Anne Sparks with stallion Pik L


Anne Sparks, Education Chair

Since the age of ten, Anne Sparks has dreamed of breeding what she considers to be "the perfect horse". Her love of horses and her deep-rooted vision of the ideal equine can be traced back several generations. Anne's grandfather was a champion Saddlebred breeder and the call to produce champions continues in the family today. From her early days riding around the backyard in Albuquerque, Anne was curious about each horse, their personality, build and the traits they shared with their parents. Although the types of horses and her opinions have changed since those formidable years where she explored the Bosques on horseback, the desire to become a top horse breeder is still a driving force in her life.

A graduate of Washington State University with a BS in Zoology, Anne studied many subjects that help her day-to-day as CEO of Horses Unlimited. Fulfilling the requirements for admission to vet school included courses in animal nutrition and genetics. Before focusing full-time on raising her two sons, Anne pursued a graduate degree in Marine Biology and Environmental Science. Anne Sparks is a hands-on owner and breeder, and enjoys being involved in every aspect of the operation. Whether it is making breeding decisions or organizing a competitive campaign, her experience has proven successful. In 2013, Sparks became the USEF Dressage Breeder of the Year. This honor came on the heels of her USDF Reserve Champion Dressage Breeder of the Year wins 2011 and 2012. The USEF and the USDF awards were made possible by the performance achievements of multiple New Mexican- bred offspring, all sired by Horses Unlimited stallions.

Currently Sparks owns six licensed stallions, a small broodmare band and several horses pursuing performance careers in the Southwest as well as in other regions. She is a board member of the American Hanoverian Society and an advocate for American-bred horses both in national and international competition. Whether pursuing a National Young Horse Championship or competing at the Olympics, Horses Unlimited's equines have taken Sparks on a thrilling and educational journey. Her experience as an owner of horses that have competed around the globe has helped her gain invaluable knowledge about the care and development involved in both the sports of dressage and jumping.

Breeding horses for over a decade has been a true labor of love for Sparks. The myriad of joys that breeding promising sporthorses bring are not tempered by the challenges of putting a healthy foal on the ground and nurturing its development. Whether assisting a maiden mare give birth on the farm, watching her home-bred stallion jump a Grand Prix course in Wellington, or earning her USDF bronze medal aboard her beloved stallion Pik L at a dressage show in Albuquerque, Sparks is committed to pursuing her passion that was born many decades ago in the Land of Enchantment.