APRIL 1995 BACK ISSUE

Part of Horse Previews Magazine website. Posted on 4/1/95; 10:00:00 AM.

Facility Spotlight: McGowan Quarter Horses

Our Facility Spotlight for this month is McGowan Quarter Horses owned by Pat & Sherie McGowen. The ranch is located in the southeast Spokane Valley. They have 10 acres including a 150x300' outdoor arena and a 50x100' indoor arena where horses can exercise during inclement weather. There were about 35 horses on the ranch at the time of our visit.

The McGowens started horse training because a friend said, "You should find a need in life and fill it." They hold riding lessons in showmanship, Western Pleasure, trail and English equestrian. Lessons run from January through November and most of the students are children or housewives. Conditioning the horses is an important part of showing. Sherie said, "It takes three months to get a horse in shape for halter, but only three weeks for them to get out of shape."

Showing horses is a big part of their operation and Sherie travels to 20-30 horse shows a year. They started showing their own horses to help pay for stall fees and showing. She has traveled as far as Caldwell, Idaho and Hamilton, Montana for Quarter Horse shows, Buckskin shows, reining and rodeos. They often have a group of about 15 horses when they travel to these shows. "Sometimes it seems like a long way to travel just to ride in circles." she said, "but we have a lot of fun doing it. We usually stay and watch all day."

Sherie was raised in a family that enjoys horses and has shown horses most of her life. She has been a riding instructor and a judge for over 20 years, with show horses being her specialty. Sherie's husband, Pat, comes from a rodeo background and breaks and trains the rodeo and trail horses. "Pat does the tougher horses."

Sherie's dad owns Sun Dun Ranch in Rockford, Washington, where the McGowens have gone for much of their horse breeding. "We started with a couple of horses and we just keep adding on." Their stallion Sun Dun Quincy has won many awards including 15 AQHA all-arounds. He is one of many horses from the Sun Dun line that the McGowens have owned. "We sell horses, but we hardly ever lose them because they come back as boarders. It just keeps expanding and we just add on more stalls."

Pat and Sherie McGowan can be reached at 509-924v2D0172 or 4401 S. Conklin, Greenacres, WA 99016. Visitors are welcome by appointment.

-Scott Larson, Julie Christensen, Exchange Publishing