After months of suspense, the two Destination Equus California Farm & Wine Tasting Tour contest winners have been selected: Roxann Mayer of Minnesota and Tammi Kudra-Edmonds of California are headed to California’s Central Coast, Sept. 7-9, for the trip of a lifetime. Both winners received complimentary tickets for two-night accommodations, meals, wine tastings and, best of all, behind-the-scenes tours of world-class horse training and breeding facilities in California’s picturesque wine country.
The winners are thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of Destination Equus and can’t wait to get going. “I was shocked when I heard the news,” Mayer says. The 40-year-old education assistant plans to bring her husband along for the fun, although she admits he’s not the horse person in the family. “Actually, my daughter is the one who’s so in to horses, but she’s not 21 so she can’t go.”
Kudra-Edmonds could barely contain herself upon hearing the news. “When [I heard] I won, I jumped out of my chair and screamed. I was pacing around the house. I couldn't sit down for the rest of the day I was so excited.” The 43-year-old stay-at-home mom explains that winning just doesn’t come easy to her. “Oh my God, I don't win anything. I'm not lucky that way. I couldn’t even manage to win a pig that I didn’t want in a raffle in our gymkanna show.”
Kudra-Edmonds plans to take her good friend Stacy on the trip with her. “My husband is currently working in Iraq, so I told my friend Stacy that I entered this contest and if I won I was taking her. She’s as excited as I am.”
Both winners are horse owners, so they look forward to the educational opportunities that Destination Equus will provide. “We trail ride, and are very into Natural Horsemanship,” Mayer explains. “I really look forward to touring the Monty Roberts ranch.”
“I'm also looking forward to the learning process,” Kudra-Edmonds says. “This trip is going to be quite an experience.”
Of course what could be better than horses, beautiful scenery, wine and good friendship. “I'm looking forward to spending three days with a good friend around the thing we love the most: beautiful horses,” Kudra-Edmonds says. “I can't wait.”