1. OHANA promotes the Obstacle Horse and
supports the Obstacle Horse Community.
‘Surfer Dude’ Craig
Abel Picks a New Kind
of Ride!
No matter where we go or what
we end up doing in life, the
memorable moments of childhood
go with us. And for many, those
memorable childhood moments
most likely involve friendships
with animals. Over the years, I
have met many
people who re-
visit life with
horses after a
long break from
having them as
a youth. The
emotional
impact a horse can make on the
young spirit is powerful and can
make a lifetime impression. This
was true for me and for a
gentleman I recently met in
southern Oregon named Craig
Abel.
When his newlywed bride,
Ishe Abel, invited him to leave
Santa Barbara, CA to live on
her property near Roseburg,
Oregon, Craig Abel wanted to
know if he could have a horse
there. Approaching 50 years
old and newly retired, Craig
was ready for a new
adventure in his life. Horses
were a long time ago thing of
the past, emotionally walking
away from them as a 15 yr. old
to focus on other things
teenagers in California do, like
surfing. Craig focused on surfing
for about 25 years, taking it to a
competitive level and even gained
some sponsorships.
For Craig, moving to southern
Oregon from California was a big
change. Life is simpler, by choice
living in an old farmhouse with no
television, no running water,
surrounded by a variety of
Horsin’ for the Second Time Around
OHANA Friends
MAY 2014 THE OBSTACLE HORSE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA ARTICLE 4
Craig Abel and his
Appendix Mare,
Mira playing on the
SOMTO course
near Roseburg, OR
To Be Featured in an Article
Contact Kimberly Dunn at:
info@obstaclehorseassociationofnorthamerica.com
It was such a delight to
meet Craig and see his
enthusiasm connecting
back with horses.

2. livestock friends such as goats,
cows, and adorable mini donkeys.
What used to be time on the
waves has now become time with
horses and horse related
projects. Craig built his own
unique round-pen out of lumber
from the land. Now, he has
moved onto building a large scale
mt. trail obstacle course that he
and Ishe hope will become a
destination spot for obstacle
related clinics and events. Craig
was originally thinking about
building an arena and focusing
more on ranch type activities
such as sorting and penning.
That idea shifted after his good
friend/trainer, Wendy Antos
invited him to check out the 2013
Mt. Trail Championships in
Eugene, Oregon. As with many
who attend these competitions,
Craig was inspired by the
concept, the skills, and the
obstacles. He knew the property
in Roseburg would be well suited
for an outdoor natural course.
With this new inspiration, Craig
and Ishe have been working
fervently shaping and turning
approximately 5 acres of space
into a mt. trail obstacle course.
Recently when I visited,
construction was underway with
many details coming together like
a huge 5' deep ditch, large pond,
teeter totter, plank, and arched
bridge. Trainer/clinician Wendy
Antos and Mark Bolender have
been providing guidance and
support with construction and
planning. When I was there, they
had a huge back-hoe moving big
mounds of dirt and I can't wait to
see what that transforms into. All
lumber used to construct the
obstacles was harvested and
milled from the site. The setting
is spectacular with over 120
surrounding acres of rolling
pastures, oak savannas, and a
conifer forest. In addition, the
property contains approximately 5
miles of trails where riders can
experience peaceful spans of the
land including creeks, springs,
and a variety of wildlife. The
Abel's are on their way to
providing a safe, versatile course
with substantial obstacles that will
challenge rider's at all levels.
When the course is complete
(mid June 2014), the Abel's plan
to make it available for day use,
clinics, and competitions.
It was such a delight to meet
Craig and see his enthusiasm
connecting back with horses. His
experiences with horses in the
past were rooted in his father's
work as a ranch hand and
working cattle drives. Building a
course and working with his own
horses on obstacles is new and
exciting for him. He is looking
forward to sharing these
experiences with other obstacle
horse enthusiasts. Craig
expressed a great appreciation
for the exposure and
opportunities his father provided
for him as a child not realizing,
when young, just how special that
was.
Many years have passed since
that time with his father and ranch
horses, but I could see the
gratitude in his heart as he and
his Appendix mare, Mira, shared
some of the obstacles with me.
Mira and Craig are a perfect team
for promoting the course, learning
the obstacles and testing the
possibilities. Craig appreciates
the ground-work opportunities
obstacles can provide by working
in-hand to build the relationship
bond so many riders are looking
for. He and Mira demonstrated
quite a bit of in-hand work as well
as several riding trips through the
pond.
Craig and Ishe have given their
special place the name SOMTO
which stands for Southern
Oregon Mt. Trail and Obstacles.
Grand opening will host a trail
ride & chili feed on June 14,
2014. The ride will be $10 and
coupons will be handed out for
using the course which can be
used on grand opening day or on
another day. Clinics,
competitions and poker rides are
starting to fill up the calendar
including a Brave Horse Clinic
and Water Clinic by Wendy Antos
and a 3 day clinic by Mark
Bolender. OHANA will post
SOMTO's events on the OHANA
website calendar and you can
check the SOMTO website for
details and information.
The SOMTO Website:
www.somtohorsepark.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
SOMTO-Horse-Park/
641270005920826
Article by Kimberly Dunn
Photos by Kimberly Dunn
More photos can be viewed at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/haybag/
sets/72157644585633375/