Jeanne Vuyosevich's Sunset Meadow Horse Farm in Farmingdale, N.J. is a sanctuary for horses in need of care, treatment or a good home.
There are lots of riders in the world, but how many are considered true horsemen or horsewomen? Jeanne Vuyosevich, winner of this year's Spirit of the Horse Award presented by the Rutgers Equine Science Center (RECS), represents the increasingly rare complete horsewoman -- knowledgeable in virtually every area of equine life. She received the award at the RESC's annual Evening of Science and Celebration on Nov. 17.
RESC Director Dr. Karyn Malinowski noted, "This year's award recognizes a tireless effort over several decades by a superior horse woman who never gives up on ANY horse. Jeanne Vuyosevich's Sunset Meadow Horse Farm in Farmingdale, N.J. is a sanctuary for horses in need of care, treatment or a good home."
California Chrome look-alike born at N.J. farm
Vuyosevich, 61, was nominated for the award by veterinarian Dr. Cathy Ball, and the nomination was supported by over a dozen letters from friends and clients who echoed Dr. Ball's sentiments. To quote Dr. Ball, "Jeanne is a consummate professional horsewoman. She has an innate feeling for a horse and what it needs to be happy."
Vuyosevich started riding at age 6 at Tricorne Farm in Holmdel. She soon moved on to Al Truglia's High Hopes Farm, in Middletown, and considers him her first mentor. When she was 11 years old she lived abroad in Spain with her parents where she rode Andalusians. When she came home, she got her first horse. Pampop was a thoroughbred gelding and one of Truglia's former school horses. "I had to walk to all the farms in Middletown to find board," she recalled. A woman named Joanne Adams said Vuyosevich could keep Pampop at her farm if she joined the Middletown Trailblazers 4-H Club. That was the start of was a very active career in 4-H from a young rider to adult leader and instructor and horseshow judge. With Stella Almeida, she was the co-leader of the Knight Riders club for a decade. "Back then, the kids ran the meetings, with only parental supervision,' said Vuyosevich. "Kids shared ponies, and they all turned out terrific."
She has ridden in all disciplines, including showing, hunter paces, steeplechase races, exercise rider, barrel racing and cutting. She has broken riding horses, thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses and driving ponies. At age 18, she was employed in her "dream job" as foaling manager for the successful Middletown racing operation known as Holly Crest Stables. Vuyosevich became an expert in foaling and foal and broodmare care.
It was at Holly Crest that she met her partner and future husband, Kenneth Kehoe, when he transported a mare for breeding. Together, the couple built Sunset Meadow Farm from scratch. Vuyosevich became a thoroughbred racehorse trainer in 1985, running horses at New Jersey and Delaware tracks and what is now Parx in Pennsylvania.
She has re-homed many ex-race horses on her own, and even established organizations such as Turning for Home and ReRun come to her for help due to her ability to network to find these hard working horses their forever homes where they can enjoy a more natural "Horse Lifestyle." "I'm very good at finding the right niche for horse and rider," said Vuyosevich, and that includes non-thoroughbreds as well as former racehorses. People at the racetrack contact her when they need to place a racehorse or lead pony, but she only takes the ones she knows she can rehome. "I don't take the 'charity' cases much anymore -- it's not easy to do now," she said, referring to horses that may never be rideable.
Amy Hornbeck, of Bordentown, N.J., first met Jeannie as a young teenager when she purchased her first "real horse" from her -- a beautiful golden palomino quarter horse. "Jeannie, understanding immediately that I was a complete novice, got me involved in a 4-H club that she was leading with others," recalled Hornbeck. "Throughout my teenage years Jeannie was such a positive influence, helping me not only to learn about horses but also how to be a hardworking and decent person. Her influence on all the girls in the club was large."
Hornbeck notes many of them went on to work in helping fields such as medicine, education or veterinary science. "I feel that is a direct result of the model Jeannie set forth. Whenever anyone needed help -- whether they had two legs or four -- Jeannie was there with advice or assistance, but also a kick in the pants. Honesty is one of her best traits. Jeannie is an amazing horsewoman but also an amazing person," said Hornbeck.
Ginny Marino, of Eatontown, N.J., met Vuyosevich just a year ago when a friend took her Sunset Meadow to see her horse. "Jeanne welcomed me with open arms, literally. I have been riding with her ever since," said Marino. "She is knowledgeable, smart, funny and very kind. She is a terrific horsewoman. She and Kenny have become like family and they even introduced me to my boyfriend!"
"As far as I'm concerned, I don't think I would have come as far as I have had I not know Jeanne," said Elizabeth Wilson Lenzig, who runs Middle Creek Stables, in Middletown, N.J. "She was the one person who inspired me to just keep going."
Wilson Lenzig started out with a pony at the age of 10 and quickly moved up. Vuyosevich brought her to her first full show. "Through the years, I've continued to ask her opinion and to keep positive. I have horses from her," she says, adding that Vuyosevich is the one person who could always pump you up when you don't think your business was moving in the right direction. "I love her with all my heart. I would absolutely not be who I am with a job I love had I not had her in my life," said Wilson Lenzig.
"Jeanne is like an encyclopedia of home remedies. She has a wealth of knowledge that is amazing and always seems to somehow understand just what each horses special needs are. I can tell you from my personal experience, if a miracle is possible Jeanne will pull it off, said Patricia Arentsen. Point in case, Arentsen's Big Brown filly has the heart of a champion. However, at only three she fractured her knee. The vet and surgeon said that surgery was not an option and probably best to put her down. "Heartbroken I brought Molly to Jeanne. After Dr. Dowd did what he could and said it was now up to the horse, that's when Jeanne worked her magic. Many days Molly would be down in her stall and Jeanne would say 'well let's try this.' The next thing you know, up she'd be. Our goal was just to get Molly to see spring, eat some grass and be a horse for a little while before we had to let her go. Well I'm grateful & happy to say two years have passed. Molly is still eating grass and galloping around, happy as a lark, with her big old healed broken knee. That is the magic of Jeanne," Arensten said.
While delighted with the award, Vuyosevich isn't optimistic about the future of the New Jersey horse racing and breeding industry. "It's very sad to have a multi-billion dollar industry go into the hole because of stupidity," she said, referring to the defeat of the recent casino referendum -- which would have dedicated money to racetracks -- and other factors. Up until 2011, she regularly foaled between 15 and 20 mares from out-of-state, including Florida and Kentucky. Since then, "We're lucky if we have three foals -- and some are quarter horses." However, Vuyosevich notes she has "terrific" owners, many of whom keep their senior horses with her to live out their days. "We stay because we love our horses," she said. And Vuyosevich is grateful for the life she's led. "It's been a wild ride."
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Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com
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