WALTON _ Brenda McCall's smile as she takes the reins and guides Rambo toward the riding ring is matched by her mother's look of joy as Georgianna McCall watches a dream come true.
Brenda, 44, was bent over in her wheelchair when her helmet was fastened on so she could go horseback riding, but as she was lifted onto a horse named Rambo, her back and legs straightened, and she sat tall in the saddle.
Brenda has cerebral palsy, and it has taken five years for the muscles and tendons in her legs to stretch and strengthen enough for her to stay mounted on a horse with people walking on either side to catch her if she falls.
A custom-made saddle would enable Brenda to ride in horse shows in therapeutic riding classes unassisted but the $3,500 price tag is beyond Georgianna McCall's means.
Brenda's friends and family have planned a series of fundraisers to purchase the saddle, which features a built-up back and a strap to encircle her torso to keep her on the horse.
A spaghetti dinner was held Friday at the Riverside Alliance Church in Walton. A chicken barbecue and homemade pie sale will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Country Store on Delaware Street in Walton.
Georgianna McCall said there are also raffles and 50/50 drawings planned.
"We hope that by spring she can have the new saddle," she said.
Brenda's interest in horses began when she visited Country Meadows Equine on East Brook Road in Walton through the ARC. Initially Brenda spent time brushing the horses and petting the dogs, but she soon let it be known that she would rather ride the horses.
Laura Phoenix, trainer and Country Meadows owner, agreed to let Brenda ride, but when she began she had to ride bareback because she was unable to straddle the saddle.
Georgianna McCall said her daughter has always had a special connection with horses.
"Even the high-spirited horses would stand still and let Brenda brush them," she said. "When she was little, we had a pony that would stop and stand perfectly still if she slipped off his back. They seem to understand."
Brenda is incapable of speaking, but Georgianna said anybody who is around her knows what she wants.
When Georgianna asked Brenda if she loves riding the horses, her arms went up in the air and she began to smile and laugh.
Donations for the saddle can be sent to Georgianna McCall, 3571 Beers Brook Road, Walton, NY 13856. For more information, call 865-4722.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
