“When I’m up on Bud’s back, I’m not sick.”
sniff too.
“I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing…” Thomas Jefferson
Kathy Havens
Kathy Havens of Yuma, Ariz., died at her home on April 14 after a five-month battle with cancer. She was 51.
Mrs. Havens was born in Corvallis, Ore., and attended the University of Oregon in Eugene. In the 1970s and early �80s, she showed successfully in Oregon with her Thoroughbred adult-amateur hunter, Clownin�.
Mrs. Havens always valued the principles of dressage and incorporated them into her hunt seat riding, attending several clinics with Charles de Kunffy.
Mrs. Havens took a break from riding for several years while living in Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., and Norcross, Ga., and working in the window-covering business. She moved to Yuma, Ariz., in the late �80s, and returned to riding, concentrating on dressage. After a frustrating three years with a horse who proved to be a poor match, she traded him for another Thoroughbred�a 3-year-old gelding she named Life Is Good, or �Bud��in 1998.
After her diagnosis with stomach cancer last November, Mrs. Havens continued to ride (unbeknownst to her doctors), even while undergoing chemotherapy treatments�she just rigged up a backpack to carry the small oxygen tanks she needed when doing anything exerting.
Mrs. Havens was also an active participant on the Chronicle�s Internet bulletin board, under the moniker �Cactuskate,� and she shared the news of her diagnosis�and how the horses helped keep her going.
Cindy Hale, a freelance journalist and author from Corona, Calif., noticed Mrs. Havens� posts on the bulletin board, and asked to interview her about her passion for horses, as part of a potential book project collecting similar stories.
�Her strength of spirit was expressed in her undying love of horses, even during her illness,� Hale said. �As a writer, I wanted to document this part of her, because she was so filled, not only with a passion for horses, but a passion for life.�
Mrs. Havens told Hale, �When I get on the horse, the view from up there is fantastic. When I�m up on Bud�s back, I�m not sick.�
She is survived by her husband, Gary; mother Lorna Wilson, of Lebanon, Ore., father Al Latham, of Bend, Ore., and sister Judy Adams, of Eugene, Ore.
Her family and friends are hoping to establish a perpetual award in her honor, to be given at a dressage event, enabling the recipient to pursue training for a certain period of time.
Members of the Chronicle�s bulletin board also took up a collection for �Cactuskate,� and contributed more than $2,000, part of which will be used for a memorial ad in the Chronicle, with the rest going to charity.
The family has requested that any donations be made to the Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. Eighth Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364.
-Amanda
Just keep kicking
Aw, thanks LaurieB. Merry gets credit too… she gave me all the good quotes. 
For those wondering about the ad status… LisaMarie has a mockup and is working on copy. (Ug, LM, I forgot to get back to you about the copy… un momento!)
I deposited all the checks from BBers last week. Sorry it took me a while, but I wanted to do them all at once.
sniff…sniff…
We miss you Cactuskate 
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Duffy:
How come when I try to look, I only get the May 24th stuff??!!?? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I’m glad I’m not the only one…I thought I was going crazy.
Thanks for posting the article Ms.Rid.
visit www.victorianfarms.com
Kudos to you, Cactuskate, for a life well-lived.
“Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.”
Wow.
I wish I could have met her.
That was perfect.
Though I must say that I am also sniffling.
Was there also a picture in COTH?
Aleesha
And now I am crying. That was very nice.
Superheroes of the universe, unite!
