World Show: November 14
November 15, 2009
Check out the photos below from Day 9 of the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show (click on the photo to see the captions). For more coverage of the World Show, go to www.aqha.com.
“My name is Jill Newcomb, and I am a 16-day cancer survivor.”
Jill Newcomb in the Saddle Up For Life cancer survivors' ride on November 13. (Journal photo)
That’s how Jill Newcomb of Rancho Santa Fe, California, introduced herself in the Saddle Up For Life cancer survivors’ ride during the evening finals of November 13 at the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show.
After a follow-up mammogram just after the Bayer Select World Championship Show in September, Jill’s doctor recommended a biopsy of a spot in one of her breasts he’d found back in February. She worked in the biopsy after a horse show in Santa Barbara, California, and found out the results on September 23.
“I was getting on a plane to Hawaii when they called,” Jill said. “I was going there for the week between the (Scottsdale Classic) show and (the All American Quarter Horse) Congress. He said, ‘We got your report back and it’s cancer; and we need to meet with the surgeon in the morning.’”
Jill’s attitude was to get the treatment done with and move on, she had horse shows she needed to get to. Because it had been caught early, her doctors let her schedule surgery after Congress on October 27. She elected to have a double-mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy; she wanted no chance of the breast cancer returning.
“They said I did amazing during the (five-hour) surgery,” Jill said. “Three days after the surgery, I said, ‘It really doesn’t hurt.’ By Sunday (November 1), we got our tickets and made a plan to come to the World Show.”
Jill rode in the Saddle Up For Life because she wanted to show people you can face cancer and move on.
“I know so many people are afraid of breast cancer, but I caught it early enough by staying on top of it,” she said. “For those people who are over 40 and scared to have a mammogram, or don’t want one, or put it off, being that step ahead can make all the difference in the world.”
Jill showed two horses in the senior trail prelims on November 14. “I didn’t make it back (to the finals),” she said with a smile. “That would have been a better story!”
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November 16th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
What a wonderful show. And I do love these pictures.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Nov 14th photos, great shots of Kevin Stallings and Elvis as well as Marilyn Harris and Irish a Shine.