Sonoma County Horse Council
PO Box 7157
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
sonomacountyhorsecouncil.org

Henry Beaumont, SCHC President is a lifelong resident of Sonoma County. Born in Santa Rosa, he was raised on a dairy farm and prune ranch in Healdsburg. Besides the normal responsibilities that go along with a family farming operation, Henry got an early start at seven years old showing Jersey heifers at local fairs. Competitions with animals led to equine trail classes and gymkhanas in pre-teen years and established a fondness for horse related activities.

For over forty years, Henry has grown his company to become the leader in audio and video systems design and installation in northern California. His company specializes in large scale entertainment facilities having provided systems for the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, the Herbst Theater in San Francisco and the Green Music Center at Sonoma State to name a few.

Henry has made a point of volunteering time and energy to community and trade organizations. He has served multiple terms on the boards of the Museum of Sonoma County, the SRJC Agricultural Trust, the Wild Oak Saddle Club, the Sonoma County Trail Blazers Executive Committee and the North Coast Builders Exchange among many others. He enjoys working with other like-minded people in service to the Sonoma County Horse Council.

Sahar Bartlett is a life-long Bay Area equestrian. In years past, she has shown Western pleasure horses extensively. Currently, she enjoys trail riding, drill team competition, and color guard performances. Sahar is a board member of Bay Area Barns and Trails and SERRA Horse Rescue. She is also an active member of the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club, Novato Horsemen, and the Marin Horse Council.  In addition to her deep commitment to our horse community, she also devotes her time to at-risk youth in the Sonoma County by serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and is a volunteer for the Santa Rosa chapter of the Red Cross. Sahar is a retired federal court reporter and lives in Santa Rosa on her ranch with six horses and two dogs.

Patti Belanger was born 1969 in Lancaster New Hampshire. I received my first horse at the age of 4 and the love began. I started formal riding lessons at the age of 8 mostly all dressage and 3-day eventing.  I competed up to preliminary/advanced level eventing and Grand Prix Stadium jumping when I was 17 with Kim Meier of Andover Horse Center. After college I decided to wait on using my degree and began training, showing and teaching for Magness Arabians in Platteville Colorado. I decided to leave Magness Arabians after 9 years and moved to Northern California in 2004. Throughout my riding career I developed a great love for starting young horses and students alike. I believe in giving a kind and trusting foundation to young horses and students that will last a lifetime. In 2008 I became a youth coordinator in Sonoma County for the Arabian Horse Association and currently serve as youth coordinator for Wine Country Arabian Horse Association and Region III Arabian Horse Association. I am a proud owner/operator of PJB Equestrian Academy in Santa Rosa California where I have a very robust youth program. I really enjoy the process, dedication and hard work takes to make great horsewomen and men. It's been a sincere pleasure to have so many youth in Sonoma County involved in horses and learning to treat them with love and respect.  The bonds they are making will never be lost.  I am looking forward to the opportunity of helping develop a new youth program for the Sonoma County Horse Council.

Diana Hughes was raised on a small hobby farm in Petaluma where the family practiced sustainability and raised 4-H animals. The family purchased two Ponies of the Americas and Diana enjoyed gymkhana, high school rodeo, schooling shows, trail, and horse camping with local clubs. Her parents instilled in her a passion for living and loving the Sonoma County rural lifestyle, which always included horses. Today Diana shows western pleasure and hunter. She continues to explore and learn by taking lessons, attending events and clinics across disciplines, including dressage, and improving human-horse relationships. She also continues to be an avid trail rider on regional and state park trails. Diana is a full-time middle school teacher and youth/teen advocate. She and her husband Tom are active members of the Petaluma Riding and Driving Club. Together they currently own three horses.

Elizabeth Palmer began volunteering with the Sonoma County Horse Council in 2004. She has been a board member since 2015 and served as the Council’s president from 2015 through mid-2020. She is a long-time dressage enthusiast who welcomes opportunities to get out on Sonoma County’s amazing trails. Elizabeth is a Santa Rosa based business and taxation attorney, helping large and small businesses navigate growth, change and transitions. She feels privileged to have worked the Council’s current and past leadership to assist the equestrian community and ensure the future of equestrian-related activities and businesses in Sonoma County. Elizabeth is a long-time board member and current president of the Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in Shingletown, California. Between 2000 and 2015, she served on the board of the American Red Cross (covering Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties), serving as board chair from 2004-2006.

In 2004 Tracy Underwood bought the 50-acre Oak Ridge Training Stables, renamed it Santa Rosa Equestrian Center, and managed it for 17 years. The Southern California native fondly recalls her favorite aspects of the business as the European Pony School, and the many riding clinics, educational symposiums, and jumping and dressage shows she hosted annually. Tracy has been quite active in several local and national equine-related organizations. For several years she served as northern regional director of the California Dressage Society and co-chair of its Sonoma Chapter. The United States Dressage Federation saw her contribution to several national committees. Locally, she sat on the equine advisory committee at Santa Rosa Junior College, the horse show committee of the Sonoma County Fair, and the SCHC board.

Kim Murphy has held a variety of strategic senior management positions in the financial services and technology industries within large global companies for over 40 years. She is currently a partner and financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments. She has developed, owned, sold, and worked for Fortune 500 and local companies throughout her career.
 
Kim has held a variety of positions on Boards of Directors, including The Santa Rosa Rotary Club, The Sonoma County Museum, Girl Scouts of America, Art Start and various other not-for-profit organizations. She enjoys volunteering time to help horses, kids and to create financial freedom for all people, regardless of their education or work-related background. 
 
Her Education includes:
- BA - management and psychology - Sonoma State University, 1977
- MBA - marketing and finance - Golden Gate University, 1987

Kim comes from a long line of horsemen and women on both sides of her family, from Butte, Montana and Denver, Colorado. Born in Reno, Nevada and growing up in Carmel Valley, California she rode constantly. She started the horsemanship program at Sonoma State University in the mid-1970’s, trained and has successfully shown hunters and jumpers for many years. She rode color guard for the Carmel Valley Saddle Club, showing successfully at the Nationals in San Francisco, CA. She has ridden most disciplines including cattle driving, polo. fox hunting, and endurance riding. She enjoys working with rescue horses and organizations supporting horsemanship. Happily owning 6 horses, 2 that are actually fun to ride, Kim and her husband DeWayne live in the west county, with numerous visits from their kids and grandkids.

Sarah de Sanz 
Hello! My name is Sarah de Sanz. I would be both honored and delighted to serve on the SCHC Board of Directors. I am a semi-retired Periodontist and live in Kenwood with my husband, Greg. We moved here from Sausalito in April 2021, having had our fill of foggy summers. We love our life here in Sonoma County - especially the equine part! I have two horses. Biggie, a reiner, is boarded and is in training in Petaluma. Boone is my trail horse and is boarded in Santa Rosa. In addition to the joy I experience from spending time with my horses I have found the camaraderie and shared values of the horse community to be enriching beyond measure. It is this that is motivating me to join the board: To help protect and expand the interests of all of us who live and love the horse world here in Sonoma County. As a former business owner I can contribute significant skills in budget creation, marketing, project planning and management, as well as community outreach, to the SCHC. In addition, I have both time and enthusiasm to spare! Thank you so much for your consideration!