AQHA Horsewoman Suffers Devastating Losses in CA Fire

By: Brittany Bevis

AQHA horsewoman, Kathryn DeVries Mitchell, had just returned home from a successful trip to the NSBA World Show when disaster struck at her Oak Springs Ranch property in Vacaville, California. Early Wednesday morning, Kathryn awoke to discover that a scorching fire had engulfed the majority of her property and there was little time to escape. While a few animals were able to be saved, she was forced to leave many behind.

While her home is still standing, she discovered that her two, beloved mares, One Hot Sultry Night and Too Outrageous, had perished along with two DIY Halter weanlings she was preparing for the upcoming Iowa Breeders Halter Futurity. Two of the family’s dogs also could not be saved.

Kathryn’s friend, Miranda Mitten, updated us as to the current situation. “The ranch has suffered serious damages. All of the barns have burned down, as well as the seven-horse trailer, an RV, round pens, the Dodge truck, and a list of other things are all gone. Some of the surviving mares have suffered injuries and have been taken off property to receive veterinary care.”

Particularly painful is the loss of One Hot Sultry Night and Too Outrageous. One Hot Sultry Night was a 2000 mare by Good And Sultry. She was an earner of over $6,500 in NSBA winnings and a multiple futurity winner. Too Outrageous was a mare by Ziprageous that placed in the top five at the Congress and cultivated an impressive show career with points in Western Pleasure, Trail, and Performance Halter.

Now that Kathryn is on her way back to the ranch, the focus switches from survival and mourning to damage assessment and clean up. At the current time, the following items are needed.

• Hay
• Water troughs – six small, two large
• Gas and diesel cans
• Halters and lead ropes (mare and weanling size)
• Grain for mares and foals
• Fly spray and fly masks (horse size)
• Medical supplies – triple antibiotic, Vet Wrap, wrap material, wound spray, Nolvasan, and Betadine scrub
• Dog collars and leashes (Lab size)
• Dog food