Website – About Me
I grew up with 13-14 hand Welsh cross ponies. I rode all
over our 120 acre farm and the western Pennsylvania hills for miles around the
farm. They taught me to love them and to hang on when they ran. With their stubborn ways, they taught me
patience. Others had troubles with their ponies, but I never did. My parents
have a photo of myself, my younger sister and older brother hanging onto very
small ponies. I think we were 3, 5 and
7. Ponies and horses have been part of
my life, except for a few years during college and early married years.
Tom and I have 3 children. Sara is married to Jake and they
have Makenzie and Kaytlyn. Jacob is
married to Amber and they have Caden and Tyler.
Our youngest son, Micah, lives close by in Lincoln. All 3 children rode and showed Quarter
Horses. Sara did all around Showmanship,
English Equitation and Hunter Under Saddle, and Western Pleasure
Horsemanship. All 3 children showed
Barrels and Poles. Micah added Reining and
Working Cow. We were privileged to have
the children show at the Quarter Horse Youth Worlds when the event was held at
Fort Worth, Texas. The boys made finals
in Pole Bending and Stake Race.
Empty nest came. I
operated a tack store for a few years.
Then I decided to go back to raising some foals. Over the years, we raised many Quarter Horse
offspring from our Good Asset stud, Grand Duke of Asset, out of a Boston Mac
Granddaughter. The last 10 years, we
felt the decrease in the horse industry, and we only raised ½ dozen colts. And a
few years ago, our stud became a gelding that I love riding. He and Shaggy, one of Duke’s sons, are my
main 2 horses that I ride in my Centered Riding Clinics.
I grew up trail riding and I started trail riding more. I started riding CTR’s, Competitive Trail
Rides, in 2007. I knew I wanted to get an Arabian as they were meant to ride
distances. I heard about Rushcreek
Arabians and how well they rode. When I
heard that Rushcreek Arabians were liquidating, I knew I had to go out to
Lisco, Nebraska and bring one home. I
ended up bringing 2 fillies home in the spring of 2012, 6 year old Rushcreek
Allie and 5 year old Rushcreek Bonita.
Both are lovely greys. I just
love their heads, their personalities, and how much they have bonded with me.
I rode in a limited distance AERC Endurance Ride in 2013 as
well as The Tevis Trail Educational Ride in CA. I caught the endurance bug. I want to do this! Last year, I rode RC Bonita, as RC Allie was
coming off an injury. This summer, I
started getting Allie in shape for fall CTR’s.
I hope to try a few 50-100 mile AERC rides each year.
But raising babies is what I love. So the summer of 2012, I also purchased 3
Rushcreek youngsters, 5 of the older mares and 2 younger mares. We had our first 3 Rushcreek bred offspring
in 2013 and 4 more in 2014. In 2013, I leased Shalimar Playboy, an Al-Marah
bred grey stallion, and purchased him the following year.
For a while, I’ll continue the heritage of Rushcreek
Arabians. And I plan on getting out
there on the trail on a few of them!
“God provides the opportunities, but it’s up to us to take
them.” A line for the movie, “Stranded
in Paradise.” I’m a romantic at
heart. With a great love for
horses! And Foals!