Jay and his horse Sonny, up Niwot Ridge in 2000. Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Webel
JAY W. HEARST (1931-2021)
A belated tribute to longtime BCHA member and Board member Jay Hearst
by Suzanne Webel
I met Jay in about 1998 when he called me to announce, “We’ve never met but I ‘m calling to tell you I bet you’re glad we are not going to become neighbors!” I had no idea what the heck this complete stranger was talking about, but less than a couple of minutes in to the conversation it was clear we were going to be good friends.
It turned out that Jay was shopping for land to establish Colorado Horse Rescue’s new facility somewhere in Boulder County. The landlocked tract just east of ours was for sale, but the only legal access was along a very narrow strip of land that passed uncomfortably close to the front of our house. Physical access for a busy outfit like CHR would be long, expensive and fraught. But the final death knell for the deal was that Jay and his Realtor got hopelessly mired in the mud during their attempt to view the property and had to get towed out. So, instead, he found and purchased the much more appropriate property on 65th Street that people know of today as CHR.
Did you know that Jay was behind the CHR purchase, its multiple building construction projects, and its move to Boulder from Arvada? Did you also know that Jay was behind two big capital campaigns to fund major expansions of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, naming the campus the “Sonny Center” in honor of his favorite horse (whom he rode, joyfully, into the dedication ceremony)? Maybe you remember him instead for his long tenure on the BCHA Board, where he was quiet, humble, funny, eccentric, loyal, hardworking, self-effacing even. You’d never know that he was a self-made multi-millionaire who was exceptionally generous in giving away his fortune to animal-related causes. He gave BCHA his time and expertise, which were underappreciated but much-needed during a turbulent time for us.
Jay was a cheerful and fearless explorer, always eager to join me on many trail-related adventures including bushwhacking escapades in the backcountry looking for possible trail connections, many of which ended up in “Happy Trails” and on the BATCO map. Jay also supported our weekly BCHA trail rides and schmoozing on sedate walks-in-the-parks with government officials at our Public Lands Appreciation Days, convincing them of the merits of BCHA’s mission.
For his long service and dedication to horses, Jay was awarded BCHA’s Achievement Award in 2001.
