I only got involved with horses on an ongoing basis in 2002 when my daughter joined Westernaires. Shortly after that I became a volunteer Wrangler with Westernaires – which also introduced me to mustangs. We got our first horse in 2005, and six days later, on Friday July 22, 2005, I was introduced to the Jefferson County Horse Council and the Emergency Evacuation Team when our horse was evacuated from the North Table Mountain Wildfire. From that experience I joined Jefferson County Horse Council and have continued getting ever more involved with horses. Today I do trail rides, patrol as a Jefferson County Open Space volunteer, reenactments, obstacle courses, some driving with my daughter’s carriages, and most anything else if it involves a horse. I currently have two mustang saddle horses, Riley and BoJack, and one retired Westernaire pony, Barney. Too much fun!

Lisa Woodward has had a horse since she was five years old. She grew up riding horses on the trails and joined Westernaires where she graduated from the Varsity Bid Red Team in Westernaires. She has been a long-time trails advocate and She and her husband Rick planned all of the trails in Bear Creek Lake Park as well as the horse arena in the park and they were recognized for their work by Open Space. Professionally she is an engineer (Colorado School Mines alumni) as well as a pharmacist (University of Colorado).

In September, 2004, Lisa was appointed to the Jefferson County Equine and Agriculture Heritage Commission for a three year term. The Commission was formed in 2021 and is tasked with assisting the Board of County Commissioners in their efforts to preserve the equine and agriculture activities currently hosted at the Jefferson County fairgrounds.

I was born a horse lover. A pony was all I ever wanted from Santa Claus. My stick horse ’Trigger’ was my constant companion. I bought my first horse-an unbroken 3 year old mare-a year or so after college. She taught me a lot and I survived the experience ending up with a great riding horse. Shortly after I bought a bred Appaloosa mare who produced a show quality stud colt. I showed him, stood him at stud, and rode him for over 20 years. His name was Hijacker and he could do anything. He was a once in a lifetime horse. I’ve been a horse owner for over 50 years and each one has been a unique animal with its own special message if you are smart enough to listen. I currently have three horses which live with me north of Golden—Gambler in the picture, Dash who is Gambler’s mother a gray running bred quarter horse, and Hawkey who is a black and white paint gelding. I’ve been a member of Jefferson County Horse Council for over 20 years and a board member for quite a few of those. I’ve tracked JeffCo Land Use Cases for a number of years gaining an appreciation for how this area of our County Government works and unfortunately watching as more agricultural land is converted into residential and commercial. I’ve lived in the Golden area since 1980 and the changes to this area have been dramatic. In 2022, I volunteered to take on the duties of JCHC Treasurer and helped to rebuilding our Emergency Response Team. It is been my great pleasure to work with all the dedicated Officers and Board members including our Emergency Evacuation Team volunteers.

I am a 4th generation Colorado horseperson and as such have seen a lot of change to trail access, attitudes and knowledge about horses and horse ownership, and understanding of land stewardship.  Preservation of open land, and sharing that land with each other and the wild flora and fauna that live there are critical now, and especially in the future.  Preservation of our Colorado equine heritage, and agricultural heritage is part and parcel to the issues around preservation of open land, and it is essential for the equine and agricultural communities to work together to ensure a future through community, advocacy, and education.  I firmly believe that local grass roots organizations are the key to making this happen, and JCHC is one of those key organizations. 

Also part and parcel to preservation for future generations are the issues around climate change.  As our world warms, severe weather events and wildfires have and will continue to be more common.  JCHC’s all volunteer Emergency Evacuation Team is an essential part of disaster preparedness and provides a crucial service to the equine and agricultural communities.  I am very proud of this organization and what it has achieved and will continue to achieve and am honored to be part of the board. 

My background in this community was having the privilege to grow up in Golden Gate Canyon with horses and the freedom to ride all over those mountains; riding from home to Golden, Golden Gate State Park, and Central City, among other places.  I was heavily involved with 4H, raising sheep, rabbits, chickens, and of course participating in all the horse programs.  Career wise, I graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, followed by an additional 6 years of training in Veterinary Pathology with Purdue University, and am currently a pure researcher focused on diseases affecting vision, brain, and skin.  My current equine partner is Sophie, a Saddlebred/Friesian cross mare, who will go anywhere and do anything.  We do a lot of trail riding, including patrolling together for Jeffco Open Space Equine Ambassador program.  Sophie is the latest in a long line of American Saddlebreds in my family; my grandfather and great grandfather  bred these amazing horses for ranch work in the Colorado rockies due to their stamina, can-do attitude, level-headedness and easy gaits, which perfectly describes Sophie.  Horses are an amazing partner to mankind in so many ways… and they deserve a future.

