When the sky cleared on April 28, destruction from the previous day’s record-breaking storms had left behind unbelievable damage for several horse farms and families involved in the horse world to try and clean up. And although the aftermath was devastating and overwhelming, those affected by the storms are putting the pieces of their lives back together—with a little help from those in the equine community.
In the early morning hours of April 28, before the tornado had even finished demolishing most of his home and barns, Kyle Hughes was on his cell phone calling for help from his friends and peers in the horse community.
“I knew what was going on while all of it was happening,” Hughes says. “And I was on my cell phone, calling everyone I knew close by to bring their trucks and trailers.”
On April 27, severe storms and tornadoes blew through the southeast, pummeling neighborhoods and cities, wreaking havoc and leaving widespread damage behind for many people to sift through, including several members of the equine world.
With more than 250 people confirmed dead and thousands left homeless, the rebuilding and recuperating from these storms began. And although the destruction seemed like an insurmountable obstacle to come back from, with the disaster came new hope—as those in the horse world banded together to help their friends and fellow equine lovers who had become victims of Mother Nature’s wrath.
For those in the South, those late April days seemed like something out of another world. Most residents sat glued to The Weather Channel, trying to stay updated on the progress of the seemingly endless set of storms that made their way across the region.
“That afternoon they were calling for really bad storms and they started issuing tornado warnings at about 7:00 p.m. that night,” Hughes says. “And then, at approximately 1:00 a.m., we went to the basement of our house. At about 1:15 a.m., everything exploded. We were down there about 25 minutes, and then we came up and saw that everything was pretty much history.”
Hughes Quarter Horses, a facility dedicated to the training of AQHA halter horses, sits on 60 acres of rolling farmland in Meadowview, Virginia. The farm had three barns on the grounds, and there were 22 horses on site when the tornado hit. After a tense 25 minutes in the basement, the Hughes family emerged from their shelter with their lives intact, but the destruction to the farm was overwhelming.
“It came right through the barn and the house,” Hughes says. “There were actually three barns on the place—two hay barns and a show barn—and it got all three of them.”
Along with the destruction of the buildings on the property, four horses were killed, two in the pasture and two in the collapsed barn.
Hughes’ early morning phone calls didn’t fall on deaf ears—the response from friends and peers from the horse community was astonishingly quick. And with the help of social media, cell phones and the close bond between fellow horse lovers, the word spread soon after the storm that help was needed at the Hughes farm.
“You know, really, I was kind of shocked at the response from everyone,” Hughes says. “I didn’t realize that I have as many friends as I do.”
With the roads blocked with trees and debris, those coming to help the family had to cut a path through a neighbor’s field to get to what was left of the farm at about 2:30 a.m.
“Pretty much everything in the barn was trapped,” Hughes says. “Cinderblock walls had fallen and we had to dig out a spot where we could get the horses out the door. But we had enough people there that we had all the horses out of the barn by 6 a.m.”
In what probably seemed like a lifetime but was in actuality only a few short hours, a tornado destroyed most of the farm, volunteers arrived to help, horses were dug out of rubble and led away to safety. Hughes and his family know that without the help and support of friends in the equine world, their road to recovery would have been much more difficult.
“It really makes me feel good that the horse community is really a tight community when it comes down to when people are in desperate need,” Hughes says. “They will really come together and help you.”
The Hughes farm wasn’t the only place unlucky enough to be in the path of severe storms that day. Donna Preskitt, owner of the 5W Ranch in Ohatchee, Alabama, is still reeling from the immense destruction left behind when a tornado rolled through the town.
After the tornado hit, “The place looks like it’s 100 years old,” Preskitt says. “I’m disgusted.”
The 5W Ranch provided care for more than 50 horses that were on its grounds when the tornado made Ohatchee its target.
“I’ve been here since I was 24 and a half years old,” Preskitt says. “And my life’s work and my dreams… it’s just in ruins. But for our lives to be spared and only three horses gone out of 54, it’s a miracle.”
And although she puts on a brave face, Preskitt has had more trouble since that disastrous day in April than she could have thought possible. Major parts of the facility were destroyed, and she has also been battling to receive disaster relief funds to help jump-start the rebuilding process. As the bills pile up, Preskitt finds solace in her faith, as well as her friends in the horse community who have tried to help her shoulder some of the burden. Her beloved farm in shambles around her, she tries to think of the important things that were saved, as well as attempt to start planning for the future.
“What I call my ‘equine extended family’ has been good,” Preskitt says. “I just pray to be strong.”
The Ellis family of Cleveland, Tennessee, was also rocked by a tornado that blew through their town that sits just north of Chattanooga. Cheri and David, and their daughters, Jilli, Maggie and Sarah Jo—all-around AQHA competitors—were spared from injury, but the family’s home was destroyed and one outside mare had to be put down due to an injury sustained during the inclement weather.
Through this immense disaster and tragedy for these members of the horse community comes a silver lining—the strength showed by the families as well as the dedication and cooperation of so many of their friends from the equine world.
As with many natural disasters, the necessities for everyday life are often lost, and for those who have horses to take care of, life can become even more difficult. The Tennessee Quarter Horse Association rallied around the Hughes and Ellis families soon after the disaster, offering hours of labor, monetary donations and supplies that the families needed. At the Lucky 7 Classic AQHA show in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, held only weeks after the devastating storms, Jennifer McGrath, a Tennessee-based trainer, helped organize a fundraising drive for the Hughes and Ellis families. Supplies were also collected, and volunteers cleared their schedules in anticipation of helping with clean up.
“These families had lost everything, and we set a goal to get 25 gift cards for each family,” McGrath says. “We ended up raising over $3,000 for them in gift cards and monetary donations.”
McGrath says that even people who were not acquainted with either family reached into their pockets to donate to the relief cause, proving that when adversity strikes, the equine community can be counted on to help.
“I really feel like the horse community was exceptionally generous,” McGrath says. “And both the Hughes and the Ellis families were so thankful and appreciative of what had been done on their behalf.”
As more than a month has passed since those extraordinary storms rolled through the region, those affected by the tragedy are putting their lives back on track—and offering many thanks for all the help and support they have received from those within the horse world. And although the process of rebuilding won’t happen overnight, these equine enthusiasts can continue to set right not only their homes and barns, but also their lives—with a little help from their friends in the equine realm.
If you would like to help out with continuing recovery efforts, please check the information below to find out where donations can be sent.
For the Hughes Family: Kyle Hughes at Hughes Camper Sales, 19184 Lee Hwy., Abingdon, VA 24210
For the Ellis Family: Jennifer McGrath, 8080 Lebanon Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
For the 5W Ranch: Marion Brakefield c/o: 5W Ranch, 685 East Aboga Road, Talladega, AL 35160
