56 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Mindy Darst:
Counting Her
Blessings
By Lauren R. Giannini
When Mindy Darst was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma,
a rare aggressive cancer, eight years ago, her connection with
horses was as vital as the oxygen she needed to breathe. Love
for her family and friends, love for her life, passion for horses and
teaching were vital elements for Mindy to keep on keeping on.
Mindy and Greg, her husband of 24 years, are the proud parents
of twins, John and Maddy, who ride and compete. It hasn’t been
easy for any of them,
but they are horse
people. Horses provide
a great reason to get
up every morning, no
matter what.
A dedicated show
world professional, Mindy might be better known for more recent
successes as a trainer of kids on ponies and adults on horses
in the hunter rings, but she goes back a long way and started
showing in 1968. In 1982, after graduating from Miami University,
Mindy turned professional. She coached Ball State University’s
Equestrian Team to a
national title, worked for
several first-class trainers,
and in 1990 opened
Lochmoor Stables. She
has consistently trained
riders, ponies and horses
to top national and local
rankings.
With the American
Horse Shows Association
(AHSA), she was an “R”
(Recognized) judge and is
an “R” (Registered) judge
with the United States
Equestrian
Federation
(USEF). She is a past
chair of the USEF National
Hunter Committee, Zone
5, and also of the USHJA
Pony Hunter Task Force.
She has received many
awards, including USHJA
Volunteer of the Year,
OHJA Trainer of the Year,
AHJA Sportsmanship, and
the National Pony Finals/
Edna Lytle Volunteer of the Year.
Mindy’s life has revolved around her family, horses and the show
world. Her children, now 16, are active in jumpers and hunters
respectively. For all practical purposes life was good. Then came
the news from the doctors that would change Mindy’s life – and
the lives of her family.
“When I was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma, they gave me
six months to live,” said Mindy. “Then six months turned slowly
into five years, which turned into where I am now. With the help
of Peter Pletcher and
Sue Ashe, I ended up
in Houston where I was
treated correctly straight
off the bat. I’m no longer
visiting
the
Sarcoma
Center. I’m mostly at MD
Anderson getting clinical trials.”
Last November, Mindy went to Houston where she met Dr. Filip
Janku (MD in Medicine and PHD in Biochemistry), who specializes
in Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at the University of Texas
MD Anderson Hospital. “Dr. Janku is a brilliant Czechoslovakian,
young and enthusiastic –
the cowboy you hope to
get, and I am now in my
fourth clinical trial with
him,” said Mindy.
Hope almost crashed at
a big verbal oxer the day
Dr. Benjamin announced
that there wasn’t anything
else he could do for Mindy.
Call it fate or prayer or
God, but the next words
spoken,
one
simple
question, led the way to
another therapy. One of
Mindy’s
nurse-friends,
who just happened to be
in the office, asked, “No
extremity tumors?” This
led to Mindy becoming the
first-ever human subject
of clinical trial at MD
Anderson.
Until then, Mindy’s
tumors had all been
related to an organ. “But at
Continued on page 58
e
Horse Show
John, Maddy, Mindy and John Darst with Tilou.
Photo by Cathrin Cammett/ShowFolio Photos
Lochmoor kids “heart” Mindy with a big Christmas card when she was at
MD Anderson in Texas.
Photo Courtesy of Lochmoor Stables
“I look back and I’m so blessed, and
every day that I get to be on this planet
is a blessing.”
