THE COLE FAMILY
The Cole Family greatly enjoys spending their time on the farm in Bowling Green, KY. The homestead, originally built in 1839, is the basis on which they have built the farm around. Since 1994, they have dedicated their time to making the farm a home, a place to enjoy being together and to bond with their animals.
Diane Cole
Diane Cole, owner of South Forty Farms, takes pride in seeing how the farm has grown into something the whole community can share. She is the backbone of the program at the farm, running the medical and nutrition for all of the horses. Diane won the 2009 RMHA Novice High Point Award with Bud Light and Sonny's Smokey Mountain, and also shows South Forty Circle of Life. Around the farm, you see her everywhere, whether she's driving around on her John Deere Gator running hay to pastures, or in the arena working her own "pick" horses.
Jason Cole
Jason Cole is a full time riding instructor at South Forty. In addition to taking on full time handling of South Forty Circle of Life for the 2009 show season, he continues to bring home the blues with Bud Light in the Trail Division. Jason is married to Lacey, with daughter Avery being his full time shadow on the farm. Jason and his wife Lacey are proud parents of Avery, as well as currently expecting another cowgirl!
Amanda Cole
Amanda Cole is a riding instructor as well at South Forty, proudly helping some students, that board and take lessons on their own Rocky Mountain Horses enter the show ring. Amanda's passion over the last five years has been training and handling South Forty Circle of Life, but handed over the reins in 2009 to her brother, so she could pursue showing SF Some Like It Hot and SF Sweet Gypsy Rose. Amanda delights in handling South Forty Gideon's Torch, and looks forward to an excellent show season with him next year.
Avery McGee
& Avenley Mason Cole
South Forty will never be the same since Avery has "taken charge". Full time Barn Babe, Avery (right) loves to interact with lesson go-ers, work on handling her goats (she says she'll show goats in 2010), and of course, RIDE, RIDE, RIDE. For Avery's second birthday, she started riding horses all by herself. For her third, she went out into the fields, caught, and led her own horse back to the barn. Now, you can find her, whip in hand none-the-less, working her western pleasure groove with Sonny's Smokey Mountain.
Avenley
Mason (left) was born in December 2009 and has been a wonderful baby thus far,
sleeping most of the day away, probably dreaming of horses if she's anything
like her big sister. Avery is very excited about teaching Avenley
everything she knows!
These stories have been written with love by Amanda Cole. Please do not copy or reproduce these stories without permission
Tommy
Wilson Cole
1955-2002
To an amazing man, one dedicated to community development and contributing to the creation of a better life. To a magnificent husband, who made life seem so incredible and renewed, one who made each day an adventure, and every moment something to cherish and hold onto forever. To the truly devoted and absolutely "World's Best" father, the one who sculpted the lives of two individuals, molding them into somebody who could stand strong, do anything, and have unfaltering faith. To that one human being who did so much, in such a short time, and made such an impact in the world that it feels earth-shattering. To Him, we give our undying love, devotion, hearts, lives, and future to.
The Story of South Forty
It all started when Tommy suggested that the family buy a pony for the
great-nieces and nephews. So, Pepper the pony joined the family. Pepper was a
very experienced 4-H pony. She was a mean little speed machine who loved nothing more than to
home in on the competition and "go in for the kill." Yes,
looking back, Amanda now laughs and says that Pepper was a little above their
beginner level, but they fell in love with her and couldn't look back.
Pepper then took up permanent residence at South Forty. However, in
looking at the size of Amanda and Jason (as they were well into their teens when
Pepper came home, 5'11" and 6'3" respectfully), one might realize how odd it was to imagine them riding
Pepper (she was 12.2 hands tall). So the search continued for that perfect horse
for the Cole's and a new best friend for Pepper.
The Cole's bumped into the Rocky Mountain Horses at a 4-H demo and were immediately hooked. Diane was fascinated with the chocolate body coat and stunning white mane and tail, the temperament with children, and the overall presence of the horse. The search began immediately to find more of those amazing horses. Needless to say, that search was successful. Now, several years down the road, South Forty Farms is home to 35 Rockies and have customized their life to their friends. They have a diversified herd, with horses trained in western, pleasure, pleasure driving, trail, obstacle, and poles.
"We are amazed to walk out to the barns
everyday and find that those first horses we purchased, the yearlings we found
and fell in love with, are now more mature, wiser, and absolutely as stunning as
they were the first day we laid eyes on them. There's a sense of pride to
know that we were an integral part of who they are now. Those fillies we
bought, in what seems like so long ago, are mothers, raising their babies just
as wonderfully as we could hope. They walk around the farm as if they know
that they are the foundation of our farm, for they strive to maintain the true
nature of the Rocky Mountain, whether they are under saddle, in the barns, or
just gaiting through the pastures with the foals."
The Cole's have been fortunate to find Rockies to join the farm that are one of a kind. Cricket's Little Buddy and Choco Two Socks are the cement that bonded Jason and Amanda to the farm. Bud and Jason will always be a team, whether they're strutting though western competitions or racing through poles. Socks showed Amanda the unity between horse and rider, and once they found that, they were able to enter a horse/human friendship that outlasts any other kind. Through learning with these two outstanding horses, South Forty has reached out farther and found even more horses with their own unique story that make lasting impressions on their lives.
Doctor Yankee entered the picture as the
perfect lesson horse for Amanda's business. Yet, to the joy of the
farm...he turned out to be the perfect horse for Diane and Tommy. He just
likes to go with the flow and have a good time, and that's what they had been
hoping for, and keeping an eye for when at other farms. The day Diane saw
and rode him, she called Amanda and said she was bringing him home. Doctor
Yankee is the horse used for demonstrations and beginner riders due to being of
perfect temperament.
