Our dream was to train horses full time so when we retired from our jobs at Qwest Communications after over 30 years of living on the western side of the mountains in Oregon and Washington we moved to a small town in Central Oregon, Fort Rock is a beautiful quiet place where the sun almost always shines and there is plenty of room for horses.

We have been training horses for cutting and starting young horses for over 25 years and love the exciting prospect of a new horse to train.

Kelly was born in a farming community in Burke, South Dakota and moved to the Willamette Valley in western Oregon when he was nine to live in the small town of Dallas, he worked for the phone company in Salem after graduation and moved to the Seattle, Washington area in the early 80’s to work for the last 25 years of his employment with Qwest retiring after 34 years.

Roxy was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon getting her first horse for Christmas when she was 13, although she had been riding this horse for several years prior as he belongs to a close friend. Hiring on at the phone company after high school and moving to Seattle, Washington in the early 80’s with Kelly then retiring after 32 years with Qwest Communications to move to Fort Rock where, as Kelly says, it hardly ever rains.

Ashley was born in Renton, Washington and started riding before she could walk, literally.

She was in her first horse show when she was 3 years old and joined pony club at 4 years old competing in eventing on various horses and ponies for 6 years.

She also joined 4-H when she was 9 years old, showing in the performance classes earning many high point awards. She went to State competition in 4-H every year, first with her dog Lillie an, Australian Shepherd, as a junior competitor (they didn’t allow juniors to take their horses to State) then with her horse when she became an Intermediate competitor. She was always in the ribbons usually Grand Champion or Reserve Champion at the County and State level.  She would show more than one horse at County as she had a green horse and also showed in driving with several different horses and ponies.

Ashley’s first year to compete in cutting was 2007 and she was the Senior youth year-end Champion and received the Ed Freshour Memorial Scholarship. It was wonderful to see her Cutting as she had always preferred showing in English, Western, Trail, Fit and show, Dressage and Jumping to Cutting.

We hope the 2008 season will bring many new friends in the Central Oregon area and are excited to have a place to train where we can have cattle and buffalo to work.