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| Nichole and Alec |
| Aniva and a few of the Sheldak Ranch foals |
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| Hello ~ We're glad you made it to the Lazy Dream Ranch website and stopped by to learn a little about us. My name is Aniva, pronounced "a-ne-va". My husband is Doug and our granddaughter is Miriah. You will see much of us, our home and developing ranch, our horses and other animals and many family and friends within these pages. The Land ~ Our home was once a part of the Great Sioux Nation Reservation and is rich in history. In 1887 Congress passed the Dawes Act (General Allotment Act of 1887) and through Land Grant and Deed transfer, our lands were acquired by my husband's family in the year 1906. In 1912 my husband's grandfather was sent here by his father to settle upon and oversee the land. It was known as the Joe Rossow Farm and has undergone many changes over the years resulting in all the original farm buildings having disappeared by 1972. Even though the fields have continued to grow crops and mobile homes were the only structures to occupy the land since 1972, it has been owned, farmed or lived upon by a member of his family from 1906 to present day. The Lazy Dream Ranch ~ In 1995 my husband and I decided to make South Dakota our permanent home and moved here to family lands. For Doug, it was a return to his family roots. For me, it was the culmination of a dream come true. We began by building our home and have slowly begun adding other structures such as our horse barn, hay storage, feed shed and riding arenas. We have taken every care to place the new structures where the original structures once were, as well as adding pasture areas and shelter belts for the environmental improvement of our area. Doug has always called it the "Lazy D Ranch" since his return because we began with nothing but dirt and determination and it seems we never get everything done that needs doing. I've always called it "Dream Ranch" because I see what it has become since we started...I see what it will become in the future...And that is how the name "Lazy Dream Ranch" came to be. Aniva ~ I am of Native American and Japanese decent and was born on a military base in New Jersey. I am a devoted horse lover and from the age of four have been raised on the back of a horse at our family ranch in Alaska until the age of ten, when military and family circumstances forced us to move. The formative years of my life were impressionable enough that I spent all the years between then and 1995 holding on to the dream of one day returning to ranch life. Even though I've always maintained staying in one saddle or another through most of the time, going to "the stable" never held the joy that "going to the barn" does. I consider myself a "Jack-of-All-Trades and Master-of-None". Besides everything horses, I enjoy reading, writing, crafts, computers, music, home improvement, gardening, minitures, antiques, family and friends. Unfortunately, I try to do it all as much as possible ~ and there just doesn't seem to be enough time. All that goes without saying that I work a full time job outside of the home, share the responsibility of raising our granddaughter with my husband, or the goals I would like to see the Lazy Dream Ranch reach. It seems I've waited a lifetime just to be here, now I get to spend the rest of my life continuing to make my dreams come true. Doug ~ My husband is of German decent and was born and raised on the family farm here in Watertown, South Dakota and is a musician by trade. Doug plays the bass and acoustic guitars and sings mainly in the Country music venue. He can also perform in the Blue Grass, Classic Rock, Blues and Jazz venues as well. He has had the opportunity to meet and perform with some of Country's Best and is a dynamic songwriter and musician. Although retired from playing public appearances, he still maintains his interest in music and even though he also works a full time job off the ranch, he is currently working in the studio to put together his first CD of original songs. We are expanding our website to include a special section devoted to Doug's songwriting and musical talents and will open this portion of our site for public viewing together with the release of his new CD. He loves music, riding horses, reading, working on the computer, spending time indulging our granddaughter and my mired "to do" lists, is a devoted father and husband, and loves spending time with family and friends. Without him, the Lazy Dream Ranch would never be the reality it is. Miriah ~ Our granddaughter, Miriah ~ We lived in western Washington when she was born and she