Michele Davis Macfarlane Explained

Michele Davis Macfarlane
Birth Name:Michele Davis
Occupation:Horse trainer, horse breeder, businesswoman
Discipline:Saddle seat
Birth Date:29 September 1948
Birth Place:San Diego
Major Wins:Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship in 1988
Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship 1996
Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship in 2007
Lifetime Achievements:Director of California Saddle Horse Breeders Association
Honors:Inducted into The Kentucky State Fair Hall of Fame 1998
Lurline Roth Sportsmanship Award in 1996
Meritorious Service Award in 2009
Gordon Jenkins International Award in 2013
Horses:Chubasco, CH Sky Watch, CH Memories’ Citation, CCV Casey’s Final Countdown

Michele Macfarlane (born 1948) is an amateur horse trainer from the United States, who competes in the sport of saddle seat. She has been one of the leading amateur trainers and riders in the sport for over 40 years. Macfarlane resides in San Diego, California and is Marshal for the Scripps Miramar Ranch Saddlebreds parade unit.[1] [2]

Life and career

She was born in 1948 to Everett Conley Davis, and Ellen Browning Scripps Davis.[3] Her father was a lawyer and the grandson of Paschal Conley and her mother the granddaughter of E.W. Scripps and niece of Ellen Browning Scripps.[4]

She grew up on her family’s Scripps Miramar Ranch, near San Diego. When she was five her mother introduced her to the family horse riding tradition. Horses gave her hay fever, meaning she initially disliked working with them but came to appreciate her role around the age of ten when her mother bought a solid-colored Saddlebred and put her and the horse in training with Bill Rowan.[5] Thanks to her mother’s love of both parades and pinto horses, she had the innovation of breeding spotted parade horses of Saddlebred bloodlines, eventually taking part in San Diego New Year's parade in 1962.[6]

This became a tradition[7] and the 129th Rose Parade in 2018 was Macfarlane and the Scripps Miramar Ranch’s 34th appearance[8] [9]

In 1979 she bought Sky Watch whose legendary career earned him the title of Five-gaited Horse of the Century by American Saddlebred magazine.[10] Michele rode him to his fourth and final World Grand Championship in 1988 and became the first woman amateur to ever achieve that win.[11] She would repeat that win with Memories Citation in 1996 and CCV Casey's Final Countdown in 2007. She remains the only person to have entered the Five-Gaited Championship three times and winning all three times.

Early years

On May 26, 1985, Michele and Ellen Scripps Davis impressed the coaching division of the Devon Horse Show with their bay Hackney four.[12]

Amateur career 1988–2018

1988

1996

1998

2007

2009

2012

2013

Personal life

She is the great grand daughter of Paschal Conley meaning she is related to the legendary Jess "Longshot" Conley, who ran the Kentucky Derby in 1911.[29] [30] On February 16, 1998 both Ellen Scripps Davis and Everett Conley Davis were tragically killed in a house fire. Michele took over the ranch and continued the family legacy, even winning the ASHA Meritorious Service Award at the American Saddlebred Horse Association Convention that same year.[31]

Notes and References

  1. Cosdon, Christina K. "Here are the equestrian units for 2017", pasadenastarnews, December 6, 2016. Accessed January 4, 2018. "Rose Parade horse fans: Here are the equestrian units for 2017"
  2. Web site: On this 4th of July, Let's discuss Parade Horses. . 2017-07-03. horseandman.com. 2018-01-06.
  3. Web site: Scripps Granddaughter And Her Husband Preferred Horses And Old Cars To High Society. 1998-02-10. The Daily Transcript. 2018-01-06.
  4. News: Ellen Scripps Davis, Newspaper Heiress, 84. 1998-02-16. The New York Times. 2018-01-06. en-US. 0362-4331.
  5. Web site: Michele Macfarlane . 2023-04-24 . www.joanfry.com.
  6. Web site: 2017-12-21 . Rose Parade 2018: Here’s your complete guide to every float, marching band and equestrian group, in order . 2023-04-24 . Orange County Register . en-US.
  7. Web site: Garin. Nina. For these San Diegans, everything's coming up roses. sandiegouniontribune.com. January 2012. 4 January 2018.
  8. News: Watch the Replay: 129th Rose Parade Presented by Honda. 2018-01-01. KTLA. 2018-01-05. en-US. 00:33:55 in video.
  9. Web site: People's Choice - Michele Macfarlane, CH CCV Casey's Final Countdown, CH Sprinkle, CH Like Thunder The Saddle Horse Report. The Saddle Horse Report Online. 4 January 2018.
  10. Web site: CH Sky Watch Kentucky Horse Park. Kentucky Horse Park. en. 2018-01-06.
  11. Web site: CH Sky Watch Bio .
  12. Book: Ryder, Thomas. The Carriage Journal: Vol 23 No 2 Autumn 1985. 1985-09-01. Carriage Assoc. of America. en.
  13. Web site: Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship 2007. YouTube. 11 December 2010. 4 January 2018.
  14. Web site: 1988 World's Five Gaited Grand Championship. YouTube. en. 2018-01-04.
  15. Web site: Memories Citation Saddlebred. Michelson. Miles. www.allbreedpedigree.com. 5 January 2018.
  16. Web site: Awards. www.asha.net. 5 January 2018.
  17. Web site: World's Championship Horse Show. www.kystatefair.org. 4 January 2018.
  18. Web site: Saddle Horse Report, October 16 2017, page 60. 6 January 2018.
  19. Web site: Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship 2007. www.amirapress.com. 4 January 2018.
  20. Web site: Best saddlebreds crowned at World Championships Horsetalk - International horse news. www.horsetalk.co.nz. 4 January 2018.
  21. Web site: Saddlebred World's Grand Champions crowned. US Equestrian. 4 January 2018.
  22. Web site: CH Sky Watch Bio Kentucky Horse Park. Kentucky Horse Park. en. 4 January 2018.
  23. Web site: Macfarlane giving her victory interview after winning the 2007 World Championship Horse Show Five-Gaited Championship. YouTube. 4 January 2018.
  24. Web site: Awards. www.asha.net. 2018-01-07.
  25. Web site: American Saddlebred MARCH/APRIL 2009, page 83. 6 January 2018.
  26. Web site: Queen's Diamond Jubilee: 500 horses from around the world will put on equine display in Windsor. Rayner. Gordon. 2 November 2011. 6 January 2018.
  27. Web site: Scripps Miramar Ranch Saddlebreds to Participate in Queen's Diamond Jubilee. www.breyerhorses.com. 6 January 2018.
  28. Web site: Awards. www.asha.net. 4 January 2018.
  29. Web site: Scripps Granddaughter And Her Husband Preferred Horses And Old Cars To High Society. 10 February 1998. The Daily Transcript. 4 January 2018.
  30. Web site: Rich history in recovery Black jockeys: After more than 100 years of being written out of horse racing's past, African- American riders are finally being recognized for their contributions.. tribunedigital-baltimoresun. en. 6 January 2018.
  31. Web site: American Saddlebred MARCH/APRIL 2009, page 83. 6 January 2018.

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