I was raised on my family’s central Washington cattle ranch, where my mom says, “I started riding horses before I born”.  In my late teenage years, I became interested in training horses.  I started working with a local outfitter who gave me an abundance of knowledge and experience starting colts for the dude strings.  During this time, I also explored and followed the techniques and practices of professional horsemen like Buck Branaman, and John and Josh Lyons, as well as countless other trainers and friends who helped me along the way. 

I soon became proficient in gaining young horses’ trust and giving them a solid foundation - both on the ground and under saddle.  Horses I have started have continued on and been competitive in many disciplines, both in the arena and out.  Through years of training all breeds and types of horses, it became evident to me that some horses just naturally “have what it takes” and some do not.  Bloodlines and breeding really are important – they do make a difference in the final product I am able to produce.  This fact sparked my initial interest in, and later desire to breed, the most versatile horse on earth…the American Quarter Horse!

I met my wife, Mandee (Gates) Fulwiler in high school.  We soon became high school sweethearts and were married in August of 1999.  Mandee also has a great love for horses.   She was born and raised around horses in central Washington, and started showing both Western and English at 4-H and local open class horseshows as a very young child.  As a pre-teen, Mandee became interested in exploring and perusing many other disciplines of riding. She trained with a dressage trainer for several years, learning not only the principles and discipline of dressage, but also how to apply those techniques to all other areas of horsemanship.

Mandee then became interested in rodeo.  She “headed” in the team roping arena, breakaway roped, goat tied, and ran barrels and poles on Junior and Senior High School Rodeo teams before continuing on to College Rodeo.  During this period, Mandee was exposed to some truly exceptional horses and gained a deep appreciation for those that were highly trainable and amazingly athletic, yet gentle, kind, and quiet.  This admiration triggered Mandee’s desire to begin raising horses herself; the kind that had cow sense, athleticism, and the mind to excel equally as well on the ranch as in any competitive arena across the country… the American Quarter Horse.

Mandee is my confidant and greatest asset.  I could not have entered this endeavor without her support and encouragement.  The only thing better than having Mandee by my side was becoming a family as we welcomed our little buckaroo, Trace Brand Fulwiler, into the world in February of 2006.  There is no greater satisfaction than turning dreams into reality as a family and that is exactly what we are doing - raising high quality, Blue Valentine influenced Quarter Horses that “have what it takes” , at our beautiful home in the spectacular Okanogan Valley of northern Washington!  The rest is history!

Sincerely,

Nathan Fulwiler