was aptly nicknamed "Princess of the Woods". When we moved to eastern South Dakota, her nickname changed to "Princess of the Prairie" ~ and that about sums her up! We brought Miriah home to live with us at the age of six weeks when her mother entered military service and she has been with us every since. Miriah is currently twelve years old and enjoys horses and riding, her cats, reading, writing, music, arts and crafts and is "Papa's Girl". The Lazy Dream Ranch is her future. Nichole ~ Our daughter Nichole is thirty-one this year and is one of my best friends. Her educational achievements include the completion of two AA degrees, one in Liberal Arts, one in Criminal Justice, a BA degree in Liberal Arts and she is working towards completing her Masters degree in Criminal Justice. She married a very nice young man, Kip, in April of 2004 and they are currently busy raising our grandson Alec and their new baby Kaedyn. They have relocated to Boise, Idaho in August and hope to have a website of their own up when they have settled in. Alec ~ Our grandson is eight this year. He loves playing with airplanes and trucks, all the 'boy' sports, enjoys reading, doing arts and crafts, watching movies, going snowmobiling or go-carting and spending time at the ranch with "Sissy", Nana and Papa. Kaedyn ~ Our new grandaughter was born on October 1, 2003 and due to being a month premature, is very tiny for her age. She is developing very rapidly though and is a very bright, happy baby and brings joy to us all. She started crawling a couple of months ago and will be walking when next we blink an eye! Cherokee ~ I bought Cherokee as a two year old stud colt in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had him gelded and with some difficulty locating the original breeders, got his ApHC papers straightened out and registered. He's the best horse I've ever owned and no matter where we've went, or what we've done over the years, he's believed in me and has always given me his heart and soul. He has trail ridden, hunted and packed deer, competed all over the United States in timed events from barrels to poles, and in 1984 made his mark as the only "local entry" to have placed top twenty in a line up of 77 entries against the "pros" in the prestigious Helldorado Rodeo Barrel Race in Las Vegas, Nevada, placing seventeenth under Charmayne James and her famous horse Scamper. He has accquired many jackpots and ribbons throughout his lifetime. He rides like an old rocking chair you never want to give up. He's gone everywhere I've ever been throughout his lifetime and has remained a faithful mount. Due to cancer, the vet gave him three to six months to live in April of 2000, so we dug a hole at the onset of winter to bury him when his time came and prayed alot from the time we dug that hole in the ground ~ and my prayer's were answered each morning I'd go out to feed and his warm muzzle greeted me. The progression of cancer in his sheath did not adversely effect him in either his appetite, function, form or attitude until May of 2001, when suddenly in less than 30 days the cancer progressed so rapidly that we were forced to have him humanely put down on June 28, 2001. He trusted me to bring him home to a place all his own, a place where he could finally rest in green pastures. That is what the Lazy Dream Ranch is to him as he now lies buried on the ranch, next to a small hill under his own shade tree overlooking the valley and winding river beyond. View Cherokee's page to see our dedication to this awesome horse. Winche' ~ He came to us from a breeder in Crocker, South Dakota at the age of 14 months and although he is not currentlly registered, he is from "Doc Bar" breeding and is AIHR (American Indian Horse Registry) eligible. His name is pronounced "Wa-nech" and is of the Lakota Sioux language and means "nothing" as we exchanged him for nothing. Our first hope for a good riding mare fizzled when the mare we purchased was better suited as a broodmare. The mare became the exchange horse for Winche', who is better suited as a riding horse for Doug. He is an extreamly intelligent and loving, gentle giant with quite a character. It is with regret we are currently offering him for sale. You can visit him on Winche's page. Shadow ~ He also came to us from the breeder in Crocker, South Dakota, only at the age of six months as a weanling. He was appropriately named by our granddaughter and is in many ways not only a shadow to Winche', but shares the same sire, is not currently registered but is also AIHR eligible. He is schooled on ground handling and manners and is also with regret that he is being offered for sale. You can visit him on Shadow's page. Dawn