Horses Are Saving Grace Through Illness for Turner Family

While visiting with Celeste and her daughters, Chelsea and Olivia, at the Novice Championships, the understandable stress and emotions of the past year were clearly present in their faces. Slightly teary-eyed, both girls talked about how showing horses and the close bond they share with their Mother has helped get them through this difficult time in their lives.

“Relief is how I felt when I was able to show my horses and forget about our problems even for a short time,” says 19 year-old Olivia, who is currently a student at NC State and also shows her horses, Hes Got Major Moves and Big Country Kruzer under the guidance of Steve Meadows. Despite her busy school schedule, Olivia frequently spent time with her mother at the hospital while still making the Dean’s List.

Older sister, Chelsea who is 25 years-old, is a freelance graphic designer and works at her father’s law firm in Raleigh. She has been able to be by her mother’s side every day at the hospital and admits that it has been a tough year. “While my mom was in the hospital, I was the only one who my dad could to turn to about everything..and that was tough,” Chelsea states. “He’s the strongest man I know and having to be his shoulder to lean on was new to me because he’s always the one I lean on–but we got through it.”

Celeste adds, “I don’t know what I would have done without the help of my husband and daughters. Lee is the best husband and father anyone could ask for. He holds us all together! Showing horses has also been our saving grace because it helped all of us get away from the real world and go to a happy place. Traveling with my daughters to shows and spending time with them has been a blessing–it has kept me from letting my illnesses completely consume me. I just had to fight on and keep up with the horse show pace. Showing horses has made us extremely close as a family, and I believe it is the constant in our lives that has helped us get through tough times.”

The next show for the Turner family is the Congress where Olivia plans to show Big Country Kruzer in the Three Year-Old Limited Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle, Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation and Hes Got Major Moves in Novice Amateur Ranch Horse Pleasure and Novice Amateur Showmanship. The Turner family will retire 19-year old “Linus” after the show. 

“I wouldn’t miss watching my daughter, Olivia, show at the Congress for anything,” says Celeste, who along with her daughter, Chelsea will be rooting from the stands.

Chelsea says that she plans to be back in the show pen soon. “Hopefully one of our prospects will work out and I’ll be able to show one of them,” Chelsea says. 

While Celeste also hopes to return to the show arena in the future–her goal is to show again one day with her daughters!