I didn’t grow up with horses but I was the kid who had a million Breyer model horses and loped around the backyard with my stick horse all summer long! I worked at a barn through college and have volunteered at several horse rescues and therapeutic riding programs. I currently do not have a horse of my own but I love trail riding whenever I get the opportunity and participating in Adult Ride with Westernaires. I got involved with the JCHC by way of the Emergency Evacuation Team.

As far back as she can remember, Suzi has a love and appreciation of all animals but horses have always been her favorite. Growing up in unincorporated Golden allowed her the opportunity to be around a number of boarding facilities and horse owners. Not having a horse of her own, she started borrowing a friend’s horse and riding the ditch trails all over South Table Mesa, then joining Westernaires. At the age of 14 she got her first horse, Van Deck. Vandy and Suzi graduated Westernaires in 1987, then branched out into CSU Polo, guided trail rides along the Poudre River, a little jumping and English riding, and some barrel racing. She joined Westernaires again in 2007-2014 as an instructor. Having parted ways after 24 years with Vandy, Suzi recently met her next equine buddy, Tucker, who currently lives at J&G Lazy P, in Arvada. Having ridden so freely around S. Table Mt, trail riding and the accessibility of trails for horses is what initially brough her to JCHC. With an interest in fighting for our open spaces, trail accessibility, and safety, continued education and outreach are a large part of why she stays involved with JCHC.

Hi I'm Michele Hovet - I was born and raised in Jefferson County and had horses since I was 6 years old, so I have been fortunate enough to ride all over Green Mountain, Morrison and Table Mesas before much development. My daughter and I each had horses in our backyard in Wheat Ridge and we did 4-H with Equilite. Now I ride at TMR or in Arvada open spaces and have my horse Romeo the paint, but also still my daughter's horse Polo and I have rescues and foster horses. My granddaughter Paige now rides too - nice to have generations of Jeffco horsewomen! I look forward to hearing from you. And helping preserve and expand our equestrian heritage.

Before my daughter joined Westernaires in 2010, I had no experience, and in fact, no interest whatsoever, in horses. But after watching her ride and spending time with the Westernaires herd, I got hooked. Over the next several years, I volunteered as a wrangler, instructor, head wrangler, and tack repairman in addition to spending many nights camping with the herd as a barn dad for my daughter’s, and later, my son’s, Red Division Teams. I bought my first horse, a palomino quarter horse named Baywatch, in 2019. His name was immediately changed to Mitch. Since then, an Overo paint gelding named Junior and a Colorado Ranger mare named Dusty, a former Westernaires string horse, have joined the herd.

Living in a fire prone area of unincorporated Jefferson County, I joined the JCHC in 2020 as an EET volunteer. I have served on the Board since 2022 and am currently focused on member communications and maintaining the organization’s website.

I have always loved horses as far back as I can remember. I was happy just to see or be near them. My family moved from Tahoe, California to Jefferson County, Colorado in 1982. I learned of Westernaires in the 3rd grade from my new found BFF Jennifer & joined immediately. I loved everything about Westernaires! I got my 1st "real job" mucking stalls for .85 cents per hour at 11yrs old. I saved for almost 2 years until my dream came true & I got my very own horse! A quarter horse named Darlin Dyna's Pride! Dyna-roo was my heart horse & my whole world. I've been blessed with many amazing horses in the decades since & loved them all. I currently have a rescued Mustang~ Blaine, my riding horse is a Tennessee Walker-Morgan cross~Elly, & 3 miniature horses June Bug, Napoleon & Squiggy. Jenn is still my BFF & we work together at Rhythmic Equine Inc. We educate people & share the healing powers horses provide, both mentally & physically. I have had the honor of serving on the Board for the Jefferson County Horse Council 3 years now. I am also a Volenteer for our Emergency Evacuation Team that provides an invaluable service when the wild fires come.

Mike Skelton is a life-long Jefferson County resident who has helped hundreds of clients in his 38 years as a Real Estate Broker. When he’s not showing homes, Mike is an active member of and advocate for the equine community. This includes serving on the Jeffco Fairgrounds Advisory Committee from 1993-2019 and serving on the Equine and Agriculture Heritage Commission from 2019 to present. He has spent over 40 years helping develop and grow the Jeffco Fairgrounds facility and equine activities. Mike also serves on the Board of Directors and volunteers with Westernaires and is on the Board of Directors and is a member of Jefferson County Horse Council.