Long before the chickens, as a very young girl growing up in El Paso, Texas …
I LOVE HORSES! What little girl doesn’t? But my story is simple… I wasn’t athletic, overly tall for my age ( any age!), but had parents who really wanted me to find a lifelong love and to feel confident about myself. So when all my friends were playing volleyball, softball and cheerleading, I was at the barn. I rode and showed Saddlebreds untill I went to SMU. I’m now riding with the ‘Cool Kids”… better know as Hunter/Jumper riders. I still ride in an englsih saddle, but I’ve added to the excitement with soaring over jumps. Most kids start jumping at an early age- not me, I started jumping at age 50!
Regalo, my first hunter horse…Memorial Park, Houston
My father had serious conversations with husband #1 and #2 that I would only be happy if I had a horse. Soooooo glad they didn’t ditch me… because when I wake up my go-to-happy clothes are my Jodphurs, not my newest Oscar de la Renta!
I now have two Hunters, much to Scotty’s chagrin. ( As Kate Hobby Gibson told me several years ago, Jana you need two horses because is seems as though one is always on a break of some sort😜) Both horses enjoy the life of luxury at Rondezvous farm in Tomball, Texas. Nada Wise and Evan Pender train the boys and I… put us in the horse show ring and pray that I’ll remember what they’ve been teaching me over and over. They’re motto is “If you can imagine it… we can help you Achieve it”! Don’t you just love their optimism😄?
I do ok in the horse shows… but I mainly just love being around my horses! In the summer they flourish at Rancho Vista in Missouri Heights downvalley from Aspen. The ‘barn’ is totally my happy place as I can spend the whole day there and never get bored… Tarah Wolf trains me in Colorado…. her lessons are world -class planned!
I want you to know that this jumping thing is super challenging and remember most if not all the other girls have been doing this since birth! Soooo after spring showing in Houston ( Great Southwest Equestrain Center) I take them to Aspen each summer and love watching them graze on the green grass in the cool mountain sunshine.
I have shown both horses in Texas, Colorado and Florida… such a blessing to have experienced these great shows). It would have been so convenient if I loved Golf or could sit still long enough to enjoy bridge. 😜 PS… I’ve actually worn my breeches to play at Maroon Creek Club in Aspen and PLAYED A BIT BETTER!
This ribbon was from the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington… a very proud moment for a skinny girl who grew up in El Paso!
Many of the owners and trainers havet SUPER Big Campers like my friend Lauren (I call them the Rock-Star Campers). I rented this teeny tiny rental version while at the Colorado Horse Park….and LOVED IT! Never slept better😍
Here I am again with the best of both worlds… Our home in Aspen sits comfortably 2 mi outside of town while my horses board down valley at Rancho Vista (BFF Lauren and Brian Sherry’s ‘dream Barn’) Scotty has an international flavored city , 5 star dining etc and I can be at the barn downvalley in 30 minutes!
Grace Kelly, age 12 now, is another story.. the best of stories. She has traveled with us everywhere, even to a couple of countries. Our kids don’t even wonder where they’re place is when it comes to Gracie.
Don’t you just love the look on Regalo’s face?!
You see the ‘Chicks’ are my newest fettish, but these magnificent animals will always have my heart!
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. Winston Churchill
Let’s hang-out again soon… I hope I’ve brightened your day a bit!