A little bit of work, a little bit of play results in a perfect day for the family at Nelson Farms, Inc.  It demands effort to produce champions in the show ring, and it requires playfulness to truly enjoy the process. A perfect day for horses and their riders and owners at Nelson Farms, Inc. involves both.

 The feeling of "family" in the family-owned facility of Trish and John Nelson extends to the animals and the clients. The barn atmosphere is relaxed and friendly-an ideal environment to learn and to train. That attitude is maintained at the home barn in Tucson and at the barns of show grounds. Many riders are told to "smile to make it look like you're having a good time." Nelson Farms' riders and handlers smile because they are having a good time.

The offspring of the equine families at the farm are very sweet ingredient of that icing. "Past and present, the show records of the horses we breed and train speak for themselves and for the job that we do with out clients and their horses," says Trish. "At the 2006 Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show, our Thoroughbred stallion, Ara, had his first half-Arabian daughters place in the Half-Arabian Yearling Fillies Sport Horse In Hand. NF Miss Scarlett Slew, owned by Marian Conrad LaLonde, finished first, and then Slews Paradise, owned by Elizabeth Scott, finished second. Our other winners at that show were Mandalay Bay TBA, with one Reserve Championship and two Top Tens; Impressive Dream with two Reserve Championships and two Top Tens; NF Taah Daah with one Top Ten; and Chubasko, a Top Ten in Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure."

"We also placed well at the 2006 Sport Horse Nationals. Chubasko with Amber Rice went Reserve Champion and had two Top Tens in Half-Arabian Hunter Under Saddle, amateur and open. We had three Top Ten two-year-olds by Tezmar Bey-Zippy Ki Ya with Cathy Griffin, Sklar Bey Mirage with Caitlyn Grace and NF Do The Dew with me. Fantazee VF with Miki Couchoud was in Top Ten Mares In Hand. Impressive Dream, owned by Gloria St. Pierre, placed in the Top Ten Half Arabian Geldings In Hand with me in the open class and with Cathy Griffin in the amateur to handle. Finalists after two cuts were NF Taah Daah, owned by Nelson Farms, Inc. and shown by Caitlyn Grace, Mandalay Bay TBA, owned by Nelson Farms, Inc., and She's A Peppy Padron, owned by Gloria St. Pierre and shown by Ali Busby."

At Region 7, Nelson Farms had four championships, several reserves, 20 Top Fives, and at Nationals, they had Reserve Champions and nine Top Tens. up and coming superstar, Major Production, owned by Jim and Trudy Witman, was the 2006 Reserve Champion in Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure Junior horse. Overall, Nelson Farms has amassed approximately 30 National and Scottsdale Championships and 100 Top Tens in a variety of disciplines.

The Performance results of stallions standing at Nelson Farms is impressive. Tezmar Bey, a 1990 Varian-bred chestnut Arabian, is a Regional reserve Champion Stallion, National Top Ten Stallion and Scottsdale winner. He has shown successfully in Sport Horse classes, and he has sired champions in performance and halter classes. He is Breeders Sweepstakes nominated.

The Thoroughbred stallion, Ara, a 1991 grandson of Seattle Slew by Slew's Royalty and out of Crossed Arrows, an imported French mare who goes back to Northern Dancer is a great cross with Arabians, Warmbloods and Paints. At Scottsdale, his first two Arabian-Cross fillies proved his ability to pass on his qualities, and he can add disposition, size, and ability to any breeding program.

Trish Nelson spent a lifetime with horses. She has been showing since her early childhood, and for the past 26 years, she has trained horses and riders. "I grew up showing Paints and Quarter Horses, and I take in other breeds for training, but because of the scheduling conflicts of showing, I stick to the Arabs," says Trish. "It's a precarious balancing act with training and showing. I love to show, but if my time is spent traveling and competing, I don't have the time to train the horses at home. Primarily with other breeds, I consult the owners, but I don't go to the shows.

"I encourage my clients to show their own horses. The sport horse competition is very amateur-friendly, and every one of my horses is connected to an owner that's actively showing. That enhances our 'family' feeling."

"I have been fortunate to have selections of the best of the best and I've taken many horses other trainers rejected and some that have been hurt and abused and transformed them to happy, productive horses-and I've taken many of them to championship levels."

