Introduction to my family

So recently I was asked if I had a blog page for our website.  My response, "No, what would I blog about?"  The answer given to me was tell me about you, your family and what TREASURE STATE QUARTER HORSES is all about.  From looking at the website, this contact could see the horses but stated that he wanted to know what myself, my husband and who we were.  So as I lay here tonight unable to sleep you get my first blog......and introduction to my family, the lights of my life, my pride and joy and my rock solid, stand-by-you husband!

Todd recently celebrated his 40th birthday, though one would never know this if you saw him.  To be in the physical shape that he is in at 40 years of age most people could only dream of.  Todd grew up in Havre, Montana to Phil and Judy Ford and has two older sisters.  He was your typical "city kid" that was an all star athlete that excelled in running, football, basketball, baseball, basically you name it and he was great at it.  Todd is what I consider one of those very gifted people in the world that once they put their mind to do something they will do it and they will do it well.  Not only that but if he puts his mind to something he does the research and applies what he learns until he does it right and passionately.  This trait has not only followed through in his athletics over the years but also as a husband and father.  My children and I could not have picked at better person to provide for and support us. 
Todd is an avid hunter that has multiple trophy whitetail bucks mounted on our basement walls and has also accomplished successfully harvesting 5 trophy bull elk with his bow and arrow and it about to go after number 6. 
A little unknown fact to many that see Todd ride or train on his horses or even speak pedigrees with him:  until Todd met me in 1997 he had never even been on a horse nor did he know that they could come with registration papers or what the names on the papers meant.  But just like everything Todd does he dedicated himself to becoming a great rider and then colt starter.  He positioned himself with some knowledgeable trainers for hands on experience and then dived into reading and watching DVDs on colt starting.  It never ceases to amaze me (or anyone else for that matter) when I watch Todd with the horses that he did not grow up with them and that he has self taught himself so much.  Todd has spent countless hours pouring over pedigrees and doing the research behind each name on the set of papers we own and there is very little that will slip by him. One might even learn something they did not know in talking with him.  With the exception of PC MR SUN PEPPY, Todd has helped pick out PADDYS SHOTA MERADA, PERKS STATUS SYMBOL and FRENCHMANS SHAKE EM all based off of what crosses would enhance our strong set of broodmares.

Maisie is 5 years old (until August 24th) going on 25!  Our first born is a self described "free spirit and cool cat."  No kidding those are her own words.  She entered this world on the run and has never slowed down.  To have Maisie's energy and outlook on life would be wonderful.  Never one to sleep as she just might miss something, this horse crazy little girl would spend every waking minute riding her horse Sunny D.  She spends countless hours "training" Sunny D as she watches Todd's every move on his 2 yr old ride horses and mimics each and every  one.  Truly amazing that someone so young can do so much so correctly just by watching and applying.  Maisie claims that when she turns 18 she is gonna to live in a little old Girl Scout house about 4 miles from home so that she will not have to have a job, she can come to our house for food and she can just "ride all day and be free." Love her innocence  I see a serious equine competitor in our hands.  In her spare time she has an obsession with flowers and gardening.  She loves her little sister fiercely and is always out to protect her.

Ashlyn is 4 1/2 and aspires to "stay little" all her life and is truly upset that she is growing.  She wants to be little but do big girl stuff in her words.  The polar opposite of her big sister, Ashlyn would be content to sleep till 10 every morning and then chill for a bit before starting her day.  She is the proud owner of Mini Min (her miniature pony) whom after falling off of this spring, would rather just lead around or brush her.  When asked if she is gonna ride each day the standard answer is, "I am gonna start again next week, Mom!"  I have heard this for the last 3 months now.  Maybe next week.  Until then Ashlyn is perfectly happy building sand castles in the barn while the rest of us ride.  At the ripe age of 4, one can tell that Ashlyn has been gifted with her dad's speed and athletic ability.  Light as a deer on her feet and sprinting every where she goes.  Another competitor but this time on the track field instead of the arena floor I do believe!!!!  In Ash's eyes Maisie walks on water and she would be lost with out her.

I (Una) am holding steady at 34 years of age. I have 2 younger brothers and was raised here on the ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains. Like Maisie I grew up a horse crazy girl and can still remember saving all of my 4-H money and odd job money for one thing and one thing only: my own horse that I had sought out and bought!  I was able to accomplish this at the ripe ole age of 14 when I convinced my Grandfather Bill Young, that he should convince my parents Ted and Barb Crowley to let me go to the Crago Quarter Horse sale.  I was beyond elated when my parents agreed and off we went.  What a quick trip; down one afternoon, to the sale and directly home after the sale as it was hay season.  We did not come home with an empty trailer either.  2 weanling stud prospects and one weanling filly.  My first stallion FIREMEAWINNER (Taylor Jess Tivio x Win or Loose) and first broodmare where in that trailer.  The above horses along with a group of 4 broodmares that I had purchased from the late-great Bubb Nunn became the start of TREASURE STATE QUARTER HORSES!  I continued to do 4-H, work for Cowan Select Quarter Horses in the summer and beg the bank for more money as I built my heard up over the years.  Always under the support of my parents and grandpa.  Not gonna lie, by the time I was 18 the bank had given me enough money to buy a nice house and all my friends thought that I was crazy to be in debt for horses.  But I had a vision and wanted to see it through.
Jump ahead to present day and that herd has been built up to 3 stallions: PADDYS SHOTA MERADA, PERKS STATUS SYMBOL, FRENCHMANS SHAKE EM and the late great PC MR SUN PEPPY.   All of these stallions were proven money earners or are currently in training and on track for a great career.  The broodmare band was hand selected and devised to enhance our program as it grew over the years.  As we all know "behind every great man stands a great woman."  Todd, I and my parents spent countless hours selecting some of the top bloodlines in the country to compliment our breeding program.  Today we proudly have a mare line up of approximately 40 mares and many of them are proven them selves or proven producers.  Our mare lines include own daughters of DASH TA FAME, BULLY BULLION, A STREAK OF FLING, FRENCHMANS GUY, PC MR SUN PEPPY, SHINING SPARK, PADDYS IRISH WHISKEY, ROYAL QUICK DASH, ANNIES LITTLE PEPPER, DOCS OAK SUGAR,  just to name a few. Though there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears in getting TREASURE STATE QUARTER HORSES where it is today I can proudly say it has been worth every effort. 
When I am not helping on the ranch I work as a registered nurse in the CCU/ER in Havre, Montana. Recently new to this position, but not to nursing (13 years), I sometimes have no idea what day of the week it is with the combination of working days and nights. I do know however,  that GOD put me on this earth to help and care for people and I love my job.  I enjoy taking photos and even though I have hundreds on my camera I rarely find time to down load them...haha! 
Recently, I have gotten the itch to barrel race again and have the perfect horse in the works.  "Pearl" is out of PERKS STATUS SYMBOL and our mare STARLITE ROYAL SUGAR.  Currently "Pearl" is living the life in Arlee, MT under the guidance of world champion barrel racer Judy Myllmak.  I realized "Pearl" was something special right of the bat and thus wanted to give her all the chance in the world to go on to be something, hence she has been in professional training and is making great strides to be a top futurity horse.  I cannot wait to get her home though and be able for Maisie and I to go down our little local road of barrel fun.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my little family of four and the base of TREASURE STATE QUARTER HORSES and until I cannot sleep again..........