Connect with us

Kansas

Kansas City equine show shines spotlight on horsemanship, mental health

Published

on

Kansas City equine show shines spotlight on horsemanship, mental health


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Dozens gathered in Kansas City’s Hale Arena to shine a spotlight on horsemanship as well as mental health in rural America.

Jeff Winton, the founder of Rural Minds, has spent a lifetime around horses. But moreover, he has spent a lifetime around heartache.

In 2012, Jeff’s 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, died of suicide in rural America.

“When that happened it became very apparent that no one wanted to talk about it because there’s an embarrassment factor,” Jeff said. “We even had the pastor tell us that some of the people in our small town of 500 farming people, that we should make up an excuse for his death – we should have said he died in a farming accident or something.”

Advertisement

Jeff said his mother courageously ignored the advice of those around her.

“My mother said, ‘Now this nonsense is going to stop with my family, we’ve been hiding this for too long, too many young people have been dying’,” Jeff continued.

According to research done by Rural Minds, those who live in rural areas have much higher rates of depression and suicide than those who live in urban areas, a nearly 68% difference, however, they are less likely to access mental healthcare. Meanwhile, farmers are twice as likely to die by suicide than those in any other occupation.

“Believe it or not, 65% of the counties in the United States that are rural, have no psychiatrists,” Jeff noted. “Sixty-five, that’s huge.”

Statistics from Rural Minds shows disparities in rural areas compared to urban areas on June 1, 2024.(Rural Minds)

With that in mind, Jeff set out to make a change for the 46 million of us living in America’s heartland. In 2021, he founded Rural Minds to help empower those who live in rural areas with information, resources and training.

Advertisement

However, the story is not one that is unique to mankind as mental illness stretches far and wide in the animal kingdom. A few years after Jeff joined Linden Hill Stables a trailer on the way to another competition contained Jeff’s horse Duke and Jim Modica’s poney Java Joe. While en route, the trailer became detached from the vehicle and slid on its side.

While Java Joe did not make it out of the crash alive, Jeff said Duke is the reason that five other equines were able to escape it. After first responders had arrived, they started to hear a great rumble from inside the trailer, within seconds, Duke emerged, bloody and victorious as he burst through the gate and righted the trailer.

Before the collision, Jeff said Duke had been a nationally renowned champion in Western-style shows. But ever since the crash, something has changed, Duke no longer wins many ribbons.

“You can see he’s got a white scar on his inner left front leg,” Jeff said. “The vet said they tried but it just never went away, but I’m glad he’s got it. It reminds me every day of how strong he is.”

Duke relaxes in his stable before his competitions on May 30, 2024.
Duke relaxes in his stable before his competitions on May 30, 2024.(KCTV5/Sarah Motter)

Lisa Hillmer, owner, trainer and instructor at Linden Hill Stables, also chairs the KC Summer Kick-off Horse Show, one of the season’s first shows. Each year she said the event partners with a charity to foster community involvement. In 2024, the show deemed Rural Minds the beneficiary.

“My family started the organization in Nebraska before I decided to move it to Kansas City,” Hillmer said. “It’s something that’s important to me to keep it going.”

Advertisement

The show, which is free and began on Thursday, May 30, runs through the weekend. It is set to feature a full slate of classes for Saddlebreds, Morgans, Hackney Poneys, Road Horses and Equitation riders.

The event kicked off Western and English classes on Thursday. Linden Hill started strong with a third-place ribbon for Jeff and his horse Catherine in the English-style class. In this style, judges search for horses that look more pleasurable to ride. American saddlebred horses were originally bred for plantation riding which required much stamina and an even gate.

Modica, who also rides for Linden Hill, took home one of the team’s first blue ribbons with his Hackney Poney Annie. The pair showed in the speedster cart class in which judges look for both form and speed.

Dozens gathered in Kansas City’s Hale Arena to shine a spotlight on horsemanship as well as mental health in rural America.

The DJ at the event also takes requests from riders. For $5 they can play a song of their choice while their class is shown, all of which goes back to Rural Minds.

Thursday’s events were drawn together with a dinner and silent auction to benefit the charity.

