Sometimes, something special begins and it feels like it always was, or at least should have been, there all along. This spring, Aubree Skone teamed up with partner, Chezni Woods, and with the encouragement of Sagecliffe Resort president and CEO Vince Coluccio, created Sagecliffe Horseback.
It’s an opportunity, Aubree said, to pay forward the wonderful gifts given her over the years, from the simple joy of riding, to financial success, to the confidence and authenticity that makes her such a radiant being. “My stepfather is the reason I’m here… I’m doing what Randy did for me, but times 1,000. I get to give people access to horses they wouldn’t have had before,” Aubree said. Not only did Randy teach Aubree all she knows about training competitive horses and rodeos, he also passed on unexpectedly, which brought Aubree back to Warden to be with her family.
Chezni was born and raised in Lewiston, ID, “I have always been on the back of a horse,” she said. Like Aubree, she, too, rodeos, and trains competitive horses. The connection between the two partners goes back many years, but before starting the business, they had not really met, and instead were vouched for by friends and family. “I now have an even bigger view of [Sagecliffe Horseback] than coming in – I’m really really excited all the time out there. We’ve always got ideas building bigger things,” she says of their successful partnership and business.
With over 150 rides in the first few months of their first season, the experience speaks for itself. “When [riders] get there, they are always more impressed, more blown away and happier than what they expected. They are more comfortable than they expected. We blow expectations away!” Chezni said. Both partners acknowledge that it’s not only their expertise and communication that make the experience great, it’s also the views of the Columbia River Gorge, and, of course, the horses.
“Five to 10 minutes into the ride, [the riders] transform. They comment on the ride, the land, the feeling. They say it’s the best experience of their life. They say it transforms the stresses of their lives – it’s energy transforming,” Aubree said. She explains that the other things in one’s life are no longer as important, because, “With a horse you’re asked to be present, for snakes, etc., and so you’re only thinking about your horse… and the views of Sagecliffe.”
Rides are available Tuesday – Sunday, and can be booked online. Their season will conclude for the year in September. Even if you don’t book a ride, the Sagecliffe Horseback corral is right by Tendrils Restaurant at Sagecliffe Resort, and you might catch a glimpse, or even get to say hello to Aubree, Chezni and their other partners, Wayne, Money, Jasmine and Dex! Yes… those are horses!