Trish has been consistently successful in her profession by choosing superb stallions for breeding beautiful athletes, training horses to perform their best, teaching people how to care for, ride and enjoy horses, and selling honest, talented show and pleasure horses. She uses her profound knowledge and experience to discern a horse's natural talent, then she directs them to the discipline for which they are best suited. "We go strictly by the horse's talents and disposition. Besides training them for a specific discipline, all of our horses are ridden on the trails over different terrains," says Trish. "This is a time for both the riders and the horses to relax and play and learn there is life beyond the show ring."

Her training ability extends to teaching people horsemanship, going many steps beyond just riding. She uses simple clarity and her natural sensitivity in instructing riders to develop a good seat and self-confidence. more than preparing students to win at horse shows, Trish teaches them good horsemanship and sportsmanship. "I ask what a riders' goals are, and while I work with them, I evaluate their particular talents; then we go forward from there. I assist riders to develop a good seat, and once that's attained, they are ready for any discipline, whether it's in the show ring or on the trail. Whether a person shows or pleasure rides, having instruction is important to succeed," says Trish. "This is the same for novices, amateurs and professionals, including me. A rider can't see what he or she is doing as well as someone on the ground can. Having a knowledgeable trainer is very important for every rider to keep them from developing bad habits and to help them cultivate their talents and abilities."

For riding lessons, Trish starts people at any level of experience and prepares them to reach their goals. They may use one of the Nelson Farms' horses or their own horse, grade or registered. Even though she has produced hundreds of champions in the show ring, what she learned working on her family's ranch is very evident, and she welcomes anyone to train with her.

"When I was young, I felt intimidated when I saw successful horse facilities," says Trish. "There is no reason to feel that way about Nelson Farms. We are inclusive, not exclusive, and we welcome anyone interested in riding. It doesn't matter how much they want to spend, what they want to do, or what kind of horse they have, they're welcome here. Just as it was when I was brought up, we function as a family, and together we focus on working and learning and having a good time while we do it."

Trish and John Nelson have deep roots in the west and in horses. A fifth generation Arizonan, Trish's great grandfather drove a freight wagon from Bowie to Globe, where the Apache chief Geronimo roamed. Time after time, Geronimo stole her grandfather's horses, and time after time, her grandfather rounded them up and stole them back.

A very sad family memory was the day the military gathered up all the Indians, put them on trains and took them to live on reservations far from native lands and their beloved animals. John's dad bred and raised racehorses, Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds in Boise, Idaho. For years, John was an assistant trainer for a well-known racing trainer in the Pacific Northwest where they had more than 200 wins from claiming races to stakes races. Today, John not only works with his wife, he drives a semi hauling shavings.

"We are very proud of our son, Ryan who received a scholarship for running from Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC). they were National Champions his first year on the PVCC Cross Country Team. Ryan was second for the team, eleventh overall, and he made the All American Team. However, he felt a calling and left college to join the U.S. Army, where he is now a medic at Fort Polk, Louisiana," says Trish. "John and I admire and respect Ryan's decision to joint he Army, but as a mother, I'd much rather that he be here running and going to college."

Nelson Farms' complete breeding facilities accommodates any breed of horse. They include a 40-stall barn with a large state-of the-art lab that is well equipped for stallion collection and semen evaluation, artificial insemination and shipping and receiving cooled semen. They provide foaling and neonatal care, along with year-round broodmare management. Stallion manager Cathy Griffin is certified in Equine Reproduction Management and Artificial Insemination from Colorado State University. Cathy got her BA in Physical Anthropology in 1981 at the University of Arizona, and in 1989 she attained her law degree (Juris Doctor) from Washington University.

It takes a well-organized, knowledgeable team to produce Nelson Farms' great results. "We are thankful for the help of our stall, part of our extended family and for Heather Irbinskas' support, for Audrey J. Wystrach, DVM, our resident veterinarian and Jason Willour, our farrier," says Trish, "and for Chris Edwards, a very capable horseman, who starts our colts and takes them on trail rides."

A great place to work and play, Nelson Farms, Inc. rolls over ten acres of hills southeast of Tucson. Nelson Farms demonstrates the quality of versatility in its comprehensive breeding and training programs for Arabians and other breeds, in riding lessons and showing in multiple disciplines, plus show and sale conditioning. Several top-quality, very reasonably priced horses are for sale.

The friendly family atmosphere of Trish and John Nelson invites visitors to the farm in Tucson, Arizona or to contact them by telephone or email.