Forty-five riders and their horses made their way down a rural trail in Dover last year. But, it was no ordinary outing. The group was dressed in all pink — including the horses. From camo to a knight and warhorse, the group was part of the Pink Your Pony Trail Ride to benefit breast cancer.
This year will mark the third annual Pink Your Pony Trail Ride. The trail ride starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Bay Lake Stables, in Dover. Riders should bring their own horse and be dressed in the pink theme. The ride will take a little more than an hour.
Following the ride, participants will enjoy lunch and will be able to win raffle prizes or purchase T-shirts and ribbons. The cost of the ride is $15 per person; lunch is $5. Proceeds will benefit the Brandon Outreach Clinic, which helps families who can’t afford breast cancer treatments.
“I started this event, because the horse community likes to get together for events,” organizer Dawn Galia said.
But for Galia, who battled breast cancer nine years ago, the event has a deeper meaning. At 39, Galia found a lump one day and casually made a doctor’s appointment. She had no history of breast cancer in her family.
“I was 100% sure I didn’t have it,” Galia said.
Multiple tests showed there was a mass inside of her, but it didn’t seem serious. Still, her doctor wanted to be thorough. He decided to do an open biopsy. It was cancerous.
The only hospital stays Galia had had were for the birth of her two children and a tonsillectomy. After her diagnosis, she was facing a partial mastectomy and had to have a port installed for her six months of chemotherapy.
“It was a long year, but family, friends and a good, positive attitude got me through,” Galia said. “A lot of people are secretive … they don’t want to talk about it. You need to talk about it, some people need someone to talk to.”
Her positive attitude and a guestbook her children, Dianna and Zachary, put up in her home also helped. Friends coming through the home wrote messages in the book.
But, it was also her horse, Glory, that made a big impact on her. Galia bought Glory 18 years ago. She was a mostly white paint horse with special needs. She’s deaf. Little did Galia know that, years later, it would be Glory’s turn to help.
“She was my therapy,” Galia said. “Just rubbing against her, riding her, helped with my state of mind.”