Patricia Kelly founded Ebony Horsewomen about 30 years ago in Hartford's North End,
a heavily African American neighborhood where idle kids get in trouble and the idea
of grooming and riding horses is -- to be delicate -- kind of a foreign concept.
Patricia is a former Marine. While we walked around, she barked at the campers: "That room better be clean when I get back" . . . "Give that horse a good rubdown." . . . "Pick up all the paper around the barn." Patricia explained that she wants these kids to go to college, and she wants them to understand that if they don't, they might end up doing manual labor, and that is very hard work.
CNN named Patricia a CNN hero in April, and the Hartford Courant featured Patricia and the Ebony Horsewomen in late July. I provide a lot of links, but these are both worth your time.
Patricia is a hero.
An incredible lady!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links, Jack. Patricia is an amazing woman with a generous heart and an important message for all of us. Children need support, love, attention, and tough love and she has found a way to provide it. There is much to be admired in this woman and her life's work.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeletePatricia IS a hero Jack, anyone who spends their time helping others is a hero as far as I'm concerned and thank heavens for them!
ReplyDeleteShe's quite remarkable!
ReplyDeleteAn ex-Marine. How come I'm not surprised. My stetson is off to her. Jack, wonderful portrait of her and some western wear behind.
ReplyDeleteOh, a hero she is indeed!! What a remarkable, wonderful, admirable woman -- not enough adjectives for a lady like this!! Thank you for posting this, Jack!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful; tough love personified.
ReplyDeleteIt is people like her who restore my faith in humanity, Jack! And there are so many of them that we don't hear about. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a local hero to me.
ReplyDeleteWow, are right, a real hero.
ReplyDeleteGood for her. Horses are a great way to involve neighborhood kids in something completely new to them. Like your portraits.
ReplyDeleteShe is truly doing worthwhile work. We need more people like her in the world.
ReplyDeleteWow! THis is a woman making a difference. Great portrait and story, Jack.
ReplyDeletePatricia is indeed a hero!
ReplyDeleteBravo! Relating to animals can be both hard work and good therapy. It helps kids see what the world is like beyond their own front doors, whether it's in the inner city or elsewhere.
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