| Once upon a time... there was a little blonde haired girl in Iowa that fell in love with horses... ...and from lifes up's and down's SPIRIT WINS FARM was born... Only I believe I was always in love with them but never had the chance to have one until I was out of school. Finally, I bought my first horse and found an exceptional Paint (I was always in love with all horses but Paints in my book were the best!), Shelly's Event, a bay Tobiano mare in 1982 as a yearling. I trained her and showed her myself and after a few years, I decided to breed her. I looked long and hard for a stud to compliment her bloodlines and temperament and found Fistfuls Executive, a sorrel Tobiano stud. Patches, as I called her, foaled her first foal, PRISM CHIEF, A BAY HOMOZYGOUS COLT. Prism was shown not extensively as he should have, but enough to get an ROM in Pinto Color Halter and points in APHA western pleasure. I showed a few APHA shows, but back then if you didnt have a high dollar horse or the funds to send your beloved to a trainer you did what you could. Paint people back 15 years ago were pretty snobby to the little people. That now has changed and you are made welcome at most registered shows. I really liked the PtHA (Pinto) shows better as they were all very friendly, willing to talk to you and help you so I stuck with that for a long time. I moved from Iowa to Upper Michigan in 1991, and there the registered shows were few and far between unless you wanted to travel many miles. Therefore, I pretty much stuck to the local open shows and started breeding a few mares. Over the years I accumulated a group of mares for my then breeding program. The babies that I showed were always first and second in our open futurities. Conformation and temperament meant a great deal. As the years passed I have changed my breeding program to an extent. I was just getting into the Buckskin, Duns and Grulla/Grullo (dilute color) horses when I went through a nasty divorce. My two children, Bryce and Shawn, were now grown up. My love for horses did not stop through this and I had to literally fight for them in court. My horses were more important to me than the farm in Michigan. A very special Thanks to my Best Friend Bonnie for all her support through the divorce. Two year later I had "custody" of all 26 of my four legged KIDS. I did not have enough room to keep all of them so needless to say I did have to cut down on the number of horses. If I could have kept them all I would have. Prism spent two years in Wisconsin at Rock-N-Tree farm where Al trained Prism for the vigorous event of CMSA (Cowboy Mounted Shoot Association). Thanks Al and Dawn for all your help with the horses in those trying times. Had it not been for your support I would not be here today. Prism Chief who is now getting up in years, is still going strong as one of my Spirits Wins Stallions. I have now acquired another fine Stallion to compliment our Farm. TRUE GOLDEN JACK, A SMOKEY GRULLO HOMOZYGOUS STALLION. I have also started up my own business called Spirit Wins Embroidery. The year 2001 was not a very good year. My divorce wasn't quite final yet but I had gotten custody of my four legged kids along with the dually truck and the big stock trailer. I made, once again, another trip to Upper Michigan to get more horses. The trouble started before I even got out of the driveway. It started out with one flat tire on the trailer, mind you the truck and trailer were not new ones but they were suppose to be road worthy, according to the court. I should have known my X wouldn't follow the court order, he didn't on anything. Terri Dove, a Deputy Sheriff, helped me get the tire changed and I was now on my way to Wisconsin to bring the horses to Rock-N-Tree farm. What should have been a 5 1/2 hour trip turned into one of the most horrible days of my life. After 2 more flat tires and two leaky gas tanks on the truck, they looked like Swiss cheese, a wonderful patrolman stopped on the side of the road to help, I can't even remember his name, wish I could, and I finally arrived at midnight. My girls were really upset as we unloaded them. I thought "ok this is it, we made it and can now relax..." BOY was I wrong. While putting them in the barn and them being all upset, I ended up getting kicked in the face and the back at the same time. You got it! Broke my lower back in two places. This was March first of 2001. While recuperating from that accident that left me in a wheelchair for a month... (Never again) I was able to start my life again only to loose my dear Mom that June. I love ya Mom.... I ended up moving back to Waterloo with my Dad as he needed care from a stroke from a few years ago. My Dad and I kind of recuperated together. After a couple months of caring for my Father, I was hounded by some family members stating I was a no good person and that I needed to go out and get a job. Getting a job was the easy part, although it was hard to do with a mending broken back in which these family members didn't care about that at all.. Taking care of my Father was the hard part as he needed not 24 hour care, but help with meals, cleaning, laundry, yard work, shoveling snow and taking him on his errands that he looked forward to doing everyday. I found a real nice lady to come in and help him out. Although I found this Lady, a member of my family seems to think she needs credit for finding her. I know the truth to this and that is what counts. I was finally able to go back to work and after a year I started riding again. Doctors told me I would never ride again... Hey what do they know!!!!!!! What a year that was... I now lost my Father in August 2004. I love you too Dad..... To tell you all what a nice family I have, the morning after my Fathers service at the funeral home, they went to his house and took many items from his safe. There was even a person there who saw this being done and their statement was that they didn't want me to have anything. They now deny that anything was taken, even with a witness present on that particular day. What a nice family, huh.... But, you know Life is so full of different ventures and I thank God everyday for what I have. I know that when the other family members die that they will get what God sees fit to give them. Their judgement day is waiting for them. My family now consists of more 4 legged critters. Not wanting to leave them out of the picture, I have Merlin the Siamese who is really the heathen child of all times, and his new sister "Sassy". Then theres Nemo, although just a barn cat, he was a wild thing before being tamed down to make him a house baby. Theres also Simon, a linx mix cat and Midnight, who also was a barn baby, but after moving to Kentucky he decided he liked the house better. To accent my home I have 2 scarlet macaws, Sam and Jenny. They are still very young but starting to talk. While Sam is not as friendly as Jenny, Jenny is just a little cuddle bug. I love them all and I wouldn't know what to do without my little family. Lets don't for get the 2 love birds. They are very nice and sing pretty songs. BRYCE and SHAWN I love you both with all my heart! MOM A BIG Thank-you to my true friends Bonnie, Dawn and Al I Love Ya All !!! In 2006 my DREAM finally came true! SPIRIT WINS FARM is now located in beautiful Kentucky Only a few miles from the Tennessee border and it's "mine" - all mine! Not some husbands, but mine! I love my new home and my new life ahhh freedom and the "SPIRIT" finally WINS ! |
| WELCOME TO SPIRIT WINS FARM FARMINGTON, KENTUCKY |
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