Sandy
Collier

From Massachusetts to Tajiguas Ranch — An Unlikely Path West

Sandy Collier is one of the most respected and accomplished women in the history of the reined cow horse industry. Born in Massachusetts and raised in New England, she developed a love for horses at an early age and began showing horses when she was only six years old. Her early competition background included English riding and three-day eventing, giving her a strong foundation in riding, horsemanship, and athletic competition.

In 1972, at the age of 19, Collier moved west to California — a decision that shaped the course of her career. She found work at the Tajiguas Ranch near Santa Barbara, where she handled a wide range of responsibilities: feeding, grooming, training, shoeing horses, colt starting, saddle making, and rawhide braiding. The ranch experience deepened her understanding of stock horses and cattle work.

With guidance from horseman Doug Ingersoll, Collier began competing in California Reined Cow Horse Association events. In 1979, she moved to Santa Ynez and worked for trainer Tom Shelly before establishing her own training operation in 1980. While building her horse training business, she also worked part-time as an emergency medical technician and in a hospital emergency room.

1993 — The First Woman to Win the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open

Throughout the 1980s, Sandy Collier steadily gained recognition in reined cow horse competition, earning numerous titles including open bridle championships and year-end hackamore honors.

The defining moment of Collier's career came in 1993 when she won the prestigious National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship aboard the mare Miss Rey Dry. The victory was historic — Collier became the first woman to win the event, which was widely regarded as one of the toughest competitions in the cow horse industry. She remained the only woman to have done so for roughly three decades, until Sarah Dawson became the second.

Collier continued to achieve success at the highest levels of competition. In 2001, she earned reserve championship honors at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, and in 2002 she won the American Quarter Horse Association Junior Working Cow Horse World Championship riding Sheza Shinette. Over the course of her career, she also earned titles in the NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Hackamore Classic, and other major western performance horse events.

• 1993 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion — Miss Rey Dry (first woman ever)
• 2001 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Reserve Champion
• 2002 AQHA Junior Working Cow Horse World Champion — Sheza Shinette
• NRCHA Stallion Stakes champion
• NRCHA Hackamore Classic champion
• NRCHA Hall of Fame inductee
• National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee
• Horse & Rider — Top 50 Riders of All Time in All Disciplines

Clinician, Author, and NRCHA Judge

Beyond competition, Sandy Collier became highly respected as an educator and clinician. She produced training videos, instructional materials, articles, and books designed to help riders improve their horsemanship and mental approach to competition. She also served as a highly rated NRCHA and AQHA judge, officiating at major national events.