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 Westwood
Farms is "family owned and operated," but family doesn't always
mean blood. Our "farm family" is made up of several people
who have come together to work towards common goals. Our goals are:
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To breed for "working walking horses."
Our focus is on keen intelligence, a willingness to please, smooth
gaits and versatility. The original walking horses were bred to
be hardworking horses that would be used on the farm all week, show
on Saturday night and carry the family to church on Sunday morning.
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To foster a riding and boarding environment
that is supportive, peaceful and harmonius. Riding centers us and
helps us to relax. It helps us to build and maintain strong, mutually
beneficial friendships. Most of all, it is about ENJOYING LIFE TO
THE FULLEST.
Stephanie Clatterbuck Langston,
Owner, Founder
Jarred Langston,
Head Trainer, Farrier & Riding Instructor
Pam
Langston, Breeding Consultant
Wayne Langston, Wrangler
of Horses, Dogs and Grandkids
Rachel West, Barn Mother
Anthony & Linda Clatterbuck, my
amazing parents who supported my dreams
The Mini
Aussies!
My name is Stephanie Langston, owner and founder of Westwood
Farms. I inherited a love of the land from my father, Anthony
Clatterbuck, and grandmother, Merdell Dyer. My fondest memories
are of time spent on the farm making hay, working cows
and tending horses. I'm told that I presented my first
horse-related business plan to Dad at the age of 7 and proudly
included a glass jar full of coins marked "for future
barn."
After years of pouring over every resource I could find
and pestering knowledgeable people with questions,
I started my very first business. Barely a teenager, my
father encouraged me to make decisions for myself. I bought,
trained and sold local horses to earn some operating capital.
Then, in 1997, we went to look at our first gaited horse, "Charlie's
Copper." I'll never forget that stout red
gelding. I became a lifetime TWHBEA member in 2001.
Years later, stumbled across a buckskin colt in Colorado.
I was looking for a filly with lines back to Allen's Gold
Zephyr (Roy Rogers' Trigger Jr.) I don't know what it was,
but that colt caught my attention. Many photos and a video
later, and "Golden Gambler"
was on the long trailer ride to our farm in Virginia. It
was love at first sight. Gambler has been my most trusted
companion for years and has proven himself as a sire of
horses of uncommon beauty and intelligence, fierce loyalty,
and naturally smooth gaits.
I am proud to say that my own children have (so far),
followed in my footsteps. My Gavin is fearless - having
ridden and handled horses since he was too small to walk.
James was bitten by the show bug at the tender age of three
when we took him to his first show in North Carolina. Grace
wants to ride every "hehe" that she sees...Ben's
interests run more along the line of "tractor",
but that works, too.
As a mother, I want to provide the best life for my children.
That means teaching them the value of hard work and personal
responsibility. Caring for animals and helping with chores
on the farm is the best way I can think of to accomplish
this. I am proud to have a family that supports my lifelong
dream.
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Stephanie & Gavin in 2011 on
Gambler's Midas Touch WF |
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Jarred has an analytical mind and eye
for detail. He has a natural talent with horses that is just
incredible. Rather than trying to put each horse in one
box or another, he uses his knowledge of different methods to
develop a method that suits the horse! He has studied with some
of the great trainers and plans to continue just that. He starts
our young horses, teaches tricks, field trial and trail trains
and does amazing things with gaits. To top it all off, he's
also a trained farrier. |
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Pam is one of the most detail oriented, observant people
I've ever known. When Pam decides to do something, she does
it in a big way. She has become an expert in bloodlines,
conformation and movement. Her expert guidance has been
invaluable to us and many others like us. She is my favorite
person to dream with and has brought our breeding program
to a whole new level. I just know that I'm going to see
her listed as a TWHBEA master breeder some day.
When she came to look at a horse here back in 2009, we became
fast friends and eventually partners. I never dreamt that
one day she would end up my mother-in-law. That said,
I couldn't have asked for a more amazing, talented woman
to share this dream with.
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Rachel and I have been best friends
since we were in grade school. We share a passion for horses
and spent every afternoon and summer on adventures together.
While we lost touch for a few years when we were younger,
we picked right back up as if we'd never skipped a day.
In addition to being one of th best friends I could ever
ask for, Rae is an invaluable part of our barn family. Her
perky, upbeat personality makes everything we do fun. From
working with foals, desensitization training and holding
down the fort when Jarred and I go out of town, Rae is our
gal. Without her, we'd never get to leave the farm. Seriously
though, having someone who is hard working and as passionate
about the horses as we are is a blessing. |
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Wayne Langston, better known
and "Big Daddy" to all the grandkids - is the
patriarch of the Langston Clan. He's a giant of a man standing
6'6" with a heart twice that size. He's the driving
force that keeps the whole clan moving. He's our horse-hauling,
dog-managing, child-whispering, horse-riding one-man comedy
show. AND he can sing! While he's a carpenter by trade,
we haven't found anything yet that he can't or won't do,
especially for Nonna Pam. Big Daddy is a HUGE BLESSING and
we don't know what we'd do without his love and support.
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 Last,
but certainly not least, are my AMAZING parents who supported my
dreams and made me who I am.
My Dad taught
me that there was nothing that I couldn't do if I set my mind to
it - no goal was ever "too big." Even enormous undertakings
could be accomplished by a series of small steps and hard work.
My Mom taught me that "life isn't a dress rehearsal - do what
you love, because you don't get a second chance." Both of them
loved me unconditionally and taught me that failure was an opportunity
for learning and growth, not the end. Even though they didn't share
my love of horses, they loved me enough to be supportive. I wouldn't
have been able to get where I am today if it hadn't been for their
willingness to teach me what I needed to learn about business, agriculture,
and life in general.
 When I was barely
a teenager, Dad would take me on horse buying trips where he'd insist that people do business with me directly. I was
incredibly shy and it was scary at first, but Dad said "if
you want this enough, you'll figure it out" and he was right.
I learned to be social despite my shyness because I WANTED to do
horses. He taught me how to run a business frugally and logically and how to
make wise investments by analyzing risks and benefits. He also taught me how to
graciously accept losses as part of life.
My Mom has always had my
back. She's the sympathic ear who listens and then offers guidance if you're
smart enough to take it, and endless patience if you're not. Her unwavering
loyalty and support make her babies (and grandbabies) bold. It's hard not to
be when you have a Mama Bear behind you. Even though horses are not her
thing, she's listened to me talk about them for so...so many years. She's
celebrated my successes and comforted me through the hard times. None of
this would've been possible without their guidance and support.
Westwood Farms - Locust Dale,
Virginia 22948 - stephanie@westwoodfarms.net
- 540-825-1300
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