About Us -- Pleasant Ridge Farm, LLC., Horse Boarding and Training, Conifer, Colorado
Pleasant Ridge Farm, LLC. is a family owned and operated horse boarding, training, and breeding facility located on 27 acres in Conifer, Colorado. Approximately 12 years ago we purchased this property with the vision of developing a horse barn and arena. The wide, open flat meadows seemed perfect for this endeavour. Stands of aspen and lodgepole pine serve to provide cover for wildlife and color contrasts when viewed as a backdrop to the summer green meadows or white winter expanses. While our major problems seem to be the elk who persist in damaging our fences, we also struggle to get water to flow downhill in perceptabliy flat areas. In spite of this, our location has proven to be ideal for our horse operation. Another advantage of our location is that we are also adjacent to an outdoor arena operated for the benefit of neighborhood youth and the local 4-H program. The outdoor arena is a nice compliment to our indoor facility.
Chad DeVore
Chad serves as President of the LLC. and is largely responsible for the daily care and upkeep of the horses, barns, arena, and fences. Having been raised in the area, Chad harbors memories of many of the families who's early contributions to the community, 4-H program, and livestock industry still live-on today. Chad's experience with horses dates back to his youth. In fact, his first horse was a "loaner" loaned to him by Pauline Griffith, one of the founders of the Pleasant Park 4-H group. Although he was only able to keep this horse for about a year, it was an experience he has never forgotten. Then in the early 1970s, Chad spent nearly two years patrolling remote areas in the Phillipine Islands by horseback while serving in the Air Force as a Security Policeman. Most patrols were conducted during the nightime and countless hours and miles were spent in the saddle. In fact, the patrol horses were his "best friends" during the course of that experience. Later, pursuing a career in the U.S. Forest Service, Chad was assigned to Lake City, Colorado where one of his primary responsibilities was administering livestock allotments and recreational trails within the Uncompaghre and La Garita Wildernesses, necessitating extensive time on horseback. As Chad's career has taken him "out of the field" and working for other agencies, his riding time is now largely confined to occasional trail rides as a break from maintenance chores or construction on the barns and fences.
Pam showing 2nd level, USDF, Colorado Horse Park
Pam DeVore
Pam serves as Vice-President and co-manager of Pleasant Ridge Farm, LLC. While Pam never had her own horse as a kid, she had lots of friends who did. She spent many summer days during high school riding around the then open fields that are now part of Scottsdale, AZ.
Not until her adult years did she have the chance to do more riding. As an employee of the US Forest Service, she spent many days on horseback supervising activities in the wilderness. During that same time she was lucky to spend time with a local ranching family. Pam spent many weekends on horseback checking cattle and working during roundup.
When her daughter Brooke started riding lessons Pam commented to Chad that she had learned much from watching Brooke's lessons. Chad gave her lessons for Christmas that year and she still takes lessons every week as well as riding in local clinics.
Dressage is her passion. She recently sold Abraham, the Percheron/Thorourghbred cross shown in the photo. She was showing at 3rd level, training 4th and many FEI movements. In 2004 Abraham was RMDS Grade Horse of the Year. That year with his scores at 1st level he was accepted for registry and branding as an American Warmblood. At 2nd level, Pam won many Adult Dover Medals and a USDF/Dover Saddlery National Merit Award. It was time to move on. She is now retraining a hunter/jumper named Tango. He is a true 1st generation warmblood, 1/2 arab, 1/4 shirer, 1/4 thoroughbred. Will be showing at training level and 1st level next summer.
Pam does not teach or train other's horses in order to maintain her amateur status. Her focus is on the breeding, training, and marketing of our sport ponies.
