2019 Horses, Trainers and Judges
I was fortunate enough to be raised on a small family ranch in East Tennessee. Riding before I could walk sparked an early dependency on horses that I’ve never been able to shake. I was raised around gaited horses and quarter horses but got introduced to South African warmbloods and the Hunter/Jumper world in my early teens when I worked for a year at my grandmother’s ranch in Stellenbosch, South Africa. I enjoy experiencing horsemanship in different platforms and have continued to explore as many different riding disciplines as I can.
My horse training journey really began as a freshman in high school. Other than throwing hay, my main summer job was training horses. My father would buy a handful of 2 and 3-year-olds that were barely halter broke at the start of the summer and expect me to put 90 days on them by the end of summer. That became my routine every summer of high school. The horses taught me a lot through this process, and my training program began to really take shape.
After high school, I headed out west to the “Cowboy State” to attend the University of Wyoming. Working ranches in Wyoming and Colorado gave me the chance to experience the difference of ranch life on 1,000-acre spreads in harsh weather versus my small family ranch in mild Tennessee. After graduation, I continued west to California where I trained horses from San Marcos to Calabasas and worked with everything from Quarter Horses to OTTBs to Dutch Warmbloods. However, while training horses for a ranch in Hollywood I began to develop an affinity for working with Mustangs.
I carried this affinity with me to Arizona where I worked for a private boarding school and ranch as the Horsemanship Director. One of my highlights working at this school was the horse training program I started here. Each year a few of the students learned my method for gentling a BLM mustang, and together we built a foundation that will further the horse’s life around people. I believe that increasing the relationship and understanding between horses and humans improves the lives of each.
After spending some time training horses in Colorado and enjoying the Rocky Mountain landscape, I have most recently returned to Tennessee to base my operations. I am excited to be spending more time in the Smoky Mountain country that I grew up in.
I feel that there is something to learn from each style of horsemanship that has developed throughout history. My travels have allowed me to pull from Hunters and Jumpers to Cowpokes and Cow Punchers to Vaqueros and Buckaroos. I consider myself a student of all disciplines, but I focus on minimizing the use of artificial aids to communicate with horses. I am thankful to have been able to host clinics and work with horse owners around the country to improve their communication with their horses.
Douglas Owens Horse ‘Kendall’
Kira grew up riding with her mom on their Appaloosa gelding named Bug. One of her fondest memories is dozing off in the front of the saddle, while her mom took her on long trail rides through the fields of Vermont. In 2013, Kira moved to North Georgia and started volunteering at Angels on Horseback, a therapeutic riding center in Jasper, where she was introduced to Parelli Natural Horsemanship. In August 2014, she adopted a 4 year old mare names Patience and is currently working through the Parelli levels with her. In 2015 Kira established Genesis Farm in Cumming, GA where she teaches natural horsemanship to children and adults and also, at times, takes in a rescue horse to help prepare him or her for their forever homes. What Kira really loves to do is help people to better understand horse behavior and to “read” their horse’s body language. This enables horse lovers to not only be safer, but to make a closer connection with their horses through “love, language and leadership” (Pat Parelli)
Kira DeRosa horse ‘Skittles’
In got my first horse in 2010, began competing in team roping and barrel racing/pole events in 2012 and began training horse in 2014. I know that I do not have as much experience as a lot of people however, I have worked under some very good trainers and farriers learning all I can about the horse and training methods. I use a natural horsemanship method of training to create a well-rounded, safe horse. I enjoy developing a safe and happy partnership between horse and owner.
Being an animal control officer I see what happen to unwanted animals or animals that lack training. Because of this, I would like to be involved in training a horse to help it find a loving forever home.
Toby Daw horse Wyatt
I’m Tinker Moffitt, seems I’ve been riding and training horses what seems like all my life. Along the way I have had the honor of working with and learning from some of the most knowledgeable horsemen in our industry. Everyday is a new day training a horse a horse might remember yesterdays’ lesson or you might have to go a few steps back. Working with horses is a humbling experience. But at the end of the day it’s all about the horse.
Tinker was the winner of the 2018 GERL Rescue Challenge with his training partner Dreamer.
