Samantha has lived all over the world -- from Pennsylvania to Hawaii, South Korea to Germany, and many places in between. She moved to Reno in 2008  -- and fell in love with the Silver State!

Samantha started riding at age 13, and it's been her passion ever since. When she's not working or taking classes at UNR, she's out riding somewhere! She currently lives in South Reno, where she is a mom to a mustang (Sage), a reg. APHA gelding (Geo), 2 dogs (Bella and Sebastian), and 2 cats (Finnegan and Tomas), as well as a flock of chickens.

Samantha's lifelong love for animals and her new-found love for Nevada led her to organize the Nevada Discovery Ride. While riding in the mountains around Reno she was awed and humbled to have the opportunity to ride close to wild herds of mustangs. This ride is her chance to see Nevada as few ever will, and to help raise awareness for wild horses.

Ted is the State Coordinator for the Nevada-portion of the American Discovery Trail. An avid mountain biker, Ted has personally explored every mile of the route.

Ted has a love for Nevada and its wild places that he wants to share with the world! He has been instrumental in getting the Nevada Discovery Ride off the ground, and as our road crew, will keep our rider and animals fed and watered.

Sage is a 5 year old mustang from the Callaghan Herd Management Area, north of Austin, Nevada. He was rounded up by the BLM in 2009, and went into the Carson City Correctional Center Saddle-Horse Training Program in December of 2010.

Samantha adopted Sage at the Correctional Center's auction in February 2011. Since then, Sage and Samantha have been busy riding all over the Truckee Meadows... from Washoe Lake to Hazen to Hungry Valley. Sage has proven to be a calm, steady, and brave horse -- even staying cool and collected when he and Samantha got lost and caught in a hail and lightning storm in the middle of the night! In October, Sage and Samantha rode in the Nevada Day Parade, carrying the Nevada state flag. Sage is an exemplary mustang, and an ambassador for other captured mustangs in need of a home!

Bella is a 5 year old mutt from Washington. Samantha adopted her from the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County in 2007.

Bella is an adventurer dog, and well-traveled! She's scaled mountains in Washington and Montana, swam in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and California, got infested with ticks in the prairies of Iowa, and romped through the forests of Pennsylvania. Now she'll conquer Nevada!

Bella has a natural understanding of how to act around horses. She has great endurance and loves to accompany Samantha on trail rides! Bella loves the desert, and she also enjoys sleeping on the couch or the bed, gnawing on chew toys, snuggling with the cats, and chasing jackrabbits and lizards.