History
The Sonoma County Horse Council was founded in 1993 to be a central organization to advocate for horse owners and businesses and to protect our mutual interests. The SCHC is a non-profit organization.
The central mission of the Horse Council is to promote the health and well being of horses and all aspects of the horse industry in Sonoma County:
Promote and preserve horse agriculture, industry and recreation in Sonoma County
Communicate to members on horse-related issues
Inform the public about horse community goals and projects
Support private and public equestrian facilities
Sponsor youth events and the Youth Rider Fund to support and encourage future equestrians in Sonoma County
Partnering with other organizations, such as the Farm Bureau and horse clubs, the Horse Council's role expanded to include monitoring regulations and legislation effecting the horse community and acting as a liaison with local government entities.
Your Horse Council is working tirelessly to protect the health and safety of equines and to support equestrian activities in Sonoma County. When equine enthusiasts speak with one voice, we are very powerful. Join the movement. Become a member today.
Contact
Sonoma County Horse Council
PO Box 7157
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Contact A Specific Board Member
Henry Beaumont, SCHC President is a lifelong resident of Sonoma County. Born in Santa Rosa, he was raised on a dairy farm and prune ranch in Healdsburg. Besides the normal responsibilities that go along with a family farming operation, Henry got an early start at seven years old showing Jersey heifers at local fairs. Competitions with animals led to equine trail classes and gymkhanas in pre-teen years and established a fondness for horse related activities.
For over forty years, Henry has grown his company to become the leader in audio and video systems design and installation in northern California. His company specializes in large scale entertainment facilities having provided systems for the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, the Herbst Theater in San Francisco and the Green Music Center at Sonoma State to name a few.
Henry has made a point of volunteering time and energy to community and trade organizations. He has served multiple terms on the boards of the Museum of Sonoma County, the SRJC Agricultural Trust, the Wild Oak Saddle Club, the Sonoma County Trail Blazers Executive Committee and the North Coast Builders Exchange among many others. He enjoys working with other like-minded people in service to the Sonoma County Horse Council.
Sahar Bartlett is a life-long Bay Area equestrian. In years past, she has shown Western pleasure horses extensively. Currently, she enjoys trail riding, drill team competition, and color guard performances. Sahar is a board member of Bay Area Barns and Trails and SERRA Horse Rescue. She is also an active member of the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club, Novato Horsemen, and the Marin Horse Council. In addition to her deep commitment to our horse community, she also devotes her time to at-risk youth in the Sonoma County by serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and is a volunteer for the Santa Rosa chapter of the Red Cross. Sahar is a retired federal court reporter and lives in Santa Rosa on her ranch with six horses and two dogs.
Diana Hughes was raised on a small hobby farm in Petaluma where the family practiced sustainability and raised 4-H animals. The family purchased two Ponies of the Americas and Diana enjoyed gymkhana, high school rodeo, schooling shows, trail, and horse camping with local clubs. Her parents instilled in her a passion for living and loving the Sonoma County rural lifestyle, which always included horses. Today Diana shows western pleasure and hunter. She continues to explore and learn by taking lessons, attending events and clinics across disciplines, including dressage, and improving human-horse relationships. She also continues to be an avid trail rider on regional and state park trails. Diana is a full-time middle school teacher and youth/teen advocate. She and her husband Tom are active members of the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club. Together they currently own three horses.
Elizabeth Palmer began volunteering with the Sonoma County Horse Council in 2004. She has been a board member since 2015 and served as the Council’s president from 2015 through mid-2020. She is a long-time dressage enthusiast who welcomes opportunities to get out on Sonoma County’s amazing trails. Elizabeth is a Santa Rosa based business and taxation attorney, helping large and small businesses navigate growth, change and transitions. She feels privileged to have worked the Council’s current and past leadership to assist the equestrian community and ensure the future of equestrian-related activities and businesses in Sonoma County. Elizabeth is a long-time board member and current president of the Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in Shingletown, California. Between 2000 and 2015, she served on the board of the American Red Cross (covering Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties), serving as board chair from 2004-2006.
In 2004 Tracy Underwood bought the 50-acre Oak Ridge Training Stables, renamed it Santa Rosa Equestrian Center, and managed it for 17 years. The Southern California native fondly recalls her favorite aspects of the business as the European Pony School, and the many riding clinics, educational symposiums, and jumping and dressage shows she hosted annually. Tracy has been quite active in several local and national equine-related organizations. For several years she served as northern regional director of the California Dressage Society and co-chair of its Sonoma Chapter. The United States Dressage Federation saw her contribution to several national committees. Locally, she sat on the equine advisory committee at Santa Rosa Junior College, the horse show committee of the Sonoma County Fair, and the SCHC board.
Kim Murphy has held a variety of strategic senior management positions in the financial services and technology industries within large global companies for over 40 years. She is currently a partner and financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments. She has developed, owned, sold, and worked for Fortune 500 and local companies throughout her career.
Kim has held a variety of positions on Boards of Directors, including The Santa Rosa Rotary Club, The Sonoma County Museum, Girl Scouts of America, Art Start and various other not-for-profit organizations. She enjoys volunteering time to help horses, kids and to create financial freedom for all people, regardless of their education or work-related background.
Her Education includes:
- BA - management and psychology - Sonoma State University, 1977
- MBA - marketing and finance - Golden Gate University, 1987
Kim comes from a long line of horsemen and women on both sides of her family, from Butte, Montana and Denver, Colorado. Born in Reno, Nevada and growing up in Carmel Valley, California she rode constantly. She started the horsemanship program at Sonoma State University in the mid-1970’s, trained and has successfully shown hunters and jumpers for many years. She rode color guard for the Carmel Valley Saddle Club, showing successfully at the Nationals in San Francisco, CA. She has ridden most disciplines including cattle driving, polo. fox hunting, and endurance riding. She enjoys working with rescue horses and organizations supporting horsemanship. Happily owning 6 horses, 2 that are actually fun to ride, Kim and her husband DeWayne live in the west county, with numerous visits from their kids and grandkids.
Sarah de Sanz grew up on a working ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Her life-long passion for horses began when she was seven, when her mother rescued a then 30-year-old Welsh pony, Pepper. Local horse shows, 4-H, and roaming the golden hills of Northern California on Pepper, and later Peanut, cemented her love for horses and riding. Sarah has returned to the horse-world since retiring from her San Francisco-based practice in Periodontics. She has found the comradery and shared values of the horse community to be enriching beyond measure. As a former business owner, Sarah brings to the SCHC Board of Directors significant skills in budget creation, marketing, project planning and management, as well as community outreach. She owns three horses and competes in the reining. Sarah and her husband Greg live in Kenwood.
