Lapaz NA & Kimi

On June 20, 2017 we got to see Warrior Kimi be matched to Warrior Horse Lapaz NA! He is a 6 year old purebred gelding bred by North Arabians and proudly owned by Anna Filleti. When Kimi arrived with her dad, Peter, been Warrior Horse "Pez" was all ready for her... wearing a garland of flowers. He even had a few gifts for Kimi as well, including a look alike plush Horse and a horse statue that she could paint to match Pez. 

Kimi is an animal lover and I told she has a special connection with animals... especially horses! There was an instant connection between her and Pez and it wasn't long before she held his head in her arms... for a face snuggle. Oh it was so precious! These horses KNOW just how incredibly special their Warrior Kid is... it's definitely intuitive. Every time a match happens the Warrior Horse's eye soften and they become still... they LOVE their kids. 

Kimi was able to lead Pez to the cross ties in the other barn, her first time taking a horse by the lead! She did great, and Anna did an amazing job making sure no feet were stepped on:-) It was so wonderful to watch Kimi brush her Warrior Horse... she was lost in the moment. Instantly taken far away from her daily battle with cancer... it was just a girl and her horse enjoying one another. Pez thoroughly enjoyed the treats and all the attention that Kimi shower upon him. There was no doubt that Kimi could have stayed there all day... her father confirmed that to be true:-) 

Afterwards she lead Pez back to his stall so she could take a tour to see a 2 week old baby horse. It was soooooo adorable to see that adorable baby filly and the first time for Kimi to touch a baby horse. What an amazing experience she was able to have today! She also had a moment with the North's famous Stallion, Ever After... who quickly quieted down when Kimi raised her hand to his nose through the bars of his stall. He became as quite and soft as a gelding... Kimi is a horse whisperer for sure! 

It was a perfect day... for Kimi it sure seemed like it was one of the greatest days she has experienced in her 12 years of life. She has been battling neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer for the last 7 years. In fact she is getting ready to go to NY in middle July for a new trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She and her dad will be traveling back and forth but while she is gone, she will have Pez as her "pen pal" as he will be sending her videos, photos and updates on what he is doing. Kimi will also be able to watch him compete at the Arabian SportHorse Nationals in September, thanks to the live feed. 

Having a Warrior Horse will be the perfect distraction for Kimi and she is already looking forward to seeing Pez before she leaves for New York! This afternoon her father sent me a handwritten letter from Kimi.... my heart felt extreme joy as I read it. (See below in photos) Nothing better than being able to fulfill a little girl's dream!!!!!!!! I have a feeling we will be seeing Kimi at a horse show sooner than later!!!! 

I want to send out HUGE thanks to Anna and Lapaz NA and everyone who donated for him to become a Warrior Horse!!!! Also thank you to the amazing crew at North Arabians who helped out today... you girls rock!!!!! Lastly I want to thank Peter for sharing his incredible daughter, Kimi, will all of us today. She is one of the most amazing young girls I have ever had the pleasure to meet... and SO smart and SO kind!!!!! Thank you Kimi for allowing us to put that enormous smile on your face today!!!!! 

Letter from Peter, Kimi's father:

"I can never thank you enough for including my daughter, Kimi, in the amazing Warrior Horses program.   All the smiles and joy created yesterday must make all of your hard work seem worth it. To say yesterday was magical would certainly be an understatement. I haven't seen Kimi that excited in quite some time.  She has not stopped smiling and she is telling everyone about her new best friend, Pez. As a parent of a child with cancer, we, unfortunately, see our kids forced to endure some very difficult treatments with many horrible side effects.  They often lose a big chunk of their childhood. It just isn't fair. There are times when there is very little joy in their lives. Then, there are days like yesterday, when we can put the cancer world and all the treatments on hold and just relish the pure fun being enjoyed by our child. Yesterday, Kimi could just be a kid and live her dream of having a horse. The beauty of this program is that this was not just a one day visit, but merely the start of a long-term relationship. For that I will be forever grateful to you and this program.                                                                                          As I mentioned before to you, Kimi has truly fallen in love with this horse. These pictures only scratch the surface of how beautiful and meaningful this connection is. Kimi is going to cherish Pez for a long time. And i must make special mention of Anna, the amazing woman who is Pez's owner. She was extremely gracious during our entire visit. It is her willingness to generously share her time and her horse with Kimi that makes this program so incredible. Kimi and I are so lucky that she is providing this beautiful relationship for Kimi.                                                                             Thank you so much for all you do!                                                                                                                      We love you, Pez!!!  😎🐴🏇❤️💙❤️💙

Proudly owned by Anna Filleti. Pez is his barn name. He is a 6 yr old purebred gelding. I fell in love with him when I came to work for North Arabians and so I bought him. Pez and I have been showing successfully in sport horse in hand, sport horse under saddle and dressage. Now we are starting the hunter jumpers as well. He's kind of a big goofball he loves attention and especially cookies! He can hear a treat container open from a mile away! I am very lucky to have such a fantastic equine partner.