NEW KENT — Community members were not horsing around Saturday as they gathered in droves to watch equine bride and groom Meadowlark’s Song and Tate R. McTavish exchange long-awaited nuptials.
Lark, a 26-year-old Welsh pony/Quarter Horse cross mare, and Tater, a 27-year-old Welsh pony gelding, met in 2008 when they captured the hearts of the staff at Dream Catchers Therapeutic Riding Center in Toano. The two officially celebrated their “engagement” this year on Valentine’s Day.
The unusual ceremony, hosted at Colonial Downs racetrack during the start of the nine-week racing season, was the brainchild of staff at Dream Catchers in hopes to drive community support, donor engagement and increase attention toward the organization’s mission. Dream Catchers, which began in 1993, provides equine therapy for more than 1,000 children, adults, veterans and active-duty military personnel every year.
“(Dream Catchers) is a magical place. It’s a sanctuary for everyone who comes there — staff, volunteers, participants,” Executive Director Nancy Williams said. “And all you have to do is see the power of one lesson for one child.”
The wedding took place in a 12:30 p.m. ceremony in the racetrack’s winner’s circle prior to the onset of the first race of the season, with Lark adorned in a white tulle veil designed by volunteer Becky Scoggin and Tater sporting a custom tuxedo. Local businesses participated in the event as well, with Michael Fagan of Williamsburg Jewelers designing an exclusive hoof print ring. All of the net proceeds from sales of the ring will be donated to Dream Catchers.
The event was officiated by Dream Catchers volunteer and Special Forces Maj. Nicholas Dockery, a two-time Purple Heart and Silver Star recipient. Dockery, who represents Dream Catchers’ Special Forces program, was first introduced to Dream Catchers as a form of recreational therapy through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Servicemember Transitional Advanced Rehabilitation Program. Dockery emphasized the tailored nature of Williams’ approach to therapy for service members.
“I felt it became something that I looked forward to weekly,” Dockery said. “My experience has been nothing short of amazing.”
According to the Dream Catchers website, 36% of the organization’s annual budget comes from service fees, with the remainder of costs collected through fundraising events. Donor support ensures that the staff can keep lesson costs affordable for therapy participants, though increased aid is needed to provide proper support to their herd of 18 horses.
Williams added that Dream Catchers not only cares for its participants, but also is “sensitive to the physical and emotional needs” of the herd. Tater and Lark, who have acted as therapeutic horses for 16 years, provide ample evidence of the organization’s passion for animal welfare. Today, Dream Catchers operates with a staff of five and around 200 volunteers who assist participants, care for horses and help with maintenance at the facility.
Dream Catchers volunteer and Army veteran Franklin Benabise Jr., who attended the wedding, is an equine specialist and mental health and counseling trainee who has been working with Dream Catchers for over a year. After serving 30 years in the Army, Benabise now hopes to eventually help oversee equine therapy and counseling for participants.
“It’s just so peaceful — the impact that the horses and the staff make on the improvement of people’s lives from children to adults, and especially for me, veterans,” Benabise said.
Tater and Lark’s wedding registry details costs for animal care with a total goal of $135,000 for annual expenses. To learn more about Dream Catchers and the two ponies, visit dreamcatchers.org/events/lark_and_tater_wedding. Donations in commemoration of their “marriage” can also be made on the Dream Catchers website.
Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com
![The Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) design-build contractor Shirley Contracting (SCC) will be installing a temporary traffic signal on Route 33 (New Kent Highway) as a continuation of the I-64 Gap Segment A Widening project in New Kent County. Segment A will widen approximately ten miles of Interstate 64 from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, spanning from mile marker 205 (just west of the Bottoms Bridge exit) to mile marker 216 (just east of the New Kent Courthouse/Providence Forge exit). Beginning in September 2024, motorists should expect to see a temporary traffic signal on Route 33 (New […]](https://www.pilotonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_3040-1.jpg?w=467 "The Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) design-build contractor Shirley Contracting (SCC) will be installing a temporary traffic signal on Route 33 (New Kent Highway) as a continuation of the I-64 Gap Segment A Widening project in New Kent County. Segment A will widen approximately ten miles of Interstate 64 from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, spanning from mile marker 205 (just west of the Bottoms Bridge exit) to mile marker 216 (just east of the New Kent Courthouse/Providence Forge exit). Beginning in September 2024, motorists should expect to see a temporary traffic signal on Route 33 (New […]")
