CELEBRATING SHARI WASHBURN by Rebecca Kachuriak
in memoriam
JOY , BEAUTY , AND LAUGHTER ...
CELEBRATING SHARI WASHBURN by Rebecca Kachuriak
Shari was one of the most kind , funny , and generous people I have ever known . She taught me how to win humbly , how to lose gracefully , and how to laugh and enjoy the little things in life . She 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 . She loved her family , her friends , and her animals fiercely . If you had the privilege to know Shari , you know exactly what I mean .
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 ”. Soon after acquiring her first mini , Shari was hooked . She and Phil started their farm with a handful of beautiful horses they purchased from the Brewer family . It was soon after this that Shari laid eyes on a beautiful , tiny seventeen-year-old bay pinto stallion , Prince Tennessee of Monashee .
Tennessee had a presence about him , well into his twenties , prancing around his paddock , staking his claim on his ranch . He was as graceful and elegant as any miniature ever was , all in a twentynine-inch package . The Tennessee bloodline became a cornerstone not only of the Celebration breeding program , but the miniature horse industry , and it continues to be a coveted line today .
Shari will always be one of the most vibrant and beautiful women our family has ever known . She had that “ it ” factor — a term that Vern would have used to describe a beautiful , refined and animated show horse … And I know that Shari would have loved the comparison .
-Betty Brewer and Betty Lynne Brewer-Southerland , Brewer Family Miniatures
Sharon Anne “ Shari ” Washburn
May 13 , 1943 to Feb . 15 , 2017
She genuinely loved good people and really enjoyed competition . She loved the social sizzle that the Industry offered and was ready to make a splash . If there is anyone who lived life huge , it was Shari . She leaves footprints on my heart .
-Sami Scheuring , Sami ’ s Lil Horse Ranch
Miniature Horse World would like to honor your loved one … human or equine . This In Memoriam page is available for a special rate in each issue . Remember the special person or horse who touched your life so deeply with quotes from friends , poems and photos .
Her friendship I will cherish forever , and her sense of humor , with a little sarcasm , I will truly miss . She was courageous to the end , her laughter with that beautiful smile never left her .
-Helynn Emory , Gallery Originals Miniature Horses
The profound and deep love Phil and Shari shared with one another was a beautiful thing to see .
-Jean McMilian
Reserve at ( 817 ) 783-5600 or Email : editor @ amha . org for availability
Shari ’ s family will be hosting a Celebration of Life for Shari this summer at their ranch in Roseburg , Oregon . If you would like to be a part of this celebration , or if you would like to leave a comment or memory about Shari for her family , please visit the party ’ s Facebook page https :// www . facebook . com / events / 177666639394994 / or email Troy Willis troyswillis @ gmail . com .
46 Miniature Horse World SUMMER 2017