The Friday Flyer • May 27, 2016
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CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • MAY 27, 2016
New Canyon Lake Royal Court is crowned Pg. A7
Here's the schedule Take a look back at andlast-minutedetails pastMaysinCanyon for Fiesta Day Pg. A3 Lake Pg. A9
Equestrians will ride for a cause in parade
BY DONNA KUPKE
REPORTER, THE FRIDAY FLYER
Fiesta Day marks the beginning of the summer season in Canyon Lake, a day of celebration and fun for the entire fam- ily. In Canyon Lake there is one group that has some extra celebrating to do: the Canyon Lake Equestrian Club. Parade- goers will see several members of this group on horseback as they join other clubs and organizations to march down Canyon Lake Dr. tomorrow morning.
Within this small group are two very special women who have each fought a major personal battle and, with the sup- port of family and friends – both human and equine – are winning their battles.
Meg Newton and Gretchen Ursich have not been able to spend as much time dur- ing the past year with their beloved horses, Marley and Foxy, because they literally have been fighting for their lives. Meg with ovarian cancer and Gretchen with lympho- ma. Both are now in remission.
Along the rough and twisted road to remission, the women, men, kids and (yes) even the horses at the barn have
been there to support Meg and Gretchen. In February, a small group of Canyon Lake equestrians and their horses par- ticipated in the “Hoofin It For a Cure,” a two-hour ride in Norco to raise aware- ness and money for the American Cancer Society. They rode for their friends and barn-mates, Meg and Gretchen, and they
raised $1700 to help fight cancer. Touched deeply by the ride in Norco, Equestrian Club member and parade co-organizer Mary Blair brought up the idea of equestrians in the Fiesta Day parade bringing support and awareness not only for Meg and Gretchen, but for all survivors and everyone fighting a
cancer war.
Says Mary, “It’s unfortunate that it
takes something happening to one of your own, but we’re excited about cele- brating their courage, determination and endearing friendship.”
Gina Hipsak, who also rode in the Hoofin It For a Cure, says she was so in- spired by the ride that she was instantly on board with the idea of using the Fi- esta Day parade as a platform to show support for other survivors.
Interestingly, it was discovered that among the small group of Canyon Lake equestrians are several other survivors or spouses of survivors. “It’s abso- lutely amazing how many this disease has affected even in a group as limited as this,” says one equestrian, “you just never know.” After 15 long months of
treatments, includ- ing 17 sessions of chemotherapy as well as major surgeries and clinical trials for ovarian, fallopi-
an, cervical and uterine cancers, Meg just recent- ly received her long-anticipated diagnosis of re- mission. With emotion clearly written across her face, Meg says, “I can’t
say enough about the support I’ve gotten here
at the barn! Ev- eryone has been so phenomenal!”
She smiles from ear to ear, her love and respect obvious as she talks of her horse Marley, and the mental and physical therapy he has provided for her dur-
ing her journey. “People who don’t have a pas-
sion for horses cannot possibly understand
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Meg Newton, pictured with her horse Marley, is one of two women in the Equestrian Club who have been bat- tling cancer. She and other equestrians, including Jenna Sims, at far right, did a practice run earlier this week in prepara- tion for the Fiesta Day Parade.
PHOTO BY DONNA KUPKE


































































































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