Tinker Mofffitt’s horse ‘Annie’
Marsha has over 40 years in the horse industry through raising and training American Quarter Horses. She holds titles in AQHA, IBHA and APHA doing both English and Western. She has been a Judge for 17 years and holds an Open Judges Card through OHSA.
Marsha is the owner of M&K Quarter Horses in Fairplay SC. Her goal for the Equine Industry is to make confident horses and riders to the best of their ability. Marsha has been honored to do a lot in the Equine Industry and at this time in her life she wants to give back and help promote good horsemanship.
While growing up in Douglas County, GA, Scott heard tales of horse adventures from his father’s childhood of picking out horses from the local auction, taking them home, jumping on, and learning to ride. Between the stories of his father and the cowboys he enjoyed watching in old Western movies, it only made sense for his family to buy and own a horse when he was in his mid-teens. Unfortunately the timing was not the best, but Scott never lost his love of the horse. Fast forward to the summer of 2013 and that is the summer Scott met Mylee. She was a Strawberry Roan Paint, and just what he needed. People say “…there is nothing better for the inside of the man, than the outside of the horse.” Scott would agree, and it was evident over the next three years as he worked with several horse trainers (Laurie Wilson and Joan McBride), watched training videos, read books and attended clinics in order to understand how horses think, how they react and most importantly how to build a relationship of leadership and trust with them.
Scott and Mylee had a successful run of competition in many local Obstacle Challenges, Trail Rides, and have most recently taken up Cow Sorting. In the Summer of 2016, he had the opportunity to work with friend and trainer, Joann McBride, with Copper Penny who would later go on to win the GERL Competition in 2016. He and Joann spent countless hours working on ground manners, trailer loading, riding, and then travelled to successfully compete in as many obstacle challenges as they could find. In March of 2017, Scott and his wife, Kathy, purchased Copper Penny from the GERL and gave her a forever home. Currently Scott and Mylee are competing on a 3-Man Open Arena Cow Sorting Team in West Georgia, and he is working with Copper Penny to continue refining her riding skills. Scott lives in Lithia Springs, GA and boards at Donegal Farm in Douglasville, GA.
Julie has been riding horses for 28 years. She started riding at a Morgan barn where she spent 6 years working and learning on weekends, summers, and after school before moving to an eventing barn where she began learning dressage and jumping. Julie attended William Woods University completing her B.S degree in Equestrian Science where she rode Saddle Seat, Hunter/Jumper, Western, Dressage, and Driving. She loves learning new skills and trying different experiences to build a deeper relationship with her horses. She believes variety makes for a happier horse! Julie and her Paint Horse Annie started competing in Extreme Obstacle Challenges where they have won numerous classes and two Buckle Series in 2017. She and Annie have also dabbled in trick training and cattle sorting.
Kendall is a four year old, 13.1hh sorrel paint mare who was brought into the impound in 2018 from Barrow County. Kendall and five other horses had been living in deeply muddy conditions and were very thin when they arrived. Kendall needed a tooth extracted due to a root abscess and after recovering she was sent to the Alto impound to be worked with by the inmates in their program. Kendall did well with groundwork but did not take well to a saddle or bridle so her training there did not progress. She has been difficult to catch and has seemed to prefer the company of other horses to humans. Early videos shared by Douglas seem to show her making a good bit of progress with those issues and we can’t wait to see her continue to demonstrate the training she’s receiving.
Skittles is a 14.1 hh 10-year-old sorrel and white Overo Pinto mare. From what we understand she was abandoned by a renter and left on her own for some time before she was picked up by Rockdale County Animal Control. She is sweet natured but has some baggage.
Wyatt is a 15 hh TWH/KMRH (Kentucky Mountain Racking Horse) 7-year-old Bay gelding. He was picked up, along with his 18-year-old mother, by GERL in September of 2018. He has never been ridden or had a saddle on his back. He is sweet and quick to learn
Annie is a 13.1 hh 3-year-old brown registered Quarter Horse and she is super cute! She was brought into the GDA Program in February of 2019, along with several other horses from Toombs County. Annie, formally named Whinny, has not had much handing.
