American Paint Horse ‘Jewel’ becomes family treasure
on upcoming ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

FORT WORTH—An American Paint Horse nicknamed “Jewel” sparkled brilliantly on the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition during the filming of a 2-hour special that ABC will air to millions of viewers around the world in a 2-hour special March 12, starting at 6:00 p.m. Centeral time.

An American Paint Horse named "Jewel" rode right into the spotlight recently for the filming of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, to air in later winter or early spring on ABC. The horse was donated by the American Paint Horse Association to a deserving family. Simmons Homes founder Greg Simmons, whose company built the home with help of hundreds of volunteers, rode the horse during filming. APHA photo/Jerry Circelli Hirez JPEG (3.87 mb) more photos

The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) donated the beautiful sorrel overo mare, registered as Clasic Queen, to a special family in need who will be featured in the upcoming episode. APHA was one of hundreds of groups that joined with the ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team and Simmons Homes on the project to build a dream home for Danna White and her five children of Dewey, Okla.

Danna lost her faithful husband and the children lost a loving father when Pastor John White suffered a fatal heart attack in April 2005, on his 19th wedding anniversary. The local community held fund-raising events and rallied behind the widow and her five children, who had to move from their parsonage to make room for a new pastor and his family. With the money, the family was able to purchase a run-down trailer and place it on land purchased with a modest payout from the late pastor’s life insurance policy. The trailer lacked heat, a shower, a working kitchen, door locks, carpet and electrical power. On cold nights, the children stayed with friends.

Within a year, the White’s prayers were answered, and in a big way, when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design team leader Ty Pennington went to a church service the family was attending to announce that they had been selected for the ABC home makeover project.

Pennington made the announcement on Jan. 21. Five days later, the widow and fatherless children were living in a place they could have only dreamed of owning – The White Family Farm.

APHA donated Jewel to the farm to help fulfill the children’s dream of once again owning a horse. The American Paint Horse was a perfect fit for the youngsters, who range in age from 11 to 17. The mare had previously been ridden by a 13-year-old girl who showed the horse in Western Pleasure at open shows and logged nearly 300 hours in the saddle with her as part of APHA’s Ride America® program.

“When we heard about this project,” said APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite, “we were touched and delighted to help. It was a privilege for us to be part of such a grand undertaking that showed the great good our society can do when we work together.”

Kevin Hardcastle, a member of APHA’s Board of Directors from Oklahoma, and operations manager for Simmons Homes, served as APHA’s direct link on the project.

“This was something that combined two passions in my life,” said Hardcastle. “I love to build dream homes for people and I love American Paint Horses. It just doesn’t get any better than this. So much good has come out this and so many people were touched, it’s really just brought out the best in people. I’m proud that an American Paint Horse and the American Paint Horse Association were a part of it.”

When Hardcastle notified APHA of the project, the association quickly went to work to purchase just the right horse. Jewel turned out to be a gem, not only for the family, but for the breed. From the moment she walked on the construction site, she captured the hearts of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team.

"The horse was very pretty," said Tom Forman, executive producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. "We were thrilled to give an American Paint Horse to the White Family. Now their dream of having a family farm has come true."

Along with Pennington, the designers on the project included Paige Hemmis, Tanya McQueen, Michael Moloney, and Daniel Kucan.

For more information, photos and updates about the show and the American Paint Horse, visit apha.com/extrememakeover. Construction photos and additional information is also available at the Simmons Homes Web site at extremesimmons.com.

More about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network.

More about American Paint Horses
The American Paint Horse has become one of the fastest growing and most admired breeds in the world today. APHA has registered more than 845,000 horses in 49 nations and territories since it was founded 44 years ago.

American Paint Horses are known for their beauty, intelligence, versatility and willing disposition.

The breed registry is maintained by the non-profit American Paint Horse Association, located in Fort Worth, Texas. The association administers many activities and programs to help people enrich their experiences with their horses. For more information about APHA, contact the association at (817) 834-2742, or visit apha.com.