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More on boy's mind than riding Mail Tribune / Jim Craven William Schmidt, 15, leads his appaloosa Lucky through a gate on a farm near Talent. By DANI DODGE On his 15th birthday Tuesday, William Schmidt talked affectionately with Lucky, the horse he will ride in state championships next month. Then he went to the hospital, silently holding his mother's hand as he watched her heartbeat on monitors for a sign that she knew he was there. But William is a boy used to irony and tragedy. In the past three years, William lost his dad to a car wreck and nearly lost his mother, Patricia "Dian" Brandenburg, twice because of heart and bleeding problems. Last year, William was close to qualifying for the state championships when his horse developed life-threatening colic. On Friday, his mom, finally healthy again, helped with the annual 4-H Club horse costume contest at the Jackson County Fairgrounds when a horse spooked and charged a gate she was trying to close. The horse hit the gate and sent Brandenburg flying 10 feet, breaking her shoulder and rupturing her spleen. The next day, William rode well enough to qualify for state championships in two separate competitions: one that tests his riding style and another that includes timed speed and agility trials, like barrel racing. William said he's going to attempt to compete at the state championship - it was something he and his mother have dreamed about. "She can't talk to me because she's so sedated and on a ventilator," William said. "But I did tell her I made it to state and her heartbeat raced up." William said, though, he'll do only one event. "I'm only going to do the barrel run because I want to be gone as little as I can so I can be there with my mom," said the Ashland boy, who favors cowboy hats and Wrangler jeans. Four-H Club members set up the Patricia "Dian" Brandenburg Trust Fund at Wells Fargo Bank to defray the medical costs for the Ashland family and send William to the state contest in mid-August. "William has endured more than the average adult, and he's just turned 15," said Cathy Norris, who helped Brandenburg manage the 4-H group called the Southern Sky Riders. "The fact that he isn't bitter is both a tribute to him and to her as a mother." Norris said Brandenburg, a teacher at Rogue Community College, is known for her unwavering support of all the kids in her club. William has the same spirit. When Norris bought a feisty thoroughbred with a penchant for biting and kicking, William offered to work with the "horse from hell" despite the danger. William's mom put the kibosh on the idea, but Norris was touched by the offer. "Everyone loves this boy," Norris said. "He's nurturing. He's got a good sense of humor and he is compassionate." The latest tragedy in the Brandenburg family occurred Friday evening at what is normally a lighthearted event for horse exhibitors at the fair - the costume contest. Between 20 and 25 kids from fourth to 12th grade dressed up themselves and horses as everything from a clown to a bride. Brandenburg was at the gate marking off the entries as they went into the horse arena. According to witness accounts, one horse whose rider was dressed up as a trapper seemed to get spooked by the clanging of the canteens and cooking supplies hanging from its body. That apparently upset another horse, outfitted as a Viking ship, and it reared up in agitation. Then a horse dressed as a rocking horse began to get nervous, making the rocking bars on either side of its flanks swing in wild motions. Horses panicked and ran. Parents jumped into the arena, trying to protect their children. One parent pushed the gate open to get her child out while others screamed for the gatekeepers to close it. Brandenburg was trying to close the gate when one horse bolted to escape. "I see all these rippling muscles coming like a freight train straight for the gate," said Norris. "I thought there is no way that gate will stop him. I turned to tell Dian. But then there was impact." Gina Chadd, head of the 4-H Club's horse board, was in the announcing booth. She said the fleeing horse was "like a Mac truck." She said in her 30 years of involvement with 4-H, "I don't remember there ever being an accident this serious." William, who was in the stands, ran down to help corral the frightened and injured horse when someone motioned him over to where his mom was lying unconscious. "He kinda had a panic attack at first," said William's close friend Kelly Fawcett, 18. "But he calmed down. He's been through this before. We almost have a routine." Kelly credits William's close relationship with horses for his coping ability. "If he didn't have his horses, he definitely wouldn't be able to handle the challenges that have been thrown at him," Kelly said. William admits the horses are his salvation. "I just think I have to work through all this," William said. "The horses, they help because I feel more comfortable talking to them than I do anyone else." Brandenburg is expected to be at Providence Medford Medical Center two more weeks. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.