2017 Miniature Horse World April E-Magazine | Page 24

JOY, BEAUTY, AND LAUGHTER...
CELEBRATING SHARI WASHBURN
by Rebecca Kachuriak
I
t was 1991, I was eleven years old attending what I had
planned on being my last show of my second season
showing minis. My experience with showing so far had
been amazing, but one thing lacked: I hadn’t shown in a
driving class, because I did not have a driving horse. So,
what did I do?
Like any excited youth, I grabbed a friend and we went
on a mission to find me a horse to drive. Little did I know
that this excursion would change my life, as the person
who enthusiastically agreed to lend me their gelding for
the class was none other than Shari Washburn.
I had only briefly met Shari before that time, but from
that moment on, I had made a friend for life. After that
fateful driving class, Shari invited me to the next show to
show her horses, something that continued throughout
my childhood and into my adult years. Shari became like
a second mom to me, sharing not only her horses with me,
but her life as well. Because that’s who she was.
Sharon Anne
“Shari” Washburn
May 13, 1943 to Feb. 15, 2017
Shari was one of the most kind, funny, and generous people I have ever known. She taught me how to win
humbly, and how to lose gracefully, how to laugh and enjoy the little things in life, like peach pie and smiling
dobermans. Shari Washburn was one of the most special friends I have ever had, one of the most beautiful
people I have ever known, and someone who will bring a smile to my face every time I think of the joy that
she brought to my life by just being herself.
“Shari taught me how to win humbly, and how to lose
gracefully, how to laugh and enjoy the little things in life.”
Phil and Shari Washburn started Celebration Ranch in 1987 on Fisher Road, in Roseburg, Oregon, when
Shari fell in love with a pretty little bay mare named “Just Jamie”. Shari had loved horses her whole life, but
had an accident while riding that broke her humerus, landing her in a half-body cast. Minis allowed Shari,
as they do for many people, to carry on her love of horses even though she could no longer ride.
22 Miniature Horse World
April 2017