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
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