Advertisement

“It’s so important that families talk openly about depression because there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But people in rural areas are taught to be very independent, to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, to get over it, because again, it’s not considered an illness. It’s gratifying work – it’s heartbreaking work.” Jeff concluded.

From left to right, Jim Modica, Lisa Hillmer and Jeff Winton, pose for photos ahead of the...
From left to right, Jim Modica, Lisa Hillmer and Jeff Winton, pose for photos ahead of the silent auction to benefit Rural Minds on May 30, 2024.(KCTV5/Sarah Motter)

The following are some of the free programs and information provided by Rural Minds:

The horse show ran from Thursday, May 30, through Saturday, June 1, at Hale Arena, 1701 American Royal Ct., in Kansas City, Mo.



Source link

Advertisement

Kansas

Additional Light Shed on Simmons Timeline, Past and Future

Published

on

Additional Light Shed on Simmons Timeline, Past and Future


KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs pulled away in the second half to secure an impressive Monday night win over the Commanders. But their prior Monday night game actually began the Josh Simmons timeline.

According to SI insider Albert Breer, the deeply personal family issues with which the rookie is currently navigating first surfaced just before the Oct. 6 Monday night loss in Jacksonville. Shortly before kickoff in that game and after pregame warmups, the Chiefs announced that Simmons had been added to the injury report as questionable with an illness.

josh simmon

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons (71) and running back Kareem Hunt (29) line up against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

A 6-5, 310-pound rookie, Simmons wound up starting and playing the full game, a 31-28 loss to the Jaguars. He didn’t appear on the team’s injury report the following week until five hours prior to kickoff in the Sunday night victory over Detroit on Oct. 12.

That’s when the Chiefs announced Simmons – the final choice in the first round of April’s draft — as questionable for personal reasons. Kansas City ruled him out before kickoff, and Jaylon Moore has started each of the last three games, all Chiefs wins.

Advertisement
jaylon moor

NFL Kansas City Chiefs offensive line Jaylon Moore / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Money well spent

“For now,” Breer wrote Tuesday, “the first thing to know is the two-year, $30 million deal the Chiefs gave Jaylon Moore in the offseason, even if he’s not the starting left tackle they paid him to be, is money well spent.

“The Chiefs have depth at those positions that they didn’t before. Last year, a black hole at left tackle forced the team to move Joe Thuney there, setting off a cascade that blew up in the team’s Super Bowl loss. They’ll likely have no such problem this year.”

joe thuney, patrick mahome

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) blocks for quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt addressed the Simmons situation prior to Monday’s win over the Commanders.

“It’s not something I can go into but it is a private family matter,” Hunt said Monday, noting he has a high level of confidence Simmons will return. “And we’ve had good communication with him, and there’s an understanding by both parties where he is. And we’re hopeful to have him back with the team sometime in the future.”

clark hun

Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs chief executive officer Clark Hunt on field against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

A good sign

Breer also noted that if Brett Veach and Andy Reid expected a long-term absence, they had the option to place the rookie on a reserve list, shelving him for at least four games. But the team is not believed to be considering that choice.

Advertisement

While Moore played well his first two starts in place of Simmons, the veteran tackle struggled against the Commanders. Reid said after Monday’s game that Washington has an elite defensive front. Edge rusher Jacob Martin sacked Patrick Mahomes twice, one allowed by Moore.

josh simmons, travis kelc

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons (71) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“They’re better with the wildly talented Simmons in there,” Breer wrote. “What I know is that the issue first arose just before the Jaguars game. Simmons ended up playing in that matchup, then left right before the Lions game. The cited family aspect of his absence is real, and that was a part of the background that teams had to work through when he was coming out.”

The Chiefs (5-3) have to travel to Buffalo (5-2) on a short week, then get a midseason bye.

Chiefs Kingdom, keep that browser right here for your best in-depth news and info, totally free; the best way to get it is to follow @KCChiefsOnSI, @ZakSGilbert and @Domminchella on X (Twitter). And tell us your thoughts on the Chiefs’ offensive line by visiting our Facebook page (here).



