A sympathy wreath labeled “Our hearts are with you” is propped against the Happy Valley Farms signpost as horses graze in a field near a burned-out barn Saturday in Rossville, Ga. A fire broke out in the farm’s main barn Thursday night and 35 horses stabled there died.VIDEO
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John “Buck” Rogers ate dinner on his back porch Thursday night, as he often does. And as he dined on pork chops and mashed potatoes, he looked forward, between two trees, right at Happy Valley Farms.
Rogers, 51, loves looking at the farm. He’s lived in Rossville his whole life, and he said the community is proud of the farm, home to some of this country’s finest American Saddlebred show horses. When he was a boy, Rogers worked on the farm. He spent summers baling hay and cleaning whatever needed to be cleaned.
But on Thursday, about 8:30 p.m., Rogers saw smoke rise from the barn.
Immediately, he stood up and left his dinner behind.