Elizabeth and her husband, James are from Georgia, just a hop and a skip from Atlanta, and these two lawyers think things through very carefully, making decisions with caution and much consideration.

So here's the thing … they read the January 2006 issue of the Cowboys & Indians article about the Nokota horses, and Elizabeth calls to ask if they can come visit. They are in ND the following week for a whirlwind time in the cold and the week after that we're delivering a beautiful Nokota mare to their home in Georgia.

How did this happen, you might ask??

Well, when Elizabeth was a girl, she'd always dreamed of owning her own horse, and more specifically of looking out into her backyard on Christmas morning, to find her gifted horse there grazing. Last year, James decided that 2005 was the year to make her childhood dream come true. He began asking for help in choosing the right horse, but was dismayed when Elizabeth's friends insisted that it's not a good idea to choose a horse for someone else. But while James' efforts continued, Elizabeth discovered the Nokota breed and learned of the on-going struggle to save these horses, and she was smitten. “It (the search) took a turn; an exciting turn,” said James. Over a cold weekend in mid-December, James and Elizabeth flew to ND to meet us and to find the right Nokota horse to make her lifelong dream a reality. Painted Moon Dreamer (as she was later named) stole her heart and was delivered to Georgia the following week, just in time for Christmas!

Painted Moon Dreamer, just off the trailer from ND to Georgia.

In a note we received a few weeks later, Elizabeth wrote:

“Dreamer is doing great. I had this magical time last night. I would give anything if you could have seen it … Anyway, Ed (trainer) wanted to have a night training session under the lights in the round pen. So he is working with her … and she is very obviously concentrating so hard that she's starting to get warm. Well (the temperature falls) over the course of the session and the effect was incredible. She is prancing in this intricate pattern and steam is beginning to rise off her; the mane and tail are flowing. I swear to you it looked like they were dancing. It was gorgeous! It was a moment I will never, ever forget. Thank you so much for making all this possible.”

And the story continues … after frequent calls and emails praising Dreamer's virtues and amazing abilities, Elizabeth called to inform us they'd like to become preservation breeders. We're thrilled to be delivering a stallion and three more mares by the end of this month!

Thank you James and Elizabeth for believing in the Nokota horses and our efforts!