September 27, 2005

Dear Clients and Boarders,

As you all know, all of the horses were evacuated from Clear Round beginning Wednesday, September 21, 2005 when Houston was forecast in the projected path of Hurricane Rita which reached Category 5 status in the Gulf of Mexico.  We either contacted or left messages for all of our clients while we focused on the actual evacuation since time was of the essence.  We also are aware that this became an emergency for all of you as you made your own preparations.

The traffic situation throughout Houston and Harris County was a nightmare as we are certain you are aware firsthand or from news reports.  We were able to find shelter locations in Lake Conroe and in Huntsville at Bedai Ranch. 

Stephanie, Paolo, Adrianne and the grooms worked around the clock for several days to secure the barn and remove the horses.  The conditions were abysmal with grocery store shelves bare, no hot meals, lines at the gas stations, traffic delays and difficulty finding bottled water on the road, and everyone operating on very little sleep. 

The horses were all well cared for, they had hay, feed and water, shelter and bedding, and we hand walked them daily.  We are happy to report that they have all returned home safe and sound less a scrape or bump here and there, nothing unexpected even under the best of traveling circumstances 

Many barns around Houston sustained quite a bit of damage from the wind gusts.  Paolo worked overtime securing the roofs on the barns, boarding up windows and protecting equipment, and he and one of the grooms even stopped a looter from stealing a vehicle.  Because of his hard work, Hunters Oak sustained very little damage and nothing was stolen.  We were completely operational on Monday which is a much different scenario than many of our neighboring barns that cannot currently accommodate their clients’ needs.

We will be working on a Disaster Plan for Hunters Oak and will be presenting it to our clients and boarders in the near future.  We need to be prepared and organized going forward for any type of disaster that will necessitate expedient evacuation.

Sincerely,

Stephanie and Paolo Tropia