Client Photos...

Kota Bush Goes to School... Cathy Bush of Bedford is the proud mom of the handsome Paint gelding Smooth Sonny Dude, AKA "Kota". Mark has started hiim under saddle and he is going to be a wonderful riding companion for mom!

Maddy & Mercy... On her way to Myrtle Beach, Madeline Bruce and family stopped by to visit with their handsome Straight Egyptian Arabian stallion "Maaverick"...and Maddy took some time out to ride the cute Polish pony mare "Mercy."

Pam & Spirit... Pam Lemon can hardly believe how big her handsome boy has gotten! Shahmans Spirit is by Shadys Shahman (aka "Junior") out of the beautiful Saddlebred mare "Cheyenne". It won't be long before it's saddle training time!!

Nafis Moniet... Linda & David Davis are the proud owners of this beautiful Straight Egyptian Arabian stallion Nafis Moniet. He is here for an under saddle "tune up" and is also available for breeding!

Meredith and Dreamcatcher... CONGRATULATIONS to Meredith Sweeney of Daleville, the proud new owner of Peppy Zans Dreamcatcher! Meredith is an excellent rider and she and "Dreamer" made a great team!

Future Burke Horse Whisperers... We recently had a visit from Sara & Wesley Burke, Mark's niece & nephew, who had great fun riding "Che" and getting some riding tips from their Uncle Mark....looks like there is more "horsey" talent in the Burke family!!

Prince & Missy... Sally & Larry Mann of Lexington have two nice riding horses to look forward to! Mark recently started two of their horses, Prince & Missy, and they are both beautiful under saddle.

Beautiful Arabian Stallion Khemoshahn... Linda & David Davis have alot to be proud of with this handsome stud named "Khemo" who is here for Mark to start under saddle. He is also available for breeding...give us a call for details!

Misty & Shadow Grow Up!... Shadys Mist and Infidels Shadow are the 2002 foals by Deb's mare Shady and Mark's mare Boo. Misty is now owned by Julia & Jim Crump of Roanoke and Shadow is owned by A.J.Glick of Roanoke. Our "grandkids" have grown up!!

Gorgeous Palomino Stallion... Check out this beautiful stallion owned by JoAnn Edwards of Fincastle. "Stroker" and JoAnn make a great pair and have many happy trails ahead of them!

TK Makes His Debut... This handsome Arabian Gelding is owned by Linda and David Davis of Wirtz. He looks just like a carousel pony!

Brooke Rides the Big Guy... Brooke Peery does a great job helping Mark exercise the riding horses...and today she had the ride of her life. Check out these pictures of Brooke riding Sebastian.

Pamela and Sebastian... Congratulations to Pamela Thomas of Portsmouth, Virginia on her recent purchase of the handsome Friesian gelding Sebastian! Pamela and Sebastian make a handsome pair!

Grace Under Fire... Grace is a beautiful Bey Shah bred mare owned by Julia & Jim Crump of Roanoke. She is here for Mark to work under saddle and is an excellent student!

Pam & Spirit... Pam Lemon of Roanoke is the proud "mother" of this handsome young gelding named "Spirit." Shahmans Spirit is an Arab-Saddlebred cross...his dad is Shadys Shahman, or "Junior" as he is known around Amethyst Acres.

Beautiful Breeze... Breeze is a beautiful Arabian mare that Mark is starting under saddle for Iris Walker of Wirtz. She has an exquisite face and eye and a very intelligent mind which has made riding her lots of fun! Breeze is available for purchase.

These Girls Can Ride Anything! Carrie & Grace Fowler of Troutville are both excellent riders and Mark appreciates having them help "put miles" on some of the younger horses. Check out these pictures of Grace on the Welsh Cob Stallion "Merlin" and Carrie on the 18.1h shire "Elmer."

Shadow Moves to Bent Mountain Congratulations to A.J.Glick of Roanoke on the purchase of the handsome Thee Infidel colt "Infidels Shadow." Shadow has a wonderful new home and a great view from his Bent Mountain pasture!

Junior's Yearling Filly "Shahs Got The Look" is this big girl's name and boy is she a beauty! Just a yearling, she is by our stallion "Shadys Shahman" (a.k.a. "Junior") and out of Grace Under Fire. She is owned by Jill Hufford of Fincastle and is here for halter training...watch for her at the Fall Arabian Classic!

