strangranch

» The Strang Ranch «

The Strang Ranch is a family owned and run business. It is a working cattle ranch and a sport horse breeding operation as well as a busy equestrian center, hosting many hunter/jumper and dressage shows, clinics and daily lessons.

The ranch lies on 460 Acres of irrigated and pasture land in Western Colorado with outstanding views of the Elk Mountain Range, 25 miles from the Aspen Airport.


There is extensive trail riding, a recognized fox hunt, and an extensive hunter/jumper training barn.

» Philip Champion both Weeks at Tucson Fall shows!!! «

Philip, a 2003 geld by Circa Z was champion in the Derby Jumpers both weeks of the Tucson fall horse shows held at the Pima County Fairgrounds. Philip who has been showing in a few 1.2M classes this summer proved he was ready to go a little faster, and turn a little sharper. Look for him to start jumping a bit higher and running a bit faster in Thermal. Philip is by Circa Z who is still competing as a 18 yr old with Sophie Simpson in the irons. After several years in the international ring with Nicole Simpson, he is back in the family showing Sophie how it is done, winning several big classes in California. Philip is priced at 40,000$.

» news jan 2008 «

January 2009

First of all, I would like thank everyone for coming to our horse shows this summer and making them fun and wonderful!!  To those of you who RAN our April Horse Show a special thank you!!!  And to everyone who makes our shows happen all summer long, thank you to for helping in the office, announcing, running the gate, picking up rails, timing, moving jumps, collecting trash and all the extra things you do.
It has been almost a year since you have heard from the Strang Gang and a lot has happened!!!  California for the winter is definitely still on the schedule.  Riding in the sun and sand in tee shirts in January just seems like the right thing to do!!  Last year we had a very successful horse show circuit in Thermal and at The Oaks in San Juan Capistrano and can’t wait to get out there for this year.  After our adventures in Denver at the stock show with Max and Mikes’ Lowline cattle and Bridget’s Border Collies, we will head west with thirteen horses for the winter.  They will live at Laurie and Scott’s Tahquitz Equestrian Center in huge stalls and green grass turnouts.  The new and improved horse show in Thermal is only ten minutes from the farm and a great place to train young horses as well as compete against the best.
There are many new faces around the barn.  We had a terrific group of young kids in the lesson program this summer, and we look forward to their return.  And we have many new boarder and clients.  Welcome to all.  We are thrilled you have come to the ranch, and look forward to the future.
We are fortunate to have wonderful help from Octovio Marquez, Hugh Coleby, Cody Weverstadt, Sylvia Johnson, and our wonderful working students Emily Alverez and Lilly Thorson..  They all contribute to the smooth operation in the barn from keeping the horses fed and healthy to training and teaching.
We welcomed Greg Best here in June and had a wonderful clinic. We hope Greg will be back this summer as well.  Maria Wasson returned to the ranch to work her flat work magic every month.  We look forward to seeing her in California this winter and back at the ranch in the summer.  We also are very excited to have Greg Eliel back on the clinic schedule.  Greg, was a student of Buck Branaman’s and is a wonderful teacher of Natural Horsemanship, addressing both the riders position and the horses mind.  The horses are all excited he will be returning to add some clarity in their lives.  Please contact us if you are interested in attending any of these clinics.
The Strang Gang attended a few “A” horse shows at the Colorado Horse Park, Estes Park and in Tucson.  Estes Park was was amazing!  Notable:  Freckles and Leah Scholl, Champion in the Short Stirrup, Sue Pietrzak’s “Quiet Time” Champion in the Level 4 jumpers and Betty Anne Shenk’s “Duncan” Champion in the Green Conformation Hunters with Bridget. “Don’t Tell Daddy” was Reserve Champion in the Medium Pony Hunters with Courtnay Edwards.  And finally, Gail and Bridget rode in the rotating riders relay class dressed as “the winners” and WON! The whole gang was amazing, and we had a ball! 
Congratulations to every one for their achievements all year whether recognized with ribbons and trophies or not. 
In the fall we ventured to High Prairie for a windy horse trial where Courtnay and Bell picked up a great ribbon.  Then on to Tucson in the late fall to hold off winter for another couple weeks.  Congratulations to Carolyn Devan and “Molly” for their Reserve Championship in the Pony Hunters and to Laura Pietrzak for her fabulous round in the classic!!!  Betty Anne’s horse, Duncan, was champion again in his division and had the highest score in the Hunter Derby.  Congratulations to all. < In September, We welcomed "Treat" into our lives, to help Rosie keep the sheep in order.  He is a wonderful addition, thankyou Norm and Vicky CLose of Handhills Border Collies, for this wonderful dog! 
2008 brought some perspective to all our lives.  We honored Michelle Marlow’s wonderful horse, “Guizmo” who suffered an untimely death.  We thank and appreciate so many friends who have helped us through this year and Lathrop’s devastating accident as we strive to keep his legacy alive.  The Strang Gang. 

