03/25/2026
Right after Stevi and I were married, we rented a place while she finished up her degree in Radiographic Science to become a radiologic technologist (X-Ray tech). The place we rented had a small, circular cutting pen with no more than a 100-foot diameter. After we lived there for a few years, we bought a place that had an old cutting pen that was bigger, but the fence was terrible and it did not have ground suitable for Stevi to work her horses any faster than a lope. As the years went on, we tore down the fence and the ground got worse and Stevi could only turn the barrels in a trot. We were both working and did not have the extra money to haul in any better ground. We did not have a tractor or arena drag, so we would rely on using other people's equipment to help us. Needless to say, our ground was terrible so Stevi had to haul horses to other arenas so she could work them. This was a big-time challenge considering Stevi trained horses for a living. Looking back, what was a huge inconvenience was actually a blessing. Part of the experience needed to season young horses is hauling them to different arenas so they learn to do their job regardless of the setup, ground, etc. Because Stevi was forced to travel to multiple arenas in order to train her horses, I believe it became an advantage as her young horses learned to show up and go to work, regardless of the distractions that comes with new surroundings. Coach John Wooden said, "Adversity often produces unexpected opportunity."
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Pictured is ‘Belle’, she was a Famous Charmer we absolutely loved 🩷