Smoothest Ride Around Mark is having a blast riding this handsome Tennessee Walking horse. His name is "Rebel" and he is owned by Linda and Harry Simmons of Covington.

Big John Check out this big guy...his name is "BJ" and is is a big, handsome Quarterhorse gelding that is here for some "extra miles." BJ is owned by Holly Alouf of Roanoke.

Legacy of Gold son "Chalice" EA Golden Chalice is a beautiful 3-year old Arabian stallion that Mark is starting under saddle. He is also available for breeding next season. Chalice is proudly owned by Sandra & Bennie Foy of Statesville, NC.

Merlin the Welsh Cob Merlin is an extremely handsome "B" sized Welsh Cob stallion that is being started under saddle for Ruth Schwab of Christiansburg. He will also be available for breeding next season.

Wallace and Brooke Check out this handsome Arabian gelding named "Wallace" in honor of the late Wally Mitchell. He is a son of Wally's Arabian stallion Khaptivator, and is very handsome under saddle, especially with owner Cathy Erath's daughter Brooke riding.

Baby Grows Up Dave DeMarco of Salem couldn't be prouder of his Quarter Horse filly "Baby" as she starts her saddle training. Check out these pictures of Dave's Baby girl.

Recent "Under Saddle" Graduates... Mark's had a busy year starting horses under saddle. Here are just a few of his recent graduates.

2004 Egyptian Event We had a great time at this year's Event...and came home with three TOP TEN's!!

2004 Mounted Patrol Fund Raiser Results The May 15th "Open House and Egyptian Day in May" was a huge success, raising over $3,000 for the Roanoke Mounted Patrol. A very special THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this exciting day!

2004 Open House Check out these photos taken by photographer Victor Steel.

Abbie & Jessi CONGRATULATIONS to Jessi Kidd of Fincastle! Jessi is the new owner of the beautiful Appaloosa pony mare "Abbie" and the two are a perfect match. Check out these great shots of Abbie & Jessi riding together.

Scott Trees Photo Day World famous horse photographer Scott Trees recently spent time at Amethyst Acres shooting pictures and video for clients. Check out these behind the scenes shots.

Appaloosa Filly "Prissy" Prissy is a beautiful Appaloosa filly owned by Debra Scott of Boones Mill. Watch for Debra and Prissy in the show ring!

Toby & Tabb When Tabb Humphreys saw Toby's picture on our Web site, she fell in love. Toby reminded Tabb of a horse she had as a child, and now they are together at Tabb's Memphis, Tennessee barn. Congratulations Tabb!

Oldenberg Stallion "Kosko" Dana Worthington of Buchanan has lots to be proud of with this handsome fellow! Check out these pictures of Mark putting Kosko under saddle. Kosko will also be available for breeding this season...call Mark for details.

Sierra Grows Up!It's been a year since Kelly Sprinkle got her new filly "Sierra" and she has done a great job teaching her ground manners. Now, she and Mark are starting her under saddle, and she has talent galore! Watch for Kelly and Sierra in the showring soon!

Carrie & Maury Take a look at this handsome Paint/QH gelding named Maury and his new owner Carrie Fowler! Carrie brought Maury here to start under saddle a month ago and they are already trailriding together! Congratulations Carrie!!

Sampson Check out this big guy! His name is Sampson and he is a Quarter Horse gelding owned by Larry Richardson of Fincastle.

I'm Bound For Glory This beautiful thoroughbred mare is better known as Katie and is owned by Stephanie Bowyer of Troutville.

Zeke and Sarah A GREAT BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah Stradley of Windsor, Virginia, the new owner of "Zeke." For Sarah, it was love at first sight when she met Zeke earlier this year. It truly must have been "meant to be" because after all these months, Zeke and Sarah will finally be together!! Check out these pictures of Sarah riding Zeke earlier this year.

Dee and Ellie Congratulations to Ellen Yager-Crabtree of Bridgewater, Virginia on her recent purchase of the beautiful Arabian mare Deena Doriana, or "Dee." Check out these pictures of Dee arriving at her new home.

