A Guiding Light

We are devastated to share the news that our friend Amber Lentz passed away on Wednesday afternoon, February 1, 2017.

After being diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer in December 2012, Amber fought hard and defied the odds, until yesterday. She was with her closest friends and remaining family, and passed on peacefully. We are working on organizing a memorial service as soon as possible, and we will share those details as soon as possible.

As for the future of Andalusian World; the AW team has been a force to be reckoned with since its inception. While Amber was very much our frontwoman, she was not alone. While her shoes can never truly be filled, we (Kevin and Kate) are very much prepared to continue Amber’s legacy in perpetuity, flanked by the outstanding teams Amber helped us to assemble in order to keep the shows running like clockwork. At its core, the mission to preserve and promote both the Iberian breed and its community has remained our central guiding light. Unity, fellowship, and dedication to authenticity will remain our paramount principles. Andalusian World Cup isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and while we are wounded, and will never fully heal from this loss, the only way forward is to work through this, and to keep Amber’s legacy alive. We are calling on you, our village and our tribe, to help us do that. We hope to see many of you at Horse Expo this weekend, and hope to see even more at Andalusian World Cup and Andalusian World East.

Most importantly, we can never forget who Amber was as a human being. Andalusian World would be nothing without Amber’s soul at its core. Amber stood in the front, beckoning to everyone to join in our vision. Amber had a mercurial way of authentically connecting with people, even if she only had the chance to interact with them once. Nobody knew how to rally the troops, encourage, and educate from a grassroots level like Amber. Literally hundreds of people can speak to an incident in which Amber somehow extended a hand and encouraged them to reach their full potential. She sacrificed her own well being and time in order to help others, both man and beast. While she was often sarcastic, blunt, witty, and even salty, Amber’s kindness and generosity of spirit always radiated outward in every aspect of her life and work. I believe her true legacy had nothing to do with something as trivial as a domesticated breed of horse, or a horse show. Amber showed us how to move through the world with equal parts courage, resilience, and kindness. Every time she was ever cast into a proverbial fire, she emerged ten times the person she was when she entered. She showed us how to be decent and honest human beings, how to maintain a sense of humor during the darkest of times, and how to forgive, and be friends to one another despite our differences. Amber’s true legacy is her legacy as an awakened human being, and that is something we must not ever forget.

Amber LentzA great light in the world has gone out. We have lost a friend, a role model, and a Queen among women. I will leave you with this quote, because I believe in this case, it is true.

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
― Kahlil Gibran

Sincerely,

Kate & Kevin – The AW Team

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