolina that came to trim all three horses when I could not. She also straightened out all of my trimming errors along the way.
Through all of this time, my daughter made sure DJ kept working with my fabulous new trainer, Jessica Fan. Jessica is also my granddaughter. That’s right, three generations of dressage riders. Jessica worked through all of our “stuff” to encourage us and get us to this point. Six weeks ago, I could hardly trot a 20-meter circle. Today we did our Century Club ride.
DJ Black is wonderful. He had been Leslie’s I-1 silver medal CDI horse. My granddaughter’s young rider horse, and now a Century Club member for the old lady of three generations!
Thank you for all the love and support shown from friends and family, but most of all to James who “rarely” says no!
