Olivia Eagles Finds Light at the End of the Tunnel

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198 – Aug/Sept, 2018

BY BRITTANY BEVIS

After suffering the death of her father and her horse in the same week, there is light at the end of the tunnel for this APHA Youth exhibitor.

When the worst comes, it often comes relentlessly, seemingly with no end, no light at the end of the tunnel. It is then that we must rely on our faith, friends, and family to pull through, to regain hope and normalcy when it seems as if the world is falling apart around us.

An unthinkable double tragedy struck one of our family members in the horse industry this year. Longtime APHA members, the Eagles family, lost their beloved patriarch, Preston Paul Eagles, following a trucking accident that took place on Tuesday, June 5th, 2018. Preston was a truck driver for Quality Transports and Sasco Paving Company. After spending a lovely Monday at home with his family, he headed off for work early Tuesday morning. En route, his semi-truck was cut off, and he was forced to veer off the side of the road, which caused the semi to go airborne and flip over before crashing into the ditch.

The accident was horrific, but Preston was quickly transported to a local hospital where treatment began immediately. Sadly, complications due to a badly broken left leg were too much to overcome, and Preston passed away on June 7th at 11:59 pm.

Unknown to the family at the time, their beloved horse was facing an emergency of his own.

The youngest Eagles daughter, 17-year-old Olivia, is well-known in APHA circles for her kind heart, sweet personality, and fierce competitive spirit in the show pen alongside her partner, a 15-year-old APHA gelding named Chipped in Roses, aka “Brett.” From 2011 to 2017, Olivia and Brett won seven World Championship titles and three Reserve World Championship titles in numerous events, most often in their favorite discipline of Equitation.

They were a match made in heaven, but Olivia wasn’t convinced the first time she saw a video of Brett back in 2011. “I remember that my trainer, Sara Simons, had to convince us to come look at him. During that first time I rode him, I fell in love. Sara said it was going to be a perfect match, and it was absolutely amazing.”

Click here to read the complete article
198 – Aug/Sept, 2018