California Equine Community Battles Blazes
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
There has been much concern for the many Saddlebred, Morgan, and Walking
Horse barns in the Southern California area and the latest reports have many
horses evacuated and a few barns lost. The latest report had nearly 600
homes in the San Diego area destroyed with 300 of them in what is known as
Scripps Ranch, the area right where Michele Macfarlane's Scripps Miramar
Ranch lies.
There have been conflicting reports about the fate of Scripps Miramar
Ranch but according to Kevin Michael, a longtime friend and associate of
Macfarlane's the barn and house are okay. Most everything in the area
adjacent to it is gone but as best as we can tell at this point her facility
survived and they are expecting to move horses back in today (Tuesday, Oct.
28).
Photographer/Morgan Horse owner Debbie Uecker -Keough reported that four
of her horses had been evacuated and then two of those taken to an unknown
location. She reported that horses, including Macfarlane's, had been taken
to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, and the El Cajon
Speedway, as well as available farms out of the fire's path.
It was also reported that Dena Lopez's old facility in Temecula had burned.
Other trainers such as Anne Speck, Frank and Ann Miller, Glynis Snowden,
and Jennifer Somers all had their barns evacuated but so far, no damage has
occured to their facilities. Other trainers in the area that have been
spared include Gwen Tubach, Jim Cherry, Jannie Giles, and Bill Tomin.
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