Krista and her husband Shawn and children:  Evan, Ashley and Melissa own and operate the MonteRay Ranch in Manvel, ND.  The ranch offers boarding, training, stallion service, lessons, and show coaching, with clients ranging from children and adults that have never touched a horse, to students showing at their breeds world championship shows.  At this time there are about 80 horses living at the ranch so it is definitely a busy place.
Krista has been involved with horses her whole life. In the mid 1970's and early 80's Krista showed quarter horses on a regional and national level. Her favorite classes were hunter under saddle and reining. She remembers that back then hunter under saddle was called Bridle Path Hack Hunt Seat and the horses were shown with double rein pelham bit bridles and people fashioned a checkerboard shape in the horses hair on the rump.  Styles and horses change but the one thing that has never changed for Krista is the fact that even after all these years she still loves her job because it has been so fun and rewarding.

Krista worked at the MonteRay when she was a teenager and began breaking horses for people at the age of 17. When she was no longer showing in youth, she began to haul some very successful youth riders to shows; training and coaching them. Krista then earned a bachelors degree in Equestrian Studies from Findlay College, Findlay, Ohio. After taking a break from the horse business to start her family, she decided to reopen her mother-in-law, Annabel Montgomey's ranch.Her greatest moments have been to witness the success of her children and her students.  She is very proud of the fact that her children have become such wonderful showman but even more importantly, have developed into just plain great riders.

I would like to thank my family for putting up with our somewhat chaotic lifestyle.  I am especially grateful to my children, for their grace in handling times when they have had to share their life and their mother's attention with so many other people.  Also I would like to thank my husband, Shawn, because none of this would be possible without his continuing support of me and of the ranch. I want to thank the Red River Horse Breeders for honoring me in this way. It is made even more special because my late mother-in-law Annabel received this very same award many years ago. She was passionate about introducing people to horses and dedicated much of her life to promoting horses in the upper Midwest. I am more than thrilled to continue her work.  Her vision was to have a ranch where any level horse and rider could learn and excel and that is what I think we are continuing to do today.  

Jerry and Lois Nanik met in October of 1967 in the big white barn (Morrison County Fair Grounds) on the curve in Motley, Minnesota, as Jerry would bring roller skates there and to different places in the surrounding towns. Two years later, they were married on October 19,1968. They lived in a trailer house in downtown Verndale for nine months and then bought the farm three miles north of Verndale. In the thirty one years that they have lived there, many things have taken place in their lives.

Lois received an appaloosa horse from her folks that first summer and Jerry (who only had a white Shetland pony growing up) wasn’t going to be left out, so off to the sale barn they went. Spirit was the purchase. She was a grade bay.  Soon, they were riding and even riding to the River Trail Riders Saddle Club grounds several miles east of their farm.  They rode games: barrels, poles, key race, and of course, the famous scoop shovel race.

Along came the first child, Larry, in 1969, and by then they were looking to expand their horse family. They bought their first Quarter Horse, “Chubs”. That fall they bought their second Quarter Horse, “Tiger Little” who was a weanling that was weaned on purchase day. You see, one can’t have just one Quarter Horse, and now a trailer was needed. A two horse baby blue and white was the color of choice. That following spring, Jerry thought he had such a great horse that they decided to start Quarter Horse showing. He told Lois that Tiger was “good enough to win” and so he made the trek to Crookston in March of 1969 by himself. When he returned home, he had his first place trophy for the 1969 weanling/yearlings and the start of their dusting collection.

Along came their daughter, Connie, in 1971, and “Della Punk” Quarter Horse buckskin mare in 1973. Jerry was riding his “Tiger Little” and Lois now had herself a two year old to ride. They rode often and their hard work paid off as Lois won the Western Pleasure All-Around on her two year old, “Punk”.  It seems like the kids slowed down their type of events and now they were doing pleasure events, or as Lois said, more shows had pleasure classes and were more family friendly.

In 1974 their second son, Scott, was born. With the addition of a son, soon a new trailer was on the agenda.  A red four horse straight load goose neck trailer, with a three foot dressing room became the play area for the kids as longer trips with the horses took place, and it wasn’t long before the kids started to ride. Tiger and Punk were now having babies. Larry started showing Tiger and Connie showed Punk in walk trot. Connie received her first red ribbon out of five entries at the ripe old age of three. As you can tell, the family spent many hours in the barn and riding those horses for three year olds (horse and rider) to be comfortable along with the parents to put them in a walk trot class. (There was no lead line back then.)

As the family got older, the number of horses in the barn grew too. Some were bought at sales: Lee Mar 27, Cody Jay Pine, Two Eyed Gigi, Jewels Diamond and Sheza Kid Sensation and others were raised: Little Snippy Star, Freddie, Show Star, Two Dondi Pines, Eyes of Pine, Dark  N Sensational, Reflecting Elegance, She's a Package, Edge of Rose, and Famous Little Angel (third generation from Cody Jay Pine.)

As the kids got older, the numbers of horses increased to about ten, though sometimes as high as 15 or 17, and currently 13.The kids showed in 4-H, Open Shows, and Quarter Horse Shows receiving Youth Register of Merits. They followed in the steps of their father, who received a Register of Merit on Tiger Little.

Since then, getting qualified for the World Show, making a Champion, and being in the national standings (9th and 5th with Dark N Sensational) have been achieved in the late 90s and into the early 2000s.  It used to be that the Quarter Horse Shows were all far away except the 7 Day Run in Wadena, but times have changed, and so has the showing schedule. Verndale is really close and has Quarter Horse Shows, and then there are still the trips to Canada to show horses, just to get away.

Through the years, many friends have been made along with memories with horse people and family. As we look at Jerry and Lois now, they still are showing, supporting the grandchildren in 4-H, and others who ask for help with their horses. They are also involved with CMHIA (ok, they have held offices many times.) They now have the Wadena Quarter Horse Shows and both have held state offices on the Minnesota Quarter Horse Association board. They have quite a collection of trophies (they get dusted less often as the kids don’t do it every week) and Jerry’s Quarter Horse Journal Collection that takes up part of their home. That farm and home have stood the test of time and weathered many storms along with the couple that lives there.