From Track to Hurricane: A Story of Equine Love and Survival
Emergency, Innovation, and Love: A Florida Horse Owner's Story
Sometimes, the most extraordinary stories come from ordinary moments of courage. When former jockey Cammie Papineau brought her horses into her house during Hurricane Milton, she wasn't trying to go viral – she was simply following her heart. But her Facebook post struck a chord with horse owners worldwide, reminding us all of the lengths we'll go to protect our four-legged family members.
With tornadoes touching down in her area and Hurricane Milton approaching, she faced the kind of decision no horse owner wants to make
In our latest episode, Anna Louise sits down with Cammie to unpack not just the hurricane story but a lifetime of breaking barriers in the equestrian world. From her 22-year career as a professional jockey to her current pursuit of barrel racing, Cammie's journey is a testament to the unbreakable bond between horses and humans.
When Nature Forces Your Hand
"I would rather pay for new flooring, new rugs, new whatever we had to do to protect these horses because they are my life," Cammie told us, recounting the moment she decided to bring her horses inside. With tornadoes touching down in her area and Hurricane Milton approaching, she faced the kind of decision no horse owner wants to make – but one many of us might encounter as extreme weather events become more common.
What happened next was remarkable. Her horses walked straight into the house "like they'd been waiting to come in." They settled into their temporary living room stable as if they'd been there all their lives. "I turned the light off," Cammie recalled, "and I never heard another peep from them all night."
The episode dives deep into practical hurricane preparation for horse owners, including:
* Creating emergency evacuation plans
* Assembling hurricane preparation kits
* Understanding when to evacuate versus shelter in place
* The importance of having identification on horses during storms
* Considerations for building hurricane-proof barns
Beyond the Storm
But this isn't a story about weather preparation. It's about our relationships with our horses. After spending the night in her house, her horses' behaviour changed – their bond deepened in ways she couldn't have predicted. The next morning, she found her young filly sleeping peacefully on the floor, with the other standing guard over her. A short time after the hurricane, her barrel horse won his first competition. "They've looked at me differently since then," she shared. "I know it sounds crazy, but they have."
A Life Reinvented in the Saddle
Just when you think you know all there is to know about riding, life throws you a curve – or, in Cammie's case, a barrel. After 22 years of racing flat-out as a professional jockey, she took on the challenge of barrel racing. "I thought it can't be that hard," she laughed, telling us how she had to unlearn two decades of muscle memory and rebuild her riding style from the ground up.
Cammie spoke candidly about balancing motherhood with a high-risk career and the devastating loss of her best friend in a racing accident.
Her journey began at a small bush track in Union, Oregon, where she won her first race with her eyes closed – literally. "I don't think I opened my eyes till I was about halfway through," she chuckled, remembering her father's advice to "take two fistfuls of mane." That victory launched a remarkable career that would see her become one of the top female quarter-horse jockeys in the United States.
But it wasn't all victory laps and winner's circles. Cammie spoke candidly about balancing motherhood with a high-risk career and the devastating loss of her best friend in a racing accident. "There was several times that I struggled," she admitted, "but I think in life you have to do what you love and you have to do what you're passionate about and do it well."
A Horse Girl at Heart
At her core, Cammie remains that same girl from a tiny town of 270 people who found her peace in the saddle. "If I have a bad day at work or I have a bad day in life, I go get on my horse, and it all goes away," she shared. Everything's good, and I can focus and look at the positive things."
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