A New, Better Life
Starting from scratch in a new country from virtually
nothing would seem all but insurmountable to most, but
after enduring all they did to escape Czechoslovakia, cre-
ating a new life for themselves in Canada was a welcome
challenge. Nygaard finished her schooling and went on to
university, eventually earning a law degree. She had al-
ways loved horses, but seldom had the opportunity to in-
teract with them, so as a graduation gift to herself after
passing the bar, she splurged on an experience that, once
again, would change her life.
"I gave myself the gift of going to a dude ranch. They
would give you a horse, a map, and lunch, and you could
go anywhere and just explore," she said. "To just be alone
in nature and build this relationship with your horse - it
was incredible. When I returned home, I was determined
to get a horse of my own."
With the help of a friend, Nygaard found a horse to lease,
and the plan was to do so for the foreseeable future, but a
spur of the moment trip to an auction changed all of that.
