Barbara Jagoda is a retired science schoolteacher and racehorse trainer who now works part time as a test administrator for a global company. As long as she can remember, she has always had a tremendous love and passion for animals.

During her university years, she enjoyed work as a Wrangler at Cheley Camps, located   near Estes Park, Colorado where she developed a fond rapport with her assigned horse, Pearl. Upon graduation and receiving her first paycheck as a new teacher, she immediately   purchased Pearl as the first of her long string of equine companions.

During the 1970s and 1980s, she went on to enjoy many years as a competitor in NATRC (Competitive Trail Riding) and later served as a judge for these events. Brandy (registered name of Sheiks Scimitar) was a favorite mount during these years and the two made a formidable team. In later years, she also competed in AERC (endurance riding) on another favorite horse, Roc-et Arapaho.

Over the years, she has rescued and rehabilitated over a dozen horses either from auction houses or from homes where she discovered starving horses. Most of these horses were not broke to ride; however, without fail, each and every one of these horses rewarded her patience, love and attention by turning out to be wonderful mounts.

She currently resides and enjoys living on a small ranch outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado where Magna Terra Smoky and a number of his buddies enjoyed their lives after retirement from racing. Sadly, Smoky passed away in 2016, one day short of his 30th birthday. His best buddy, Aurzel (written about in this book) and her latest rescue horse named “Red” (age 25+ years), currently enjoy the acreage and freedom this land provides.