COMMUNITY
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
A7
Foster girls saddle up for Calvary Horse Camp
Katie Johnson
runs horse camp
ministry for
second year
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Twelve girls attending
Katie Johnson’s July 22-26
Calvary Horse Camp at the
Grant County Fairgrounds
in John Day saddled up on
horses including appaloosas,
quarter horses, a pony and a
Kiger mustang.
This is the second year
Johnson, a 16-year-old Mt.
Vernon resident, has held
the camp for girls who are
in foster care as a way to
help them gain confidence
as they learn to ride and care
for the horses.
Learning from the Bible,
singing and fostering friend-
ship is also a part of the
program.
The girls come from
Lakeview, Baker, Salem and
other Oregon cities, includ-
ing one youth from the local
area.
On the first day of camp,
the girls, ranging in age from
10-13, were paired with one
of 15 horses.
“They come down, pick
a ribbon from a helmet —
there are 15 colors of rib-
bon,” Johnson, a home-
schooled high school junior,
said. “Their horse has the
same color in their mane,
horse tack and pen.”
Most of the girls are
given nicknames.
A girl nicknamed Choc-
olate was paired with Hou-
dini, Ginger rode a horse
named April and Jellybean
was paired with Georgia,
aka “Georg-eous.”
Saralyn rode Kiger, a
25-year-old Kiger mustang,
which is a wild horse that
has been domesticated.
Kiger was gentle, as were
all the horses at the camp.
“She likes to eat carrots
and anything I hold out for
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Calvary Horse Camp organizer Katie Johnson leads Ginger whose horse is named April on
July 25 at the Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Saralyn enjoys riding her horse Kiger at the Calvary Horse
Camp in John Day.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Volunteer Julie Bowling of Canyon City, right, gives instructions for a pole bending game to
the girls at the Calvary Horse Camp.
her,” Saralyn said.
Ginger said pole bending
went well with her horse,
April.
“She listened this time,”
Ginger said.
She and others said
they’ve enjoyed the camp.
“You get to do more
activities than just riding a
horse,” Ginger said, noting
she especially enjoyed the
slip ‘n’ slide at the park and
swimming.
“I like that they actually
care about you,” Chocolate
said of the camp leaders.
Johnson was impressed
with how the returning girls
have grown, including Kiera
who warmed up to her horse
quickly and was trotting on
it the first day.
“She’s just blossomed,”
Johnson said.
Julie Bowling of Canyon
City taught the girls to ride,
along with Johnson, and was
among at least 35 volun-
teers helping throughout the
week. There were also oth-
ers who provided food and
loaned their horses to the
group.
“It’s nice to see the girls
come back and see how
quickly they become com-
fortable again,” Bowling
said. “They’re supportive of
the newer girls — they’re a
good group.”
When Johnson was
younger she wanted to serve
a mission in Mexico and
later realized a great need
close to home, she said.
Operated through her
family’s nonprofit called
Double J Ministries, the
camp is supported by
fundraisers.
When campers are not at
the fairgrounds arena, swim-
ming or playing games at the
park, the group gathers at
Cornerstone Christian Fel-
lowship where they sing and
have worship time.
A camp with horses was
a natural move for Johnson
— she said she loves horses
and kids.
“When I was little, I was
obsessed with horses,” she
said. “Horses are just a mag-
net for girls.”
Johnson said the horses
are an example of trust.
She said the horse trusts
the rider, just as people can
trust in God.
“The horses trust, even
when they’re terrified,” she
said.
She said horses can also
teach about relationships,
as shown in horses’ atti-
tudes when they are treated
well versus when they are
mistreated.
Johnson said having a
group of girls who are in
similar circumstances helps
them relate to each other.
“It’s easier to minis-
ter when you’re with peo-
ple who understand you,”
she said. “God understands
what these girls are going
through — that’s key for
them, that God really does
understand.”
Grant Union students represent as Oregon Ambassadors of Music
Group of 387 high
schoolers tour six
European countries
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Three Grant Union music
students joined a group of
387 other high school musi-
cians as Oregon Ambassa-
dors of Music for a 16-day
tour of Europe.
It was the trip of a life-
time for the trio, which
included Samantha Floyd,
who plays trombone and
will be a senior this school
year; Carle Wright, who
plays bass clarinet, gradu-
ated in June and will start
classes at Central Oregon
Community College in
Bend this fall; and Jacob
Smith, a junior who plays
oboe and moved to New
Hampshire with his family
last month.
Former Grant Union
music director Lori Hart
recommended the three stu-
dents for the trip. Levana
James started as the new
music director last fall.
The students held fund-
raisers leading up to the
Contributed photos
The Oregon Ambassadors of Music traveled to a total of six countries during their 16-day
tour. Pictured from left are Carle Wright and Samantha Floyd near the River Thames with
the London Eye in the background; Jacob Smith in front of the Tower Bridge in London; and
Jacob Smith at the top of the Eiffel Tower in France.
July 3-18 trip as the cost
was $6,245 each, not
including food and other
expenses.
The ambassadors per-
formed in six countries
— England, France, Italy,
Switzerland, Austria and
Germany — and half were
in band with half in choir.
Some of the students
were “doublers,” such as
Floyd. She played the trom-
bone in the band and sang
with the altos in choir.
Floyd said the concerts
were memorable.
“The choir performed
in St. Mark’s Cathedral in
Venice where the acoustics
were amazing,” she said.
“Every note we sang held
on forever.”
She said they sang three
“reverent” baroque selec-
tions, while tourists gath-
ered in the basilica.
Floyd said that in several
places many of the locals
didn’t speak English.
“It was nice to be able
to offer something to them,
since we weren’t able to
communicate with them,”
she said. “Everyone under-
stands the language of
music.”
A completely differ-
ent tone was taken in
Crans-Montana, Switzer-
land, at the town square,
where the band played,
along with other selections,
a jazzy piece, “Shoutin’
Liza,” which featured 16
trombone players, including
Floyd.
“They were fun-loving
and relaxed, and they just
had a good time with it,” she
said of the audience.
Smith said it was his
favorite concert.
“The people there were
so enthusiastic and ready to
listen,” he said.
All three said it was the
best, and most beautiful,
stop on the trip.
“Switzerland was by far
the best,” said Wright, who
plays bass clarinet. “It’s so
beautiful there. It’s not what
you’d expect.”
She is pursuing a degree
in elementary music and
plans to join an orchestra in
Bend.
Wright said the best part
of the trip was all the friends
she met, and she plans to
keep up with everyone.
“I feel like I’ve known
them my whole life,” she
said. “I’ll never forget
them.”
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