Dreamer ~ She was to have fulfilled all the goals of a mare for the Lazy Dream Ranch. She came to us with her head high and proud. You can view Dawn Dreamer on her tribute page as a rare stomach tumor took her away from us in January of 2001. Yet, in her death, she gave us the hope we found in CJF Keep A Dancin... CJF Keep A Dancin ~ Having recently lost Dreamer, and desperately wanting similar bloodlines I began a search of the Internet. Was it possible that I could find an afforadable Dreamfinder filly??? I stumbled upon a web page, where I found CJF Keep A Dancin, bred out of CJF Dream-Maker, out of Dreamfinder. Her picture popped up at me, and her name said it all in light of everything that had gone before. CJF Keep A Dancin was bred by The Chief Joseph Foundation on the Nez Perce Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. She left Idaho on February 8, 2001 and arrived at the Lazy Dream Ranch on February 10, 2001. So much hope, so much promise...she has fullfilled our every expectation of her to date. We spent 2001 getting acquainted and in training and showed on the regional NESC (Northern Exposure Summer Circuit) in 2002 and 2003, which she was awarded Novice Non-Pro Overall Reserve Championship and Novice Non-Pro Overall Hi-Point Championship, for each year respectively. We have bred her this spring and are anxiously awaiting the ranch's first born foal in the spring of 2005. The foal is currently for sale enutero by private treaty. Read her stories, view her photos, awards, pedigree and progress on CJF Keep A Dancin's page. Party Girls Blondie ~ B, as she is called, is a very well bred yearling filly that we have recently purchased. Our goals for her are to begin her ground work and start her under saddle for the upcomming 2005 show season. We hope to show her for two or three seasons before introducing her to the breeding barn We have chosen her stallion mate, 'Silver Eagle', standing at CT Ranch Appaloosas, and anxiously look forward to their get. We have set up a web page on our site so that she has a place all her own to display her pictures, pedigree and progress. We are very excited about this new filly and having her here at the ranch and hope you will visit her on Party Girls Blondie's page. KiKi ~ We adopted KiKi on January 22, 2002 from our local Humane Society. She is a wonderful, loving family dog. Her favorite activities are hunting birds, playing catch and playing with the barn cats. It is not unusual to see her curled up sleeping with one or more of the cats at the end of a long day of playing. Look out if your not expected as she is also an excellant watchdog! Rain, Skye and Blue ~ Rain is a seal point Siamese and was purchased from a friend in Washington in 1991 as my "cozy kitty", the one who curls up in your lap any time you sit down. Unlike most Siamese who care little for strangers, Rain loves anyone and everyone who will give her attention. Skye was the only white kitten born in a litter bred to a tiger stripe and I just had to keep her. She is a one person cat, typical of most Siamese, although over the years she has come to like my husband too! You will never see her when strangers are around and you will have to be around a whole lot before you ever see her. Blue is the full sister to Skye and also the only white kitten born in a second litter to the tiger stripe. Blue is my granddaughter's kitten and is quite a "talker", especially when she wakes Miriah up for school each morning. They enjoy the comfort and confinement of the indoor's, which in South Dakota isn't all that bad a deal! Skyla, Snicker, Tigger, Dusty, Fizzy, Phatso, Ashes, Tucker and Bug ~ They may be listed last but they are far from the least as they are our barn cats. They live and work in our horse barn and indoor arena keeping the rat, mice and barn swallow population at bay. Our barn cats seem to be keeping a consistant population amongst themselves, however, as the seasons change, so does the barn cat population and list of names. Now that you have met us, explore our other pages to find out more about the ranch and it's operations, the goals of the ranch and learn more about natural horsemanship and Indian culture. Take time to tour our facilities, see our horses and watch their progress, visit our friends, or connect to cool and informative links in the equine world. Thanks for trotting on over to our ranch. We hope you enjoy the ride during your visit! ~ HAPPY TRAILS ~ ~ Doug, Aniva, Miriah, et al... |
| Doug and Miriah |
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| ABOUT US |
| (Please be patient while pictures download) |
| (updated 9-6-2004) |
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