OUR STORY
Blue Sky Therapeutic Riding and Respite was founded in 2010 by a group of people devoted to developing a comprehensive program to help those living with disabilities. This includes individuals with autism, physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities, and also their siblings, parents, and caretakers. Blue Sky’s therapeutic riding center has helped many special needs individuals gain confidence and improve motor skills, cognitive ability and gain valuable life skills. We are creating an environment to teach life skills, offer the ability to participate in events such as Special Olympics, offer referrals to community resources and assist and offer support and respite to all members of a family with special needs children.
Blue Sky is dedicated to setting a new standard in service for our special needs community.
OUR MISSION
To provide a safe, happy and healthy therapeutic community that works to empower and propel our special needs citizens and their families to their fullest potential. We serve our valued clients by providing therapeutic horseback riding, respite, vocational training and entrepreneurial opportunities.
OUR VISION
HORSES
To grow our therapeutic horsemanship program not only in the number of instructors but also in our level of certification and quality of facilities which will allow us to serve a larger portion of our special needs community and our current riders at the highest level.
HOPE
By providing our citizens and their families hope and security for their future, it will allow them the opportunity to flourish and find their voice they so dearly deserve.
HOUSING
Work to create purposeful, quality, and affordable long term housing solutions for our clients.
Who was Adele Wilkeson, MD?
Adele Wilkeson, MD, was an extraordinary psychiatrist, accomplished equestrian, and steadfast advocate for the causes she believed in. She was admired not only for her professional achievements but for her deep kindness and unwavering spirit. Adele’s commitment to healing was more than just a career—it was her life’s mission. As a psychiatrist, she brought care, compassion, and insight to her patients, treating both mind and spirit. Her empathy made her a true healer, known for her ability to connect deeply with those who needed her most.
Beyond her medical career, Adele was a passionate equestrian. Her love for horses began in childhood, growing up with her twin sister, Rose, riding their beloved thoroughbred/Tennessee Walker cross, Sox, in Alvador, Oregon. During her medical school years at the University of San Diego, Adele rode for the U.S. Olympic dressage barn, a testament to her skill and dedication. After completing her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1978, Adele continued to combine her love of animals and psychiatry, contributing to the creation of Blue Sky, a therapeutic community where her expertise and passion could intersect.
Adele’s work with Blue Sky laid the foundation for a healing space that integrated therapy with equestrian care, but tragically, she passed away on January 26, 2009, at the age of 60, before seeing her vision fully realized. After Adele’s passing, her twin sister Rose Wilkeson stepped in to carry on her sister’s dream. Rose became an integral founding member of the Blue Sky board and played a critical role in establishing its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Like her sister, Rose had a deep love for animals, particularly horses, and shared Adele’s vision of creating a therapeutic community that would bring healing and hope to others.
Rose’s own career was as distinguished as Adele’s. After joining her sister in Massachusetts, she worked as a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital for 20 years. At the time she joined the Blue Sky family in 2009, she was an executive at Genzyme Pharmaceutical. Rose continued her involvement with Blue Sky well into her retirement, offering financial support that led to the purchase of Blue Sky’s current property, as well as ongoing monthly contributions and invaluable moral support and friendship. Her unwavering dedication to guiding the vision in honor of her sister has left an immeasurable impact on the community.
Together, Adele and Rose’s shared love for healing, animals, and service to others has created a lasting legacy. Adele’s spirit lives on through Blue Sky and the countless lives it touches—a testament to the strength of her vision and the devotion of her twin sister, Rose.
Adele Wilkeson—sister, friend, healer—your memory continues to inspire us all.