Meet Leslie

Leslie and her family moved to Colorado in 1991. Their home was located 5 minutes from a barn where her mother signed her up for lessons right away under Cindy Keat. Under her guidance, Leslie and her mom bought a pony named Cactus Prince and a quarter horse named Copper Penny. Leslie moved up the ranks of the CHJA pony world to finish Reserve Champions of the Beginner Pony Hunter and Rider division in 1998. Once outgrown, Leslie sold her beloved pony and moved up to an OTTB and stepped away from the show world. During these years she focused on her other equestrian passion, the Westernaires. In that drill team program, she made life long friends and found her future husband. Together, they performed around Colorado doing fast paced drill teams, trick riding and other extraordinary things.

After high school, Leslie went up to Colorado State University to major in Equine Science. Originally intent on going to veterinary school, she shifted gears and decided that going into the business and training was more to her liking. She studied barn management, reproduction, colt training and business to become a barn manager some day. 

After graduation, Leslie was given a job as a riding instructor and eventually became the lesson program director at the barn she grew up at! During this time, she and her husband started a family and had their first child, Roman. Leslie eventually outgrew the program and began her own training program. For 15 years, she developed her program bringing up kids in the CHJA world, developing her own horses as well as continuing her education by being a veterinary technician for her vet. After a tragic accident involving her son and husband, Leslie's world turned upside down and she took a step back while life found a new path. 

After a few years of recovery and healing, Leslie joined forces with Megan to build what is now Empower Equestrian. During that time, Leslie had a beautiful little girl named Rory who is the light of her life. Empower had evolved from a 3 horse lesson program into a full service facility with caring clients and talented horses.