Sarah LesslerThe puppy from Danny & Ron’s Rescue carries on a tradition for SANDY FERRELL.
Sandy Ferrell is a highly accomplished equestrian and six-time winner of the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro series on both the East and West Coasts. Her list of accomplishments includes multiple victories at major competitions, such as the Devon Horse Show, the Capital Challenge Horse Show, and the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship.
Igrew up on a farm. My dad was a cattle farmer. I was exposed to all sorts of animals as a kid, so I was a born animal lover. We mainly had German Shepherds. Then, in my high school years, we had some Dobermans. It was later in my life, probably in the ‘90s, that I actually got my first dog that was mine. She was a gift. I think she was predominantly Staffordshire, and I just fell in love with that breed.
Her name was Moncha. She was the perfect size at around 35 to 40 pounds. Moncha was a great traveler. She would sit on the golf cart all day long at the horse shows, and she was just a really great friend.
After she passed, I waited a few years and got another Staffordshire named Piggy. She also went on to be a fabulous traveling horse show dog. Piggy passed away about six years ago. And, until now, I have not had another dog.
For years, I’ve been walking by Danny & Ron Rescue’s (D&RR) booth at WEF in Wellington, Florida, and looking at the dogs. I’ve always said to myself, you know, when the right dog comes along, I’ll get it. Both of my previous dogs were white and brindle and a little boxy-looking. A friend of mine showed me a picture on the Danny & Ron Facebook page of a new litter of puppies coming in. They were not in Florida yet. Immediately, I was drawn to one because he looked so much like my two previous dogs. I have never had a male dog, so I thought “This will be a new thing.” I wasn’t sure if I was going do it, but a friend of mine said, “You know, come on, you’ve got to do this.” So, she picked up the phone and called D&RR and said, “When the puppy gets here [to WEF], Sandy is ready.” I’m very grateful that she did that because once I saw him and fell in love with him, I knew that my other two dogs had sent him to me from heaven because he looked so much like them as puppies. When I went to the booth at the show to finally see him in real life, he was with four other siblings and was sound asleep. He was the most docile, quiet little puppy I’ve ever seen.
His name was Honda because Ron sent someone to pick up a pregnant dog from a shelter in North Carolina. On the way home in the car, she started to deliver her puppies. That is how he and all the other siblings were named after cars. My boyfriend and my favorite show is Ted Lasso. Every episode has a beautiful meaning behind it about life and dealing with situations and emotions. It’s just such a fabulous show. So, we thought Ted Lasso would be a great new name for him. We call him Ted.
He is incredibly smart. It took him only a minute to learn how to walk on a leash. And now he loves to go for walks all the time. You know, he is 99 percent housebroken already, and he’s just a lover. He loves everybody.
I don’t know if there are enough words to say how great Danny and Ron are. It’s just such an amazing organization. They’re so well respected. I’m so glad to be a part of being an adoptive mom.
To read about Ted Lasso in the digital magazine, click here.
Click to read the entire May/June 2024 Fashion issue. To see more of EQ Living’s favorite barn dogs click here.