Although I was born in the southern part of Germany in a little town on the Danube River, I have spent most of my life in Michigan. At the age of 5 my family and I arrived in this country by way of an army troop carrier. It took 10 days to cross the Atlantic in turbulent January seas. It was quite a memorable trip.

Even though I was born with the love of horses deeply implanted, we did not have the finances for such "foolish" and expensive things. The only real horses I knew were the ponies at the park that went around in a circle for 10 cents a ride.

I would beg my parents to take me there on special occasions. I spent my childhood reading horse stories, watching "My Friend Flicka" on TV and drawing horse pictures. It was not until I was in my thirties that my daughter and I started taking backyard hunter/jumper riding lessons. Being total amateurs, we spent several years buying the wrong horses and taking lessons from the wrong instructors. THANK GOD FOR FINDING THE ROWE STABLE!

After taking lessons on school horses, I eventually purchased Sharon Rowe's Grand Prix horse, Kaisers Realm. WHAT A THRILL!! He had the patience of a saint teaching me the wonderful world of dressage. He now is 30 years old and retired. I now own a beautiful 17H Hanoverian/TB mare named Marleena. thanks to Jim Rowe for breaking her - Thanks to Tracy Rowe McEwan for putting the basics on her - and thanks to Sharon Rowe who is working with her now. I feel extremely lucky having such talented and knowledgeable professionals to guide me and work with my horse. It is truly a dream come true.

I now help run our family building business, am mother of two fine married children, grandmother of four beautiful grandchildren, and have an understanding husband that never complains about my daily trips to the barn. It doesn't get any better than that!