The Story of Athena - Part 1

In this series of BreyerFest Blog posts that will be posted over the coming months in the lead up to BreyerFest, we will learn more about the story of Amanda Delgado and this year's BreyerFest Celebration Horse, Athenian Lady.

Meeting Athena

When Amanda got the call about this horse that was advertised on Craigslist, her first step was to attempt to facilitate an adoption.  The rescue she was supporting at the time did not have the funds to take on another animal, so trying to find the horse a home was a priority.  This first adoption attempt did not work out, so a second attempt at an adoption was made the next day.  This second adopter also declined, but did inform Amanda that this horse was in a tough situation and needed care immediately.  Amanda and her team made the drive to where this horse was located, all the while working on facilitating yet another adoption. 

When Amanda arrived, she was not prepared for what she encountered.  A feral and emaciated horse was living in a pasture with no food, no water, garbage, and worse.  Amanda recalls that she was so focused on helping the animal, that she didn’t even register the conditions of the pasture when she first arrived.  The copper-colored horse they encountered was so abused and neglected that she was terrified of people, but Amanda had to do something.  Amanda and her team cleaned out her water and started the arduous process of feeding the trembling horse.

Despite feeling an instant connection to this horse, Amanda knew she could not get attached because the third adopter they had contacted would be retrieving the animal the next day.  After Amanda left that day, she spent a sleepless night kicking herself for getting attached to a horse that would never be hers. 

The next morning, the third adopter decided they were also not interested in the horse and, feeling that fate was intervening, Amanda gladly volunteered.  Despite being told that the horse was too dangerous to own, Amanda knew better.  She knew that deep down, there was something special about this horse.  She was strong, yet feminine, and possessed a tenacity and grit that kept her going in the face of extreme adversity.  She was like a warrior princess – and that was the start of Amanda and Athena.

As Amanda got to know Athena more, she realized it was this grit, this tenacity, this stubborn will to never give up no matter what was what kept Athena alive through her hard times.  It’s this quiet strength that allowed Athena, against all odds, to survive that chapter of her life to move on to discover her path to greatness.