We have just recently in 2014 began to put our farm into actual use & will soon be turning into an LLC. Daughter Franchesca, decided the name Storybook was the perfect name as we are all on a journey & we each have a story to tell. Ours is just starting a new chapter here at SBF. Our small private facility includes a 3 stall barn, large grass arena, and multiple paddocks. Franchesca started riding
at the age of 10. A friend invited her along for a lesson & she was hooked. She got her first horse around the age of 11-12, he was a 14 yr old paint named Wesley. They had a great time together & they became the infamous "Franny&Wesley". They have appeared in clinics, Young Rider magazine, APHA Calender, and posters. The now 18 year old paint is happily retired and enjoying the good life! Franchesca started horse showing around the age of 12 on a leased pony named Pipe Creek Chip N dale. They had a great time in the pony hunter divisions & had a really special bond. They won many local organization championships & reserves. At the ripe age of 13, she was then asked to work for Blair Thompson of My Big Pony Farm in Middleburg, VA. This was only for a short period of time due to Thompson deciding to move to North Carolina. The time Franchesca had with her was well spent & she learned some great tips. We decided it was time for the second horse, but Franchesca wanted to meet her goals of going to Pony Finals. So we purchased our first investment project- a 3 year old large welsh pony. Franchesca brought her up slowly & they won children's pony championships at a good number of rated shows. Due to unfortunate circumstances they never completed their goals of qualifying for Pony Finals. Franchesca made her first pony sale in August of 2014. Congrats to the new owners of this pony! We would also like to thank Joce & her dad John Martin for their help back in 2012. At the age of 14, Franchesca was asked to catch ride for a trainer at a horse show. Long story short- at the age of 15 she was asked to become a working student then later became an apprentice for Trans-Atlantic Show Horses. The owner believed in the German/European way of horsemanship. Franchesca & the owner became very invested in eachother & had a great relationship. The experience & knowledge Franchesca learned from her is irreplaceable & the memories will last a lifetime. We took our young hunter to spend the winter of 2014 in Wellington, FL to horseshow & sell at WEF. I cannot thank the owner of Trans-Atlantic enough for the opportunities she gave me. The amount of time & trust she invested was above & beyond. Truly a once in a lifetime experience with her. I got to see so much of this industry, from its good to its ugly. I have come to realize it is a survival-of-the-fittest. The one belief she is 100 % clear on is the quality of care for the horses. She believes true success starts at home. It starts on the ground-you & the horse. She believes you & the horse must have a good relationship in order to be successful. You are a team, you both have to be giving 110%. She believes you have to always be learning, the minute you stop learning you stop living. Go to clinics, become a working student, work harder than you ever imagined possible; get educated. If you want to win you have to be educated. Immerse yourself in the sport. My pride comes from seeing my young horses shine with other people on them or their new owners. But my true pride & sense of accomplishment is watching my young ones go around the ring & shine. My goal is that one day I will have a string of young horses brought up slowly & correctly then able to watch them go off & be very successful in whatever they do under the name of Storybook Farm, LLC. We are currently located in Northern VA. Stay with us for future horses horses for sale & updates!
-Storybook Farm
