Life has gifted me with many hats, some that I wear frequently and others that I find myself wearing again after years on the rack. Most recently, I made a big move from a small Northern California coastal town working as a rural land real estate agent, to the East Bay where I now work as a horse trainer and English riding instructor. Lots of changes for a country girl like me, but one common denominator has remained and that is the driving passion I started developing as a child for all things equestrian.

I grew up in Florida, and basically lived at the barn of my youth where for 15 years I learned as much as I possibly could about good horsemanship, training, and riding. I went on to compete as a division 1 NCAA student athlete on the South Dakota State Equestrian Team and traveled the country with the team for 1.5 years before deciding to hang that hat and temporarily drop out of school. That hat (or should I say helmet) was partially shelved for a full 15 years as I immersed myself in all life had to offer, including river guiding in TN, finishing a degree in Wildlife Biology at Cal Poly Humboldt, beginning and ending two long-term relationships, developing a small business, living off the grid self-sustainably, and becoming an avid backpacker, surfer, yogini, and world traveler.

Time flew by and while I rode here and there where I could, the resources for upper-level hunter/jumper riders where I was living were slim to none. When my second break-up got ugly, I realized that the real estate market and the connections I had were not enough to keep me from pursuing my truest passion: horses. I applied for jobs all over the country, and finally found the perfect place to nurture my soul and hone my skillset. This blog is about my newest journey where I once again wear a black suede hat with a chin strap. Join me as I share the challenges, routine drudgeries, and hilarities that occur on a daily basis when you live and work at a competitive show stable. My life can quite literally be defined as Eat-Sleep-Ride, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.