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Home042710 - Reprise: 1995 Article

An Evening with Ralph Hill

by Jennie Hakes, roving reporter

 

133 equine enthusiasts spent an evening with Ralph Hill at Canterbury Downs Saturday, March 11, 1995. The occasion was a fund raiser for the American Horse Trials Foundation, which provides grants to eventers of international caliber such as Ralph. $3400 was added to the coffers that night, a fine tribute to our fondness for the sport and for Ralph.

 

Festivities included a talk by Ralph followed by food and drink, a silent auction of all sorts of wonderful horse-y things, and fancy footwork on the dance floor. Ralph is as at-home wearing a suit and tie and speaking to a crowd as he is piloting a 1000 pound horse around an international cross-country course - although I bet I know which he enjoys more! His love for horses and the sport was obvious as he related his life-stories of breaking, training, and showing horses with his dad, Francis.

 

Many thanks to Canterbury Downs, which graciously donated the space for this event. Also thanks to the committee who put this together - Ellen Hill, Katy Bloomquist, Mary Mitchell, Candy Lundgren, and Jan Zwak; to Steve Kath for donating his sound system and voice for the auction and the dance; and to the contributors of dozens of items for the silent auction.

 

A good time was had by all. At 1:00 in the morning I called it a night, and loaded up my newly-acquired bucket of Strongid -C (which I got such a deal on!) in the pickup for the long drive home.