in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 15 ,2 02 0 | 20 The site of the new Holy Family Cemetery © G oo gl e M ap s ANewCemetery forHaltonRegion Holy Family Cemetery is open to assist members of the Catholic community in Halton. Conveniently located at Lower Base Line and Bronte Road, the cemetery offers options for in-ground burial and above-ground niches for cremated remains. T h e R om a n C a t h o l i c E p i s c o p a l C o r p o r a t i o n o f t h e D i o c e s e o f H am i l t o n i n O n t a r i o www.thecatholiccemeteries.ca For more information, please call 1-800-661-5985. She was an extraordinary young lady, by all accounts. A wise old soul, her father would say. She was mature and fearless and brave, said her older sister, Chloe. At 14, Zara Buren was bright, determined, kind and encourag- ing with a strong work ethic and a hunger for knowledge. She lived in the moment, and for every mo- ment, especially those spent with her pets -- the cats and dogs that share the family's Oakville home and of course, her horse, Monkey. Her empathy knew no bounds, a trait that shone through even as a toddler, when she became dad- dy's little helper after a mountain bike accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. "She was a rare little human," said her mother, Sabrina Haque, her voice breaking. "She wouldn't have had any idea the effect she had on people." The evening of September 21 was like any other; a routine trail ride for mother and daughter. Za- ra and her mom spent countless hours at the barn, mucking stalls and grooming horses and many more happy times in the car driv- ing to Zara's training sessions and competitions. On this particular evening, while riding in the area of Mill- grove Side Road and Hwy 5 in Flamborough, Monkey became stuck in a marshy bog and al- though Zara was able to dis- mount, she became submerged while waiting for help. Valiant, but unsuccessful efforts were made to save her life. "I will be haunted every day with immense regret of the 'what ifs' of this horrible accident," said Haque at a celebration of life for Zara Oct. 2 held at the barn which was "her happy place." Of the unthinkable tragedy, Haque said Zara thought it was safe crossing across a muddy puddle to get to the next field. She lost her life trying to en- sure the safety of her beloved horse, said her mom. Every decision Zara made was thought out and deliberate; few things were left to chance, said her dad Rob Buren at Zara's cele- bration of life. "And her love for others in- cluding her animals, was para- mount in her decision-making. As her dad, this quality is one of the things I admired most about Zara, even though it's the same quality that has taken her from us. It's not fair but staying true to her values and doing what she be- lieved to be the right thing, the on- ly decision she could have lived with, and I'll always love and re- spect her for that." Zara was her mother's barn mate from the time she was two years old, standing in the stall with a grooming brush in hand and sweeping floors. Her passion for horses only grew and by 14, she was a skilled rider, an accom- plished eventer and a recent re- cruit for Ontario Equestrian's athlete development program, a group of young riders with "the drive and desire to work hard, train hard, willing to dig deep to achieve their goals." She was the youngest on the team. "She was an exceptional stu- dent of the sport, steadfast in her resolve to continually improve," said her mom. "She never gave up. She was so tiny but so brave. She wasn't in it for the ribbons, she was in it for the learning." Her exceptionality was equal- ly evident academically, where she was placed in Pilgrim Wood Public School's gifted program in Grade 4, and was mere days into the Gr. 9 IB program at White Oaks Secondary School when she lost her life. "I'm so grateful that we had her for that long, but it certainly wasn't long enough," said Haque. Three days after she was gone, the heartbroken family formulat- ed a plan, one that would keep Za- ra's memory alive and celebrate her "legacy of hard work, sports- manship, horsemanship and all those wonderful traits that she embodied." The Zara Buren Memorial Fund is the campaign her parents launched to establish a founda- tion to help other youth, who ex- hibit Zara's qualities, fulfil their dreams. In Zara's memory, the Zara Bu- ren Memorial Award, will be giv- en annually to a young Ontario rider who exhibits a passion for eventing, as well as commitment to their horse, a joint initiative of the Buren family and the Ontario Eventing Association. This unimaginable end to a beautiful life has left the family empty and forever changed, wrote Haque in her daughter's obituary. "Zara was so strong, she was very exacting, she was a perfec- tionist and she would expect nothing less from us; to give it our all. We try every day." "I'm so very proud of her, the way she lived her life as short as it was. She was exceptional in every way. I'm so proud to be her mom." To donate to the campaign, vis- it https://www.gofundme.com/ f/zara-buren-memorial-fund 'SHE WAS A RARE LITTLE HUMAN' Zara Buren in her 'happy place' - the barn. Facebook photo KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com NEWS YOUNG EQUESTRIAN REMEMBERED FOR HER KINDNESS AND SPIRIT "And her love for others including her animals, was paramount in her decision-making." - father Rob Buren