Accidental tourists

Ask any young child what they want, if they could have anything in the world, and a good number of them would answer, "a horse." But not two Wasilla children.

Seven-year-old Kailea Cullin, and her brother, Chase, don't have to wish for a horse anymore. Earlier this summer, they bought a horse for the low, low price of $1. That's right, a buck.

"I didn't believe them when they [his grandparents] told me we won the horse," said Chase. "I still think it's hard to believe."

The Cullin children won Dodger, a yearling registered quarter horse, while on vacation this summer. They were staying with their grandparents, Dixie and Bill Amis, in Haines, Ore., for three weeks. While visiting their grandparents, the children took horse-riding lessons from Carla and Walt Hopkins. They have been taking riding lessons each summer for a few years now.

In July, Carla Hopkins took the children to a horse-related event at the Baker City, Ore., chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys.

While there, both Kailea and Chase took a dollar, of their own money, and bought raffle tickets for the horse. Sure enough, one child won.

But who, exactly, is the big winner will remain a mystery.

"They couldn't tell which one of the tickets won the horse, so they decided to share it," said Amy Huggins, their mother.

They found out they had won the horse after they returned to Alaska. "I was surprised," Kailea said.

There were more than 4,000 tickets sold, at $1 each, as part of the raffle. Even by purchasing two tickets, the odds of the Cullins winning the horse was remote, at one in 2,000.

"Nobody thought they actually would win it, but they did," Amy said. "Dodger is only a year old, so it will be two more years before they can ride him."

Dodger is staying with the children's grandparents in Oregon for now. They have housed horses for their neighbors, so it wasn't a burden for them to take in Dodger.

Through being a horse owner, the Cullin children are learning about fiscal responsibility, too.

They are shouldering some of the load to keep their horse fed and housed.

"They each have to send $5 out of their allowances every month to their grandparents to help with the cost of Dodger," Amy said.

Chase said there is a bright side.

"At least it's not the whole allowance," he said with a smile.

Through winning a horse, Chase also has a new profession in mind when he grows up.

"I'm going to be a cowboy and train horses," Chase said.

Kailea got to feed and pet Dodger, but before she knew the horse was hers. She said it was about what she expected.

Next summer, both the children will get to spend time with their new horse when they visit their grandparents again.

For now, they are content showing pictures to their friends, some of whom don't believe they won the horse. Chase is a fifth-grader and Kailea is a second-grader at Larson Elementary.

"I'm taking the pictures in on Monday to show everybody," Chase said last Friday afternoon.

Kailea has wanted a horse for a long time, and she finally got one.

"Every year since she could talk she has asked Santa Claus for a horse at Christmas, and her parents for a horse on her birthday," Amy said. "She has wanted a horse for as long as I can remember."

There are no concrete plans for getting Dodger to Alaska.

"We are going to give it a few more years before we decide whether to leave Dodger in Oregon or bring the horse up here," Amy said.