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On Wednesday, July 28, 2004 Cindy Burge passed away from injuries
sustained while galloping on an open field during competition the
prior Saturday. The medical team and event organizer’s care and
attention to detail provided the highest caliber response to this
unfortunate accident. Tragically, the injuries were so severe; we now
struggle with the loss of a member of the eventing family.
Within the eventing family, Cindy Burge was a big sister. She spent
thirty years enjoying eventing and represented the embodiment of
eventing within the Northwest. Cindy was many things to the sport and
her local community; a horseperson, an instructor and an event
organizer of the highest quality, besides being a friend of many of
you.
As a horseperson, she provided the utmost care to the horses which
allowed her to follow her passion and compete with the world’s best.
Cindy ventured past the border of her loved city of Spokane not only
as a competitor, but as a leader who took time to bring others to
leave their local competitions and compete as a region against the
nation’s best. As Eventors we are lucky she found this passion in
eventing and was willing to share her skill and expertise with others.
Besides being an excellent horseperson, she shared her knowledge with
anybody who had the desire to improve. As an example she was recently
selected as one of the first event instructors to be certified in
their field through a national program. Cindy had rare gift that
allowed her to teach to adults at the many riding camps and seamlessly
shift to providing guidance to young riders while maintaining a strong
connection to each audience.
As a Northwest event organizer Cindy set the standard. Deep Creek
Horse Trials was a model of a well organized event. She spent
countless hours at creating a successful event, much to the delight of
competitors enjoying a well stocked welcome packet and the challenge
of a well designed cross-country course. With the army of supporters
and volunteers, the event always ran with precision and was recognized
nationally for its consistency and longevity.
More than anything, Cindy Burge and her Deep Creek Family shared the
essences of eventing with the Northwest. Many Northwesterners will be
sharing the stories of how Deep Creek provided the stage for
developing many many friendships that will continue to represent the
legacy that Cindy left behind. Stories of camping along the creek
where children stalked the elusive crawfish and riders waded with
horses after finishing the challenging courses will prevail to become
legendary. Cindy Burge is responsible for creating these strong bonds
of the eventing family in the Northwest. We grieve her loss and feel
the pain of a void she left behind, but her memory and legacy will be
with us all forever.
Warmest Sympathy,
Louise H. Leslie
USEA Area VII - Chairperson
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