Brooke training Wild Magic, LHF, 2007
Brooke showing at the Colorado Horse Park , 2006 Brooke, USDF Region 5, Training Level Champion, 2005
Brooke DeVore
Brooke specializes in Dressage but has had training and competed in many different disciplines. At 20, Brooke has assisted in the training or trained many horses by herself. She distinguished herself in 2005 by winning the United States Dressage Federation Region V championship at training level with a horse that she has trained by herself, Wild Magic LHF. She finished the year with the highest median score (70.5) of any Hanoverian at Training level ridden by a Jr/YR (Young Rider) and was ranked seventh Jr/YR at training level in the USA in 2005. On top of that, Brooke has also campaigned other horses for her former trainers, most recently Donntano and Weltmann. She has won the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society’s reserve championship at first level on Donntano. She finished 2005 with Donntano at 14th place nationally Jr/YR at first level. Brooke also won first place in the US for a Pinto Jr/YR at training level in 2002 on “Bo." In 2006 Wild Magic LHF was the reserve high median Hanoverian at 1st level with a Jr/YR. In 2005 she was also Reserve Junior Rider of the Year for the International Friesian Show Horse Association while the trainer for Quartz Hill Friesians.
Brooke has trained in Germany where she earned her “little bronze” medal at the age of 12. This is the 1st step required in Germany for becoming a professional rider. This not only included Dressage but also Jumping. She trained with the German Trainer, Alex Wortmann for four years. She has been a working student for Legacy Hill Farms, a working student for Jill Cantor-Lee (USDF Certified 2nd Level trainer), trained weekly with Kathy Simard (USDF Certified 4th Level trainer and “L” qualified judge) and most recently has worded for Petra Walimont at Sommerset Farm. Petra is a German trainer who is one of the most prolific winners in RMDS and USDF Region 5.
Brooke has shown horses in the Open horse show at the National Western Stock Show and Hunter/Jumper as well as many local 4-H shows. She was active in 4-H for 10 years. Besides her success in Dressage she has proven herself a winner at Western Pleasure, English, Hunter/Jumper, and Gymkhana. All this, while being one of the top United States Dressage Federation Junior/Young Riders. She is curretnly
After a couple of frustrating years for Brooke and Magic we've found that his real love is jumping. So he is now in training with
Colts Unlimited and for sale.
Brooke did campaign her mom's horse Abraham at 3rd Level and completed the requirements for the coveted and hard to get USDF Bronze medal and won the Regional Dressage Seat Equitation Championship.
Brooke has been the Colorado English Equitation Champion at the Colorado State Fair, as well as being reserve high point overall English rider for her age group. She also placed well in the western and ranch horse classes.
She showed 2 different horses at the National Western Stock show in January 2008. Placing in the ribbons in all but one class and winning 3 Western Pleasure classes.
Brooke currently enrolled in the horse training certification program at Lamar Community College and is on their rodeo team both in barrel racing and breakaway roping. Her dressage training has served her well in learning how to start young horses.
Kailey is our youngest daughter and is responsible for helping with chores and turnout. Kailey is 13 and has been riding for as long as she can remember. Besides riding she also takes karate lessons and plays on a local lacrosse team. She is a member of the Pleasant Park 4-H club. She takes part in the horse projects, dog training, and the pig and sheep livestock projects.
In her 1st year of showing dressage she competed at training level with Savannah Sunrise (Nicki), a POA mare. Kailey also shows in 4-H shows with NIcki. Due to Kailey's smaller size, one of her other jobs around the farm is starting our ponies under saddle. She started our Section C Welsh pony, Dony (shown in above photos) when he was three and took him to his 1st shows. They won every class they were in. She competed in several dressage shows with him at Intro (walk/trot) and came away with blue ribbons in high 60's and a 71% in his 1st show. They were the only team of a junior rider and a young horse. They beat mostly novice riders on very well trained older horses. Kailey and Nicki earned enough 60's at training level to qualify for the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society championships. However during her ride the wind was clocked at 40-50 miles an hour. With everything blowing down around them, they had difficulty staying on track and were eliminated. It was a tough weekend for even the most seasoned horses and riders.
The following year she rode our Arab Fizzy at training level and earned a 4th place at the RMDS Championships.