Growing up in the ‘piney woods’ of East Texas...
Sandy was surrounded by great horses and great horsemen. She lived to get to the barn after school, and ride whatever horse was available. P.A. Griffin, who owned the stock farm where she spent her childhood, allowed her to ride the horses he had for sale. The opportunity to ride all sizes and kinds of horses gave her the opportunity to really learn to ride. By the time she was 12, she was being paid to ride for others, and paid commissions at the sales to ‘demonstrate’ horses that the traders had for sale. It was an idyllic life for a horse-crazy kid.
After
graduating from Longview High School
in Longview, Texas, Sandy attended
Lon Morris Junior College in
Jacksonville, TX, accompanied by her
horse, Brandy. At Lon Morris, Brandy
became the mascot of the Maverick
Fraternity, and led all the parades
in the small town. Sandy continued
starting colts for the folks in
Jacksonville, and earned her
spending money in that manner, as
well as competing as a jockey in
match races on the dirt roads of the
community. Brandy won his share of
short races, and competed
successfully in barrel racing as
well as horse show events.
After graduating in 1963, she went on to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Yes, Brandy went, too, along with another horse she had acquired along the way. It was there that she met and married Ed Arledge from Bonham, Texas. Their lives were disrupted by the Viet Nam war, as Ed joined the Navy and was accepted into Naval Officers’ Candidate School. There then ensued a number of long distance moves, from Texas to Oklahoma to Rhode Island to Georgia to California to Texas to California to Texas and finally to California to stay in 1970. While Ed served aboard a ship in the Mekong Delta, Sandy went home to Texas to wait. During that hiatus in Texas, Sandy and her sister hauled for the championships in barrel racing and pole bending in the East Texas Rodeo and Horse Show Association. After Ed returned, the horses were farmed out and the moves began again.
In that chaotic time, the horses went to live with a friend in Texas to wait out the craziness.
The arrival in San Diego in 1970 was exciting, as they had grown to love living in Coastal Southern California. Sandy’s two horses, Brandy and Sadie, plus Sandy’s dog, Penny, were in tow this time, and the plan was to stay put.
Ed attended law school at the University of San Diego while Sandy was completing her Bachelor’s degree at San Diego State University. After receiving her BA, Sandy also enrolled in USD School of Law, graduated in 1976 and passed the California Bar the same year.
During the course of completing her education, Sandy had continued riding and training horses in the Del Mar area of north coastal San Diego county. With the purchase of the breeding stallion BAR MESA,
and two mares, Sandy established Sandy Arledge Quarter Horses, Inc. in 1975.
In 1978, the farm where the horses were kept was closed, and Ron Simpson, father of one of Sandy’s students, approached her about a partnership in some land. They subsequently purchased agricultural property in Del Mar, California and established FAR WEST FARMS, planning to house up to 80 horses.
In 1981, Sandy and Ed went their separate ways, he to practice law, and she to operate her farm. At its peak, the farm housed as many as 250 horses, including stallions, mares, foals, horses in training and boarders. Brandy lived happily to age 35,
BAR MESA died at 28.
For over 30 years, Sandy Arledge Quarter Horses, Inc. offered quality boarding for thousands of horses. Also, the breeding facility serviced hundreds of mares both nationally and internationally. Sandy was named the LEADING BREEDER of QUARTER HORSES in the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association for 15 years. Countless state, local and world champions were produced through her breeding program.
In addition, thousands of students were exposed to the bucolic lifestyle and learned to ride, whether or not they owned a horse. Hundreds of satisfied buyers took home horses for themselves and their owners to enjoy as show horses, trail riding horses, or just friends. Many of those students went on to show to championships at the local, state and national level. Sandy is proud of the fact that several successful professional horsewomen and horsemen learned the trade while under her tutelage.
Sandy sold the farm and closed it in 2006. Currently, she serves as a steward for the American Quarter Horse Association. In addition, she gives clinics and does consulting. She still owns a few quality broodmares and foals.
Relevant Associations:
•
AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE
ASSOCIATION: Member – Board of
Directors – Stud Book and
Registration Committee; Chairman –
Nominations and Credentials
Committee; Past member of Judges
Committee, Professional Horseman’s
Committee and Membership Services
Committee. Member - AQHA
Professional Horseman’s Association
and AQHA Breeder’s Referral Program
•
PACIFIC COAST QUARTER HORSE
ASSOCIATION: Past President – 1996
and 1997. Board member - 1992 –
present
• SAN DIEGO FARM BUREAU – Equine
Commodities Representative. Chairman
- California Department of
Agriculture Equine Medical
Monitoring Committee; Vice-Chair -
California Farm Bureau Federation
Animal Welfare Advisory Committee;
San Diego Health Department -
Vice-Chair - Vector Control
Department Advisory Committee
• SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY AND SPCA
– Trustee, Governance Committee
• CALIFORNIA BAR ASSOCIATION –
Member
Honors:
• AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION
- Professional Horsewoman of the
Year.
• San Diego Business Journal Award
for WOMEN WHO MEAN BUSINESS
• Fifteen times PCQHA LEADING
BREEDER OF PERFORMANCE HORSES
• Breeder and Trainer of AQHA WORLD
CHAMPION and RESERVE WORLD CHAMPION
HORSES
Education:
• BA – San Diego State University
• JD – University of San Diego
