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Susan Watkins
is a professional animal trainer with more than 30 years experience in animal
behavior, working with everything from lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) to
chickens (yes, you can teach a chicken to cross the road!) but specializes in
horses.
As a youth, Sue rode hunters, jumpers, and dressage at the illustrious Foxfield Riding Academy. She holds a Bachelors’ in Animal Husbandry from Cal
Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she was an active member of the Horse Show Team,
and the Polo, Vaulting, and Cutting/Reining Clubs.
As a very accomplished
Horsewoman, her diverse professional experience includes serving as a pack-guide
and wrangler for Commercial Pack Stations, starting a variety of breeds for the
show ring and the race track.
A renowned specialist in training trick horses
even zebras, Sue’s work can be seen in numerous television productions and
feature films. She also volunteers as the Mounted Division coordinator and
instructor for a Search and Rescue Unit.
Sue became interested in
the Kigers several years ago at a search and rescue training. She now shows and
trains them almost exclusively. With her expertise and guidance, our Kigers
have found a home in many diverse disciplines.
A devotee of the
traditional Vaquero horsemanship style of old California, Sue relies on a solid
foundation of ground work, ranch & trail work, plus formal dressage, to develop
solid, responsive horses suitable for any discipline.
Accomplishments:
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2009 Extreme Cowboy Race 5th and
6th place Pro Division (Riding 2 green mustangs)
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2009 Mountain Valley Extreme Mustang Makeover Contest
Trainer
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1st Place Stall Decorating Contest
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1st Place Body Conditioning Score
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5th Place Extreme Trail Course
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Top 10 Finalist
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8th Place final placing
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6th highest selling horse
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2009 California State Fair Military Tribute Flag Bearer (3
Kigers)
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2009 California State Fair, Carousel of Breeds Participant
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2009 Western States Extreme Mustang Makeover Contest
Trainer
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2009 Qualified TIP Mustang Trainer for MHF/BLM
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2009 Lifetime Membership Award Western Fairs
Association
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2008 Trail Blazer Magazine, Battle of the
Breeds Contestant
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2008 California State Fair, Carousel of Breeds
Participant
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2008 Sacramento Horseman’s Association High
Point English Rider 18 + over
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2008 Western States Horse Expo Horse Sale, Top
5 Yearling
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2008 Sacramento Co Sheriff Search and Rescue
Sensory Clinic Instructor
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2007 California State Fair, Carousel of Breeds
Participant
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association High Point
Senior Rider Open
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Reserve High
Point Senior Rider Kiger
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Reserve High
Point Senior Horse Open
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Champion Gelding
Open
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Champion Gelding
Kiger
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Reserve Champion
Halter Stallion Open
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2007 Kiger Mesteno Association Dun Factor
Champion
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2007 Sacramento Co Sheriff Search and Rescue
Sensory Clinic Instructor
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2007 Sacramento Co Sheriff Search and Rescue
Mounted Division Coordinator
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2006 Sacramento Co Sheriff Search and Rescue
Mounted Division Coordinator
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Eli Ruonavaara
acquired his first Kiger in 1998. A wild captive bred grullo yearling gelding.
As they developed their partnership, Eli simply could not take him anywhere
without being stopped numerous times by people of all walks of life - horse
aficionados or not - asking “what kind of horse is that?” He knew then he would
spend his life trying to share his magnificent Kigers with everyone he could.
Eli logs countless miles on the trail, and also rides in Kiger breed
demonstrations, western shows, trail trials, numerous horse organizations and is
involved in mounted search and rescue with his Kiger Mesteno horse Wallowa’s Rio
Smoke. In addition, with his excellent eye for the true Kiger look, every
summer Eli traverses the hills of Oregon with camera and binoculars in tow,
choosing our new crop of wild young prospects. He enjoys handling and gentling
the young colts as great relaxation from his stressful corporate job. |
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Kigers de los
Californios:
By 2000 Eli knew he had to
start bringing these magnificent animals back to California - their original
home- to expose more people to their beauty, grace and versatility. In 2002,
plans were finalized and the first five Kigers arrived from Oregon, followed
shortly by several more. They were all placed in new homes within six months.
They now happily range from California to Wisconsin. From that simple beginning
we now have a steady stream of wild Kigers coming into our training facility. We
usually have from 5 to 10 Kigers in training and for sale at any one time.
We specialize in providing
quality, trained horses in a range of ages that will bring you many years of
pleasure and service no matter the discipline. Each horse is personally
selected for conformation, breed type and trainability. Susan trains using the
traditional Californios methods, proven over the centuries to be effective,
providing the ultimate bond between horse and rider. All young horses are shown
at halter, and have solid ground skills, stand for farrier, load/trailer, pony,
etc.
Our mission is to offer
quality, well bred, young Kigers to the public that have a solid foundation and
the skills necessary to ensure the success of both the horse and human in their
future partnership.
We are honored to present
you with the opportunity to own a piece of living history, the Kiger Mesteno
Horse!
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