» Thermal 2008 «

We all enjoyed our time in Thermal California this year. Cody Weverstad joined us with her horse Narlin and was tremendously helpful. The young horses really enjoyed the larger more horse friendly atmosphere. It is nice to be able to spend the nights at Tahquitz and just ship in for a day of horse showing. I can not imagine what the horses go threw that live at the show grounds for seven weeks. Some notable results from our gang: Duncan won a class the first week which started the ball rolling nicely. Thank you to Peter Pletcher for his marvelous job in the irons. The young jumpers, Phillip, Goldstar and Wonderview Farms’ Quiet Time and Cubano added many blue “clear round” ribbons learning the ropes in the lower level jumpers. Hallelujah stepped up from the Baby green hunters into the Lows and Pre greens earning ribbons his first week at the 3’. Fiona was amazing and ended up with great ribbons in the level five Jumpers. Laura Pietrzak and her mare Ikeria got super ribbons in the very competitive AA hunters. We took two Four year olds to learn about horse showing, and both Wonder and Argent acted like it was just another day at the office. We could not be happier with the Accord III babies we have, and I feel I owe a huge thank you to Crooked Willow Farms for bringing this super horse into the states. I look forward to next year at Thermal when the trees will be bigger and hopefully the wind will be smaller. 

» Wonderful Hunter prospect for sale- SOLD!!! «

> Jeffie AKA Slow Lopin Cowboy is a beautiful 16 h. 2002 gelding by Lopin Slow.  Jeffie is a good mover.  He is brave and scopey to the jumps and will make a wonderful hunter with a little mileage.  He is simple to ride, quiet and adorable.  He LOVES people and is very sweet around the barn. Jeffie was CWHJA Year end Champion in the Evergreen Green hunters!!!! For an (old) Video of Jeffie please select the comment button Recient video in the works.

» SOLD!!!  Dutch Warmblood Dressage horse for sale «

Larenato is a 1998, 16.1h Dutch Warmblood Gelding. He has done second level dressage with his amateur owner with great success. He has recently begun to learn about jumping, and shows great promise and a beautiful style. This beautiful horse is proudly offered for sale. He is a fun, good quality horse that will do any job well.$30,000USD LARANTO HAS SOLD

» Summer 2007 «

We are back from California and the ranch is in full swing. We have hosted two CWHJA Horse shows, and both were a tremendous success!! We have been to two horse shows and Sue and Paddy have continued thier winning ways in the A/O jumpers. They are off the Spruce Meadows and we wish them all the luck in the world!!
Freckles and Leah seen here smiling about a Championship ribbon at their second show together!! 
We have recently attended the Mega Rally in High Prairie where our riders come home with masses of blue ribbons!!! Lilly in Tetrathlon won every event in her division, and the D team won their show jumping rally!! Pony Club has been a wonderful avenue for developing horsemanship and showmanship in the kids.
We also have three new foals on the ranch!! Check out the breeding page for more information on these three beautiful fillies.

» 2006 news «

In January we made our traditional trek with nine horses, Mike, Kit and Bridget to the desert oasis of Coachella California..  After our brief stint of 24 below zero F, we really look forward to the riding and showing in the sun! Tahquitz Equestrian center, where we base our opperation is a wonderful facility to teach and train out of. It is a mile from the show grounds so we are close enough but always have a nice quiet place to ride and train and turn out our horses.  We had a great circuit in Indio, finding success in about every ring the show offered, from the very competitive Walk Trot class with Kit Cunningham, to a Championship in the level 5 jumpers for Sue Pietrzak and Paddy O’Reilly, and about every ring in between. The hunter ring was friendly to Nestor and Gail in the Open Hunters and Windhoek farms’ Raphael, where he moved into the First year Green division after collecting a few ribbons in the Pre-Green ring.  Mean while back at the ranch.... Tahquitz Equestrian center provided a wonderful place to further our education.  There were two visits from our favorite dressage instructor Maria Wasson. There was a very insightful weekend clinic with John Turner of Thumbs Up Farm. And for the month of February we had Greg Eliel, who helps us from the ground up getting our horses soft, straight and supple.
Indio led to our favorite show the Oaks Where Sue continued her winning streak, and then it was time to head home to Carbondale. We love our time in Indio, it is beautiful and exciting but it does not hold a candle to springtime in Colorado. April is a wonderful time on the ranch full of baby calves, sheep and soon- foals!!!!!

The summer flew by as usual.  We hosted five local shows at the ranch, and attended a few A rated shows in Parker and Estes Park.  Bridget and Sue Pietrzak made a quick trip to Spruce Meadows, (where Sue once again came home sporting that wonderful Canadian RED ribbon-the winner!!!!) Mean while back at the ranch the lesson program was in full swing, and there were many horses to be ridden.  July brought us two new foals. Libertys’ Diamond, now 21 had her last foal, (we will let surrigate mares have her foals from now on ).  “Narnia” is a very beautiful, grey filly by Ciceras’ Icewater.  Rowina, a new Westphalen broodmare, produced “Gabe”, a small but mighty colt by Crooked Willows Holsteiner stallion, Grannius.  The first week of July we had a wonderful clinic with Greg Best, who is a fabulous horseman and teacher, followed by a sold out horsemanship clinic with Greg Eliel.  Gregs’ methods of straightening and freeing up our horses and perfecting out positions produced wonderfully free and soft horses.  Maria Wasson again found time to come and teach every month. There was something for everyone!! Tuesday nights were dedicated to Pony Club. Bridget and the kids would load up and head out to Wonderview for our weekly dose of “good old fashioned horsemanship”.  Congratulations to everyone achieving their rating!!!!!!!!  The two and three year old’s were beautifully started by Hugh from Australia. We are hoping he will find his way back to the ranch in a more permanent position. He was great with EVERY horse he rode.  They overcame their fears and in a short time were happily being ridden all around the ranch.

August brought more horse shows, starting with Estes Park a first ‘away’ show and a first place for “Fiona”!!  Two local shows finished out the month and brought us to September.  High Prairie was another huge success for Sue and Paddy in the Amateur Owner Jumpers, first or second in every class!!!  We welcomed the CWHJA finals to the ranch in October to close out the year.
The fall brought with its amazing colors the pair pace at Pietrzaks. The costumes 34$, the preparation time - many weeks, the opportunity to canter across a field, jumping jumps with your friends, on a magical fall day in Colorado....... PRICELESS!!!!

Lessons slowly wound down as the horses coats got thicker and the cold set in. We are now covered by two feet of snow and the thermometer has dipped to 13 below zero, there are a few hearty soles still riding, but for the most part downhill skiing has replaced the posting trot.  The ranch has slowed down to a more comfortable pace with lessons and training going on at a quieter pace. The indoor is welcoming and warm and we enjoy our change of scenery from the summer.  We are beginning to look forward to our next adventures at Indio, with new horses and customers, and a brand new horse show facility!  As I dream about the possibilities of the future I also reflect back on the wonderful year and count my many blessings.  I am so thankful for the support of my family, and for the wonderful group of customers that are here now. And I am always thankful that the horses let me be a part of their lives.

Good luck and good health to everyone.
Cheers
Bridget and the Strang Gang

» Horses sold by Strang Ranch «

Diego: 1999 TB geld, Jr/Am hunter.	Nestor 1993 dutch Geld.
Streak, 2001 geld. 16.3 TB Ariadus (Acord II)	Beaker 2000 Pony TB/Sir William, bred by Strang Ranch.
Blizzard 1995 warmblood gelding. Congratulations to the Achenback family of TX.	Broadway TB geld