While working in Colorado, Sharon met her husband, Dale. They went trail riding together for a couple of years, traveled all over Utah and later worked at a guest ranch together called Sulfur Springs Ranch. They took care of five cabins there, and Sharon rode the horses and kept them trained while continuing to buy and sell horses on the side.
Sharon also had a horse and wagon business called Western Celebrations for weddings and parties. With her ponies, Sharon would travel to people’ s houses for birthday parties as well.
In 2006, they moved to New Underwood, where they bought a place from Sharon’ s daughter, Tammy, and her husband, Dean. Then, in 2020, they bought 5.5 acres off Ghost Canyon Road in Hermosa and built a new place from scratch.
Sharon’ s horse training has come with a few wrecks over the years, but the worst accident was just four years ago when a horse got spooked and hit Sharon in the ribs with its shoulder blade. Sharon was rushed to the hospital with three broken ribs and a cut across her hand.
“ That was probably the worst one I’ ve ever had, standing on the ground,” said Sharon.
Another time, Sharon passed out while riding, fell on the ground and hit her head.
“ All of a sudden, I felt my body hit the horse twice. I couldn’ t see. It was black. I must have passed out. I had a helmet on, and so I must have hit its head or something, because it cracked my helmet. I felt my body hit the horse and then I hit the ground. My friend said,‘ Well, you woke up in about a minute.’
“ And she said,‘ Are you okay?’‘ Well, I think so.’ So she said, which I don’ t remember, that I walked over, got my horse and got back on. I had a concussion.”
Today, Sharon has two horses. Diva is a 10-year-old bay Rocky Mountain Trail Horse that is 14 hands tall, which is the perfect height for Sharon, and Sonny is a 3-year-old Kentucky Mountain / Single Footer with 90 days of training so far.
These days Sharon is content to ride her gaited horses, like Diva, down the trails in Western South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Arizona.
“ My advice to anyone interested in getting into the horse business or learning how to ride would be to ask for professional help, take lessons and be very sure you want to do this before you invest a lot of money,” said Sharon.
Sharon herself serves as a mentor to her friends and neighbors when they have questions or need help with their horses.
“ I wish I would have had a mentor when I started training horses,” said Sharon.
Now, after all her adventures with speed and quarter horses, Sharon has transitioned to gaited, smooth riding horses for trail riding, which is her current passion.
“ I’ m content to ride my gaited horses all over our beautiful Western South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Arizona,” said Sharon, and in October, Sharon and Dale are heading to Utah with friends for two weeks of trail riding and visiting.
“ It’ s very relaxing, and you see beautiful country, and you’ re doing it on your horse that you love to ride. It’ s just wonderful,” said Sharon.“ You see so much more on a horse than you can just driving by.”
14 Down Country Roads June / July 2026