Heaven Sent By Troy Anna Smith
Author: Troy Anna Smith troyannasmith@gmail.com
An accomplished pianist, equestrian, and animal lover, Victoria McCullough is sure to make a lasting impression upon introduction. Her soft voice and Northern Californian upbringing proves she found her charm and character young. And you can’t help but smile when she calls you “darling.” The strong willed, chairman and owner of Chesapeake Petroleum in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and life saver of more than 10,000 horses from slaughter, Victoria also rubs elbows with President Joe Biden, Senator Steven Cohen of TN, and many more among Congress within the walls of DC. She has received the humanitarian award from the Pegasus Awards Dinner in January of 2018 during the US Equestrian Annual Meeting. Victoria resides in Wellington, FL but is well acquainted inside Washington DC. The woman outside of her achievements has a heart of gold.
Most recently, Victoria has had her hand in supporting the movement for spinal cord injury awareness. “We had to bring the attention to Congress, I am a major supporter of paralysis and blindness awareness, and these projects needed a platform,” Victoria shares. “What this does is it gives the fundraising and research that is long overdue and it opens the right opportunities for spinal cord injuries,” she says. If you did not know already, September was National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. During the month of September, scientists and researchers acknowledge the hundreds of thousands in the United States and millions worldwide living with a spinal cord injury. Our beloved Irish Olympian Kevin Babington who suffered from a near fatal SCI in 2019 was honored by Victoria multiple times via sponsorship through the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament and the Victoria McCullough & The Davis McCullough Foundation. Every effort and sponsorship put forth has been donated to Kevin’s recovery, research, and funding following his fall during competition at the Hampton Classic Horse Show in 2019. Victoria has wholeheartedly dedicated herself to educating others on the importance of SCI awareness, and the discovery of ending paralysis.
The Kevin Babington Foundation not only regularly keeps the SCI community up-to-date with Kevin’s progress, but relevant safety, news, and spinal research regarding breakthroughs and the latest information on equestrian safety. All of this is supported thanks to sponsors like Victoria, a major nod to the activist with muscle, and grace. “Friendship is why we are all here,” Victoria says. “Without the entire support of our community, and our friends, we wouldn’t be here, and that is what is so important, our friends.”
