Let me tell you something most people don't know about healing. It doesn't happen in a therapist office. It doesn't happen on a screen. It doesn't come with a certificate or a prescription. It happens in a pasture with four hooves, warm breath, and an animal that doesn't care what you've been through, only that you showed up.

That's the world ResqRanch has been quietly building. And on Saturday May 2nd, from 1-5 pm at Wild Game Evergreen, they're throwing open the doors, not to the ranch, but to a Kentucky Derby watch party that might just change how you see the word "rescue."

This Isn't Just a Party. It's a mission in a Fascinator Hat. Here's how the story usually goes: Someone hears "Kentucky Derby fundraiser" and pictures a stuffy room full of people sipping mint juleps and bidding on things they don't need. They show up, write a check, and go home feeling vaguely good about themselves and wondering if they should even be supporting what you suspect might be abuse of the animals. That's not this.

The ResqRanch isn't a charity you write a check to from a safe distance. It's a place where *you* are the one who gets changed. Here, you step into the animals' world, not to dominate, but to partner. You learn to let go. You experience something that's almost impossible to put into words: an emotional transformation that happens quietly, in the middle of nature, next to a creature that was just as broken as you once were. Rescued animals healing humans. Humans healing right back. That’s why I always say, rescuing them really rescues us.

The ranch serves everyone, rescued animals with nowhere to go from donkeys to roosters, at-risk youth who've never been told they matter, and veterans carrying invisible weight who've tried everything else. The common thread? They all walked onto that land carrying something heavy. And they left a little lighter. Sharing a little of that burden with a rescue horse, who was also blessed by the experience.

So what does a $30 ticket actually get you? For $30 you're walking into one of the most fun afternoons in Evergreen this spring: The Kentucky Derby on the big screen, known as the most exciting two minutes in sports, surrounded by people who actually care about what happens next. Mock betting, because nothing bonds strangers faster than arguing about a horse named after a breakfast food. A hat contest, so break out the fascinators, the flowers, the ridiculous brims and the best dressed wins bragging rights and the admiration of everyone in the room. Exciting raffle baskets each one packed with over $100 in prizes. Need a prewrapped birthday gift? Or how about early holiday shopping for a great cause? A nacho bar, because you cannot watch horses run on an empty stomach. Drinks, arcade games, and bowling available for purchase. Cheers to the horses, the healers, and the humans they saved.

One afternoon. Thirty dollars. Memories that stick.

Here's the Part That Actually Matters. You could spend your Saturday afternoon a dozen different ways. But here's what I want you to think about for a second: Somewhere right now, there's an animal at ResqRanch that used to flinch at human hands. And a teenager who used to do the same. And a veteran who stopped letting people in years ago.

And then something happened. They met each other, in a pasture, in the quiet, with no agenda except to just *be* there together.

That's the program your $30 ticket funds. Not a logo on a brochure. Not a line item in a budget. Real transformation, happening in real time, on real land, right here in Evergreen, Colorado.

You're either in the room, or you’re not. The Derby only runs once a year. This party only happens once. And the work ResqRanch does — the lives quietly rebuilt on that land — that's the kind of thing that either gets funded or it doesn't. So here's your invitation:

Put on your best hat. Come hungry. Mock bet on a long shot. And know that the real win, the one that matters long after the race is over, is the one happening at ResqRanch.

Wild Game Evergreen

Saturday May 2nd | 1- 5pm

Tickets: $30

Get your ticket. Bring a friend. Wear something ridiculous on your head. The horses run once. The mission runs every single day. Support ResqRanch, because rescue was never just about the animals. Thanks for reading, can’t wait to see you there! DrQ and the Crew of Aspen Park Vet Hospital and the ResqRanch

​​​​​​​Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq