Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1978)
Horsin’ around means leather] English saddles and big bucks I it you see other kids, when you drive downtown, just sitting around. But you see these kids with all that tremendous energy and responsibility channeled into showing . . By Mary Madland For The Print There’s more to the horse business than the smell of soaped leather, the delicate balance of an English saddle and the tight reign of a Knut son trap bit. There’s also money. The horse business is big business for Richard Shrake, a 34-year-old Oregon City resident and College instructor who has turned a dusty arena into paydirt and a lifelong dream into a quarter million dollar business. Shrake’s massive 22,000 square foot Horsemanship West Stables, located within a mile of the campus, serves asi classrooms for dozens of College horsemanship students. Horsemanship West is one of only a handful- of premier show stables for the Northwest Show Circuit. In the 12 years that Shrake has operated the stables, his students have collected 217 year- end championships from shows across the nation, (not counting the hundreds of show championships). A quite remarkable accom- plishment for any trainer. “It’s big business”, said Shrake, who has also established quite a reputation as an international horse show judge, participant, and for his clinics, which have been held all over the United States, Canada and Australia. “We’ve got Western Show horses here that cost on the average of $10 and $15 thousand. The people are very serious and very devoted about showing”. Shrake sees more than dollars working around his arena though. “It’s very exciting to be involved in this industry,” he said. “You fl other kids, when you drive downtown, just«., ting around. But you see these kids with all fl tremendous energy and responsibility channefl into showing, really getting them through fl very difficult stage of 13 though 17 years-old® gets them ready for life”. Kid’s who show also mature quicken tlfl other kjds their age. Being at the shows invofl dealing with older people and traveling quitfl bit”, Shrake said. He also believes “the Ian® that shows together stays toget^H “The kids and parents develop tremeno® rapport at shows”, Shrake said. “It’s greafl watch”. Megan Laidlaw, 17, is one of Shrake’s st^® ts. Like the other 15 show team members,^® a serious devotee to riding and showing, rfl for four hours every day and most weekends® spent away at shows. “Except Mondays a® Fridays,” she said, “I enjoy it. There really afl any other stables around like this, that are^® Richard’s standards.” For the last 6 years, Shrake’s stables haab® the site of a once weekly College horsemanfl class, a curriculum that includes an hourof^® and a 45 minute lecture. The students learn fl ts of a horse, grooming and basic riding it® damentals. “I think it’s a tremendous class”, Shrakasa® “It gives something they’ll enjoy for year^® something to do with all their energy anl fl bition,” Photos by Chuck Quimby X Life at Horsemanship West includes lots of time in the saddle (top), as well as time behind the shovel (right). A friendly cat looks on. Clackamas Community A Page 6 inches D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer Density
