Chris Woodard

Adaptive Rider

Chris Woodard rode at Little Bit for 41 years. Chris and her sister Darcey both showed horses through 4H Club. Chris competed in Hunt Seat, possibly Western Class, and Costume events. In her later high school years, Chris started volunteering at Little Bit. Their family couldn’t possibly know how important that connection to Little Bit would truly be.

Chris received a four-year scholarship to Whitman College in Walla Walla. As Darcey says, “Chris was a pretty smart girl.” During her freshman year of college, her boyfriend drove down from his college in Bellingham with friends to pick up Chris and a friend and then started the drive back north. The drive is five and a half hours one way. The driver fell asleep at the wheel, and the car plunged into a ditch. Two young adults lost their lives that day. Chris’ head went through the window, and she was in a coma for a long time, eventually regaining consciousness. The accident and resulting traumatic brain injury marked the beginning of a dramatic change for Chris and her family.

In 1982, her parents wanted to get Chris riding again, and that connection to Little Bit became key.

While some memories of Chris’ life before the accident disappeared, and memory remains a challenge, the knowledge and skills involved in taking care of a horse all came back to Chris. At Little Bit, Chris competed in dressage, and as Darcey says, “She was very good at it.” Little Bit became a part of Chris’ purpose. With guidance and inspiration, she perseveres. It can often be hard to know what Chris is thinking. However, her sense of humor and friendliness is always present. Darcey shared that Chris “will join anyone’s conversation.”

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