A powerful tornado that struck the Quail Run Horse Centre in Elkhorn, Nebraska, on Friday, April 26, in the midst of a USEF-recognized hunter/jumper show, injured multiple horses and destroyed parts of the show grounds. 

The tornado was ranked an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, according to the National Weather Service, which means it brought gusts of up to 165 miles per hour at the time of landfall. Quail Run staff said no humans were hurt, but some horses suffered lacerations and eye injuries from flying debris and are being treated by the Nebraska Equine Veterinary Clinic. 

The north end of the facility’s indoor arena collapsed, several barns and staff housing were damaged, and fencing, arenas and judges’ booths destroyed, said Dan Urban, a trainer at the facility who also co-owns Urban Equine Events LLC, which stages shows at Quail Run.

Urban Equine Events was hosting the second of two weeks of the Omaha Equestrian Preview and Spectacular, a National-rated hunter/jumper series, at the time of the storm. The weather was severe enough Thursday evening that classes were postponed Friday and moved to the weekend. But on Friday afternoon, the tornado made landfall, said Jim Urban, Dan’s father and the owner of Quail Run.

Since the show had already been canceled for Friday, many competitors had left the grounds, Jim said, “which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” 

The facility has 51 permanent boarder horses, and more were in for the show, for about 200 on site when the tornado hit. Some horses were in the main barn while others were in an open-air permanent stable that is used for shows or tent stabling. When the severe weather alerts went out Friday, the Urbans, their staff, and horse show EMT Mike Dwyer, a former fire chief well-versed in first response needs, mobilized to protect human and equine life.

“[Dwyer] directed everyone to the safest part of Quail Run’s main barn and gave the duck and cover instructions,” Jim said. “Mike is truly a superhero for his efforts Friday and many times for others in the past.” 

About 40 people took shelter inside the main barn, most in the restrooms and others huddled in the concrete wash stalls with blankets and saddle pads over them for protection, Dan said.

Kelsey Mogel, who trains horses out of Maple Plain, Minnesota, called Dwyer and the Urbans heroes for their quick thinking and effective communication.

“We went into one of the concrete bathrooms with our two dogs,” Mogel wrote in an email. “We were under blankets. You could hear Mike communicating that the storm was ‘three miles [out], one minute out, it’s here. Everyone get down, get down. Stay down; it’s not over.’

“We heard the noises, heard the debris flying around, not knowing if everyone was safe, or what would be still standing,” she continued. “The noise—I don’t ever want to hear that noise again. It felt like an eternity.”

The storm lasted about 15 minutes in their area, Dan said.

“The second we knew it passed, my brother and I sprinted down to the stables to check on the horses,” Dan said. “The first thing I did was catch a loose horse and put it into a random stall. The tent had mostly collapsed over the stabling, so we had to remove those horses. One horse was a bit trapped in the stall, where it was folding into him. The injuries were minor—some eye issues from the debris and some lacerations.” 

Some horses were trailered off property when their current stalls weren’t deemed safe, Jim said, and after they left, help arrived.

“We were humbled by the number of people that came to help. Some were boarders or customers, but many were others from the horse community and other folks we didn’t even know,” Jim said when the clean-up began Saturday. “People came with excavators and skid loaders, grapplers, pick-up trucks and trailers, as well as with chainsaws. We are in awe and forever grateful for all those who have offered physical and financial support, way too many than I could ever possibly list. Clean up and debris removal are ongoing and will continue for quite a while.”

Quail Run has canceled the Springtime Sunshine show series scheduled for the end of May.

“We haven’t officially canceled any upcoming shows yet, but I’m sure we’ll have to,” Dan said. Along with the structural damage to barns and housing, the arenas bore the brunt of the storm.

“Our beautiful grand prix ring, which was surrounded by so many gorgeous trees [and] set with a course of lovely jumps, it was annihilated,” Jim said.

Quail Run used its Facebook page to thank the local community for its support on Saturday. 

“To the exhibitors present at the show, thank you for displaying such grace, patience and understanding as we navigated this horrific event. We went through this unforgettable experience together, and I am grateful we now have an epic story to tell,” stated the social media post. “I am so thankful everyone made it out safely.” 

Jim had a long list of people he wished to thank for their help: Patrice, Dan and Tom Urban; Kevin Booth; Sierra Trogdon; Gail Dwyer; Charlie Carre; Dannee Risler Urban; Ryan Gibson and Marissa Rose are among them.

The Omaha Equestrian Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation, has also launched a tornado relief fund for equestrians impacted by the storm. Tax deductible donations can be made here. 

Separately, Marjory Berkache started a GoFundMe page to support the venue. By Tuesday, the page had raised more than $75,000 for clean-up and recovery efforts.