[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation’s 2026 Champions of the Valley who will be honored for their volunteerism and community service Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.]
Every Sunday at the Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program, Susan and Rod Caughell show up.
They have been doing it since 2005.
Through holidays, bad weather, family celebrations and the ordinary demands of life, the Caughells have spent more than two decades caring for horses and making sure the animals are ready to serve children and adults with disabilities when the week begins.
It is the kind of volunteer work that rarely draws attention.
That may be exactly why it says so much about them.
“Their reliability has allowed our staff to focus on delivering life-changing equine-assisted services, knowing the horses’ evening care is in trusted hands,” interim executive director Jillian Knight wrote in nominating the couple for a Santa Ynez Valley Foundation 2026 Champion of the Valley award.
The numbers are remarkable.
Knight estimated that the Caughells have given thousands of volunteer hours to the therapeutic riding program alone.
But their community involvement extends well beyond the barn.
Rod began coaching Santa Ynez Valley youth sports a few years after the family moved to the area. He coached basketball at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School from 2003 to 2018 and, after a four-season retirement, returned to the job in 2022.
He also operated ServiceMaster franchises from 1991 to 2023.
Susan’s volunteer journey expanded when their firstborn, Allison, became involved with National Charity League, a mother-daughter service organization, beginning in the sixth grade.
Over 18 years, Susan and her daughters volunteered throughout the valley for organizations that include the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society, Valley Haven, People Helping People, Solvang Lutheran Home, Solvang Theaterfest, Solvang Library and Therapeutic Riding.
The couple also have volunteered in roles connected to their church, Valley Christian Fellowship, since 1995.
What began as a weekly commitment to help at the riding program became a family tradition.
Their daughters, Melissa and Heather, and son Chad eventually joined them as volunteers, and today the Caughells are continuing to bring another generation — their grandchildren — into the experience.
Staff members describe them as among the program’s most reliable volunteers.
“They’re without doubt the longest-running volunteers.”
“Week in and week out, they are wonderful to us.”
“This family deserves an award for their continued weekly support.”
“We could not do what we do without people like you.”
Rod said his years coaching young people grew from the influence coaches had on him when he was young.
“I believe a foundation of hard work ethic, attitude, getting along with others and working together for a common goal leads to a successful life,” he said.
The Caughells have called the Santa Ynez Valley home for 43 years.
“This community has given so much to our family over the years,” Susan said, “and we are thankful that we have had the opportunities to serve our community in many different ways.”
Their record suggests that service doesn’t always require a grand gesture.
Sometimes it requires something harder: showing up.
And then showing up again the next Sunday.
Champions of the Valley
Since 1995, the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation has been honoring exceptional local volunteers whose tireless community commitment enriches the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos, their residents and a wide range of local organizations.
This year’s honorees for the 31st Annual Champions of the Valley are Kros Andrade, Dennis Beebe, Susan and Rod Caughell, and Veronica Sandoval.
Youth Community Champions are Lupita Alvarado and Bella Sim.
The awards will be presented at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.
The Champions of the Valley celebration is sponsored by the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Flying Z Ranch-Betty and Ron Ziegler, Kiani Preserve, Presqu’ile-The Murphy Foundation, Linda Stafford Burrows, Manchester Capital Management, the Nagler Family Fund, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, Allan Hancock College, Arcadia Studio, Brady Group, Edward Jones-Kelly Hunziker, Hometown Insurance Services, Montecito Bank & Trust, Noozhawk, Old Danish Fudge Kitchen, Rancho Carmina-Hayley Firestone, Shoemaker Family Fund, Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation, Charlotte’s of Santa Ynez, the Grenier Family, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Ynez General-Turnbull Family, Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, Town and Ranch Properties-Michael Nicola and Gabriel Bustamante, Laura and Chris Urquidez, and Visit the Santa Ynez Valley.
The honorees were chosen by a panel of foundation board members and former honorees, based on nominations made by the community.
The honorees each receive a $1,000 grant to support a nonprofit organization of their choice. The Youth Community Champions each receive a $1,000 scholarship to further their education.
Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation is dedicated to a mission centered around grant-making, extending financial support and resources to a diverse array of local organizations and initiatives in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys.
The grants are strategically channeled into key sectors, including food security, health and human services, support for seniors, arts and culture, youth development, and education.
The foundation also administers a robust College Scholarship Program designed to empower ambitious college-bound local students.
Currently, 64 students are beneficiaries of this program, receiving scholarships to facilitate their pursuit of higher education and, in turn, contributing to the overall advancement of the community.
