I’m Pat Dye and I’m currently serving as your president.

 

I have loved horses as long as I can remember. My earliest memory having to do with horses is being a very young girl, riding the ponies at Broad Ripple Park in Indianapolis.  After years of pestering my parents, I finally talked them into getting a horse when I was maybe 9 or 10 - a pinto that I shared with my sister and brother. I do not remember much about him except that he would stop instantly when you fell off. Eventually, my parents bought me an Arabian stud colt and we somehow survived each other. When I went away to college, my parents donated him to a riding program.

 

I did not have a horse again until I was about 27 when I bought an Arabian gelding named Riffraff that many of you may remember.  Riffraff had just turned 2 and was green broke. He and I both had a lot to learn. Fortunately, I soon joined the Saddle Club where there were many experience horsemen (thanks Don, Herb , Duke and Ed) willing to teach the two of us a lot about trail riding, loading in trailers, etc. I have been a member ever since, eventually serving as secretary for 19 years and currently serving as president. I had Riffraff until he died just before he turned 25. I figure he probably had close to 100 different riders, mostly beginners, on him during his lifetime.  A few years after I bought Raffraff, I bought an Andalusian named Taco, whom I still have. He is 22 and on his way to having as many different riders as Riffraff. Several other equines have come and gone. Over the years I have had Quarter Horses, mules, Belgians and a Percheron. 

 

My husband, Stu, had not ridden much before I met him about 15 years ago, but he has learned to enjoy riding. Currently, we still have Taco, Annie (a BLM mustang that we adopted who is now a therapy horse with PEAKS), Annie’s daughter Kate (out of a Rocky Mountain stud),  Shawnee, a Rocky Mountain/Spotted Saddle cross, and Shawnee’s mother, Lacy (a TWH/Spotted Saddle horse). We also have 4 dogs and a cat.

 

Most of our riding is done at home.  I love to ride and enjoy helping other people discover the experience.  Stu and I really enjoy camping with the club and regret that we don't have time to do it more often but am hoping that will improve in years to come.