Over $22K raised for barn owner who lost ten horses in a fire over the weekend

Posted on February 7, 2022
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. (Photo courtesy: Heart of Illinois ABC)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $22,000 after 12 horses died in a barn fire over the weekend near Bloomington.

Kristy Doyle, the barn owner, said the fire erupted Saturday night east of Bloomington along Route 9, about three miles east of the Central Illinois Regional Airport.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was created to help Kristy, who built the barn from the ground up.

“As some may know, Kristy built up a legacy of beautiful performance horses and dedicated her entire life to others and her own horses, the horse community, her friends, and everyone she calls family,” the GoFundMe fundraiser read.

In the fire, 10 horses died, with another two later euthanized. The horses had six different owners in total.

“The past 24 hours have been a nightmare that has always been my greatest fear, and something I prayed would never happen,” Doyle said in a social media post. “There was nothing we could do but scream, cry and watch the nightmare unfold.”

One horse remains in veterinary care.

A link to the GoFundMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kristy-doyle-barn-fire?qid=fc017696985bb8b79b11440a79250104

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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