"South Forty has had it's share of ups and downs in the horse industry. Loss of loved ones, struggles with current ones, it's all part of the story of life. But to be able to share that life with the horses residing at South Forty is a gift. We're not in this to make a profit. We're in this adventure to help make life more enjoyable. The horses that come to South Forty almost always have a change that can be detected the first year they are here. It seems as if they find something inside themselves that *clicks* and they come out of their stalls and paddocks every day to give us their all. It's amazing to ask so little of them, and receive so much in return. But then again, maybe it's not so amazing...seeing as how they just ask us to share some time with them, and it ends up being so much more that just a ride..."
We hope that you take the chance to meet our horses. These are our friends who make our days complete. They are here to display the wonder of this breed, the Rocky Mountain Horse, and to demonstrate why they are truly remarkable.
Cricket's Little Buddy - Enjoying the attention and affection, and prospering at South Forty
For those of you who are familiar with our farm, we began with a few Rockies that had exceptional stories. We have since grown and expanded our family run operation, but have never forgotten how we got here.
For those of you who have followed the Rockies for a long time, Cricket's Little Buddy is a horse that should ring familiar to your hearts. Cricket's Little Buddy is a 1988 Chocolate Rocky who was a stallion until age 9, and then gelded, quickly moving to his permanent home at South Forty. Now usually, Amanda takes the time to write tributes and "in memories" to help continue their legend after their passing. Sadly, this legendary horse passed away in 2009. This article was written earlier in 2004 by Amanda Cole in honor of this amazing horse.
A tribute to a phenomenon…
For those of you who have been around the Rocky Mountain breed long enough, you quite possibly have come in contact in some way with Cricket’s Little Buddy, who was a 1989 stallion, until gelded at age 9.
We came into contact with him several years ago, along with his sidekick and partner in crime, Choco Two Socks. We bumped into them at the Internationals and were tickled to see that “For Sale” sign that ultimately made them ours. In inquiring about Cricket’s Little Buddy for use as an amateur and juvenile horse, we had a lot of feedback. Mostly gaping faces, laughs, and prayers of good luck. Seemed to be that Bud was known for being quite the spitfire to handle in and out of the ring. We were given all the customary warnings, being new to this horse business, and were even told outright that he’s NOT the horse for us. But, we fell in love with his personality and looks, all the way down to his Tina Turner hairstyle.
With the purchase of Bud came countless stories of the life he’s led, whether it was infamous stallion fights (where he still sports scars around his nostril and ear), or tales of swimming across rivers to take his owner to the pub. We can’t imagine the life that he led before he came here, but it’s not hard to imagine how many hearts he has touched. It’s evidence in everyone who cheers for him in the ring, brags about their Buddy offspring, and especially in those new, younger lives he now touches at his home, South Forty.
South Forty is a juvenile riding facility, and has been in full swing with a load of almost 60 riders. Children ages 3 ½ to 16 come out weekly, not just to share a ride with a horse, but to spend time with their Rocky Mountain friends. Every horse that we ride, even those in show, are involved in the lesson program, and they are all proud to be Rocky Mountains.
And yes, for those of you who know what’s next, and just can’t believe it…Cricket’s Little Buddy is one of the Kings of the program, for anytime we put someone on him, he tops the list as a favorite. But none more than the amazing person who walked through our doors in 2002.
Her name is Rachel Young, and she came to us when another area lesson facility closed it’s teaching area. Quiet, to the point where we sometimes feared she wasn’t happy riding here, Rachel tried out several horses, and just couldn’t find the right fit. You see, Rachel had formed a connection with horses that she just couldn’t find in anything else, and her time with horses had become something she just couldn’t be without. At the time of her arrival, Bud had just moved into more lessons, and we gave it one more try with him.
Rachel formed an instant friendship with Bud, and he seemed to pick up on something unique in her, for they both made strides in progress and fun, and now, they go everywhere together. Rachel finally found her fit, and Bud found another friend to hang out with, and share life with, aside from Jason, of course.
I see lots of kids every week, and I go to get horses with them countless times, but I can tell you there is no more breathtaking scene than when Bud sees Rachel coming for her ride. Bud seems to know the day even, for he comes up out of his woods field and stays near the gate on Tuesdays, looking for his Rachel.
Sadly,
Bud suffers from aging a bit, as well as some health troubles that require daily
maintenance. I guess leading such a colorful life as a colt is catching up with
him. Earlier this year, we weren’t sure what was in the best interests of Bud,
whether to continue him in lessons, or save his time for walks with Jason around
the farm. Bud quickly answered our questions though, for even when we forced
ourselves to let him rest up in his well earned time, every Tuesday, he would
stand at the gate, waiting for his day with Rachel. It broke our hearts to see
Bud resort to a depression where he just waited day after day for his turn. We
knew what we had to do to make him happy.
Putting him back into lessons, Bud showed that he wasn’t to be counted old yet, and still to this day, will run up the fence talking to Jason or Rachel, ready to show all those other horses what Rockies are about.
For
those of you who have owned him, we want to thank you for your contributions
into who he has become. We know that every event shapes a life, even if it’s a
horse, and Bud has had so many varieties of adventures, it’s made him a
dynamic, and amazing horse to live with day to day. For all of you with “Bud
babies”, yes, he’s just as much a handful at times as he used to be, and
still to this day will “pull a Bud” and get into mischief, but his heart is
enormous, and he’s always giving all he’s got. For those of you with Bud in
your heart, like Rachel and Jason, be reassured that he has found his home right
here at South Forty, and there’s no other way we’d have it.
For the people who helped coordinate this breeds’ resurrection, and helped repopulate Rockies, so they could again touch the lives of so many, we cannot count the thanks that we owe to you. Not only are we able to share our lives with these horses each day, but we’re able to share them with children everywhere, and give them friends that will always be there.