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Kansas

So, Is Taylor Swift Styling a Chiefs vs. Commanders Outfit Tonight?

Published

on

So, Is Taylor Swift Styling a Chiefs vs. Commanders Outfit Tonight?


At 8:15 p.m. ET on October 27, Monday Night Football viewers weren’t one hundred percent focused on the field where the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Washington Commanders. They were scanning the stands for a glimpse at Taylor Swift’s game-night outfit.

Last week, when the Chiefs played the Las Vegas Raiders, Taylor Swift spent the night at Arrowhead Stadium largely unnoticed. Her look for the evening—a Chanel 25 bag, Prada corset, short shorts, and her diamond engagement ring by Artifex Fine—was only revealed during a post-game trip to 1587 Prime with fiancé Travis Kelce.

This week, the “Opalite” singer’s play is still unpredictable. While Kelce made his tunnel walk before the game in a Showgirl orange chore jacket and pants, Swift’s own Chiefs vs. Commanders outfit remained under wraps.

Travis Kelce took the traditional tunnel walk to the locker room for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Washington Commanders game. Taylor Swift was not seen before the game.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By the end of the first quarter, reports from Arrowhead Stadium said Swift’s attendance hadn’t yet been confirmed. No vintage Chiefs jackets, no glitter freckles, no Joseph Cassell Falconer styling, no sighting of the singer, period. There’s a chance that she is attending the game but remaining off-screen. If Swift does make an appearance, or hits 1587 Prime after the ref blows the final whistle, Marie Claire editors will update this story with all the details.

Taylor Swift wearing a Charlotte Simone coat

Last season, Taylor Swift made several stops by the Arrowhead Stadium tunnel in Chiefs-centric fashion.

Advertisement

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This NFL season, spotting Taylor Swift’s Kansas City Chiefs game-day outfits has seemed harder than a reversing a twenty-point loss with two minutes left in the game. For the Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, Swift’s Ganni jersey dress was identified only by a snippet of its custom stitching shown on the nighttime broadcast. The singer appeared to skip the Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game altogether—until a friend of Swift’s and Kelce’s shared photos of her plaid Jonathan Simkhai set, Chanel necklace, and Gucci slingback heels following the match. Even the season opener, against the Los Angeles Chargers, went by Swift-less. (However, the singer had a valid excuse to skip an outfit: The game was held in Brazil.)

Taylor Swift posing with Travis Kelce and wearing a plaid two piece set with slingback heels

Taylor Swift has skipped tunnel walks this NFL season, instead making quiet appearances with friends following the Chiefs’ games.

(Image credit: @kanebrown)

Instead, Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl style has taken up all her center-stage photo ops this October. The singer made a quick press circuit through London and New York City in the lead-up to her album’s release, stopping by Late Night’s couch in Wiederhoeft and The Tonight Show‘s interview in a Giuseppe Di Morabito mesh dress. The only snapshot of her everyday style arrived at an Oct. 8 dinner, when she wore a fall plaid mini skirt and knee-high boots to visit New York City’s Eighty Six.

Advertisement

Taylor Swift wearing Wiederhoeft on the Late Show With Seth Meyers

Taylor Swift wearing Wiederhoeft to Late Night with Seth Meyers.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift’s tunnel walks at Arrowhead Stadium have been missed. Between her first two seasons, more than 30 Kansas City Chiefs game outfits received their own red carpet treatment: dedicated photo sessions where style experts could catalogue Swift’s Chiefs-colored Vivienne Westwood sets, her head-to-toe Chanel runway pulls, and her Dior saddle bags.



Source link

Continue Reading

Kansas

Colorado man dies in western Kansas vehicle rollover

Published

on

Colorado man dies in western Kansas vehicle rollover


WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A vehicle rollover killed a Colorado man in western Kansas Sunday morning.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash happened in Hamilton County, just after 8 a.m.

36-year-old Morgan Stephens of Burlington, Colo. was driving a 2024 Ram truck when it went off the road onto the right shoulder, overcorrected and spun clockwise into the ditch, rolling multiple times. KHP said Stephens was not wearing his seatbelt.

Stephens was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. No other vehicles were involved.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending