Post by Melissa Masters on Apr 10, 2012 13:50:12 GMT -5
NICKNAME • Mel
AGE/BIRTHDAY • 25
ZODIAC • Cancer
PLACE OF BIRTH • Longview, CA
ETHNICITY/NATIONALITY • Caucasian - English/Irish/Scottish
HEIGHT/WEIGHT • 5'7" - 135lbs
SEXUALITY • Straight
FAMILY • Paternal Grandparents - Peter and Natalie Masters, Parents - Nathan and Sarah Masters, Older Sister - Dr. Amanda Masters: Veterinarian, Younger Brother - Lt. Christopher Masters - Marines (Currently on long term deployment)
RELATIONSHIPS • Just friends at the moment
EDUCATION • Bachelors Degree in Equine Science from La Fiesta Tech, Masters Degree in Equine Management from Sim State University
RELIGION • N/A
LANGUAGES SPOKEN • English, Spanish, French
ECONOMIC STATUS • Rich
CRIMINAL RECORD • None
OCCUPATION • Masters Thoroughbreds Owner/Head Trainer
PETS • Fifteen Thoroughbreds with two more on the way, plus a dozen or so other horses of various breeds, most of which are in our lesson program.
TATTOOS/PIERCINGS • Ears - 1 set, Belly Button
LIFETIME ASPIRATION • The Jockey - Achieved
TRAITS • Eco-Friendly, Equestrian, Handy, Loves the Outdoors, Vegetarian
FAVORITE FOOD • Veggie Stir-Fry
FAVORITE COLOR • Hunter Green
FAVORITE MUSIC • Pop for in the truck or on the road, Classical for relaxing or in the barn.
HOBBIES • Riding, Reading, Writing, Traveling, Cooking
STRENGTHS • Patient, Caring, Good Listener, Connecting with Animals.
WEAKNESSES • Heights, Hates Conflict, Allergic to hay
FUN FACT • Woke up one morning during College and found her horse in her dorm room. She is still not sure how her Sorority pulled that one off!
PET PEEVES • People Neglecting/Abusing Animals, Know-it-all Riders, Dang Raccoons in the Trash!
FAVORITE HANGOUTS • On the back of a horse.
Melissa grew up in Longview, a sleepy rural town nestled in a futile valley in the Sierra Madre Mountains of California. The town is known for it's horses and the Masters family has been involved in the industry since the town was founded back in the mid 1800's. Many different breeds have been focused on throughout the years, but in the last several decades, thanks to Melissa's grandmother Natalie, Masters Farms had become renowned for their highly versatile line of Thoroughbreds.
Melissa commonly states that she has been on horseback since before she was born, and given her family that is probably close to the truth. She received her first actual riding lesson at the age of four and has never really been off since. She learned everything she could about riding and the various disciplines out there and found that she shared her grandmothers passion for Thoroughbreds. She agreed that they could be so much more than just race horses, but that racing was in their blood.
She started working for her grandmother as a teenager as a groom and learned the business from the ground up. After she finished her Bachelors Degree she took over as manager of the Training Facility, where she spent the next four years working with the farms horses from their imprinting at birth through their grounding training and under saddle. She has never really met a horse that she was unable to work with and her patience for troublesome or aggressive horses is legendary even in her family.
Around the time she completed her Masters Degree, her grandparents announced their retirement. So she took over as the full owner and has been working hard on expanding the farm and improving the breeding lines.