2007 Congress News

Even Extreme Fires Can't Destroy Stephanie Jenks' Spirit
Article and Photo by Carly Williams

Stephanie Jenks represented the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association for the 207 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen contest. She arrived at the Congress from her hometown of San Diego, California, on Monday, October 15 with the hopes of becoming the next Queen.

Stephanie’s concerns soon switched from the Queen contest, however, and her worries turned to her home, family and pets. Her home, located in a valley in San Diego, was merely miles away from the fires ravaging acres and acres of land and homes.

“The fire is only three quarters of a mile from our house right now,” said Stephanie’s mother, Vanessa Holland, on Monday night before the crowning of the Congress Queen. “The good thing is that the fires are moving away from our property, so hopefully it will completely miss our house.”

Vanessa and Stephanie are in constant communication with Vanessa’s husband, David Kriese, on the status of their home and animals. “It’s really hard to be here when everything is a roller coaster at home,” Stephanie explained. “We can’t get the local news on television here, so I’m constantly searching and worrying about what is going on. The only people who truly know what is happening are the people that can see the flames and the smoke right now.”

Although Stephanie and Vanessa are both bleary-eyed and worried, they are thankful that Stephanie was able to compete in the Queen competition and have a good time before the bad news hit. “We got here on Monday the 15th, but didn’t receive a call from my husband until four o’clock in the morning (Ohio time) on Monday the 22nd,” Vanessa said.

“I spent the whole morning crying on Monday,” Stephanie said. “I thought I would be okay until my step-sister called me to ask me what I wanted her to take from my room. That’s when I really broke down. I cried so much on Monday that I wasn’t going to go to the crowning ceremony until my step dad called and said that he had gotten all the horses out.

“As soon as I got off the phone with him, I said ‘Okay, I think I can still get my hair done,’” Stephanie said.

According to both Stephanie and Vanessa, their experience at the Congress has been a pleasant one overall. “We haven’t even fought once,” laughed Vanessa.

“It’s been a lot of fun and a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Stephanie said. “But I’m not sure that I will run again next year. I have been playing with the idea of coming back next year as a coach for the PCQHA NYATT team, and also possibly to help another contestant run for the Queen contest.

“It really was an honor to run, especially because the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association has only sent one girl to the contest prior to myself, and that was in 2003. I had to petition the club to even let me come and didn’t know whether I would be allowed until August of this year,” Stephanie said. “I am so glad they let me come though, and I would like to share this experience next year.

“Even though my priorities have changed now and my number one concern is getting home, I had a great time competing for Queen,” Stephanie said. “I made some really good friends and met a lot of new people.

Stephanie flew to Ohio from California with the goal of having a good time and doing well, and she feels that she has accomplished that goal. “I was originally the most worried about Horsemanship, but that turned out to be the section that I placed the best,” Stephanie laughed. Due to the 2,322-mile trip from California to the Congress (Stephanie traveled the farthest of all the Queen candidates), she was unable to bring her own horse for the competition.

“My old trainer, Sandy Arledge, hooked us up with Jason Martin of HighPoint Performance Horses to find a horse for me to ride for Horsemanship,” Stephanie explained. “I didn’t even know what horse I would be riding for Horsemanship until Wednesday. I rode him on Friday for about 15 minutes, and then showed him on Saturday.”

The short prep-time worked for Stephanie, however, as she placed third in the Horsemanship competition.

On Wednesday, October 24, Stephanie and Vanessa will finally make their nine-hour flight back to California. They may not have a bed, and they may not have a house, but they are hopeful that the fires will continue on and miss their property completely.

As of right now, Stephanie’s step-dad, David, has evacuated the property and all the horses have been removed and are safe. Stephanie’s family has been lucky in the past, and they are hoping that their luck will continue. In 2003, the Cedar Fires roared past their property during the exact same week as this year. “I’ve decided that we should just stay at home during October from now on,” Stephanie tried to joke.

“The hardest part has been being away. During the Cedar fires, we were one of the first families to start evacuating other people’s horses and helping out. We really felt the entire community pull together and help each other,” Stephanie explained. “This year, all I can do is talk on the phone and hope for the best. It’s surreal. I feel like I’m in a movie.”

*As of Wednesday, October 24, 2007, Stephanie Jenks and her mother Vanessa Holland are on their way home to California, where their home and family are safe.