Windy Dream Congratulations to Jacque Battle of Montvale on the recent purchase of the beautiful pony named Windy Dream. Mark is starting Windy under saddle. Watch for Jacque and Windy next year on the Eventing circuit!

Fair Stars This pretty 3-year old Paint mare, who is affectionately known as "Grace" is owned by Jeanetta Bailey of Wirtz.

Fluvanna Under Saddle This pretty Oran Van Bandy daughter is being started under saddle for Shannon White of Buchanan.

Fortune Fadiq "Jason" is a handsome Arabian gelding that Mark is starting under saddle for Ron Penlan of Deland, Florida.

Thanks Allison! Mark sends out a big "thank-you" to Allison Kirtley of Roanoke who spent some extra time with us this summer helping exercise horses. Check out these pictures of Alli riding...

Brenda gets a boy toy! Congratulations to Brenda Layman of Roanoke on the purchase of her new black & white paint gelding!

Black Quarterhorse Stallion Handsome black quarterhorse stallion "Codys Black Diamond" is being started under saddle by Mark. "Cole" is owned by Joan Vincent of Goochland, Va.

Stuart Vesty visits Amethyst Acres Professional horse photographer Stuart Vesty recently visited Amethyst Acres to shoot photos for several clients. Here are some "behind the scenes" shots of the action.

Kelly & Allison Ride the Big Boys... Check out these pictures of Allison Kirtley and Kelly Sprinkle riding 18h. Elmer and 16.1h Zeke!

A Horse of Her Own!! CONGRATULATIONS to Pat Woodward of Norfolk, Virginia on her new horse Commanche. Pat is owner Debbie Burke's sister, and many of you have met her when you have been at the farm....she's the one that keeps the flowers green and blooming!!! Now when you come visit, you may see her riding her new mount!

Happy Birthday Anna!! CONGRATULATIONS to Anna Linkous and her sister Betsy on their new horses Dazzle and Dreamcatcher. The girls found out about their new horses on Anna's 13th birthday! What a great present!!

Love Bug After a perfectly executed roll in the dirt, a very pregnant "Love Bug" gets a much needed bath by her mom Alli Kirtley of Roanoke.

Asmari Jamila DMF This is an absolutely beautiful straight Egyptian filly...just a yearling, Asmari made her halter debut at the Spring Arabian Classic by winning Grand Champion filly. She is headed to this year's Egyptian Event where she will be presented by Shawn Crews. She is proudly bred and owned by Debra & David Geiser of Lexington, Va.

Stelladora Big, upright and beautiful...that's Stelladora! Stella is a two-year old Saddlebred filly owned by Wade & JoAnn Edwards of Fincastle, Va.

2002 Recap Last year was a busy one for us...we worked with over 100 different horses!! If you would like to read more about some of the things we did, check out this!

Breeze & Sassy Check out these pretty girls...Rocky Mountain mares owned by Steve Flack of Boones Mill, VA. This breed makes a great trail horse and Steve has several for sale. Contact us at (540) 254-1017 for more information.

Roanoke Mounted Police For two months in the summer of 2002, members of the Roanoke Mounted Police used the training facilities at Amethyst Acres to train two Friesian geldings. Here is the story and pictures.

Bert & Judy Judy Zollicoffer of Winston-Salem, NC is "Bert's" new mom!! Bert is Judy's first horse and we hope she spoils him rotten and has many, many years of fun! Congratulations Bert & Judy!

Leo & Karen Proud mom Karen takes her first ride on her Appaloosa gelding Leo. Mark has been starting Leo under saddle the past 30 days and helping him get comfortable on the trails.

Jennifer & Shebah Congratulations to Jennifer Brown of Winston-Salem, NC on her recent purchase of the Arabian mare Bey Shebah. This is Jennifer's first horse, and we wish them many years of love and happiness together!

Atticuss Becomes a Dean! Congratulations to the Dean family on their recent purchase of the Arabian gelding Atticuss. Atticuss will join the Arabian mare "Sammy" at the Dean's West Virginia farm.

Sherwood Bey Joins the Sprinkle Family Congratulations to JoAnn & Kelly Sprinkle (and Dad & Seth, too!) on their recent purchase of the National Show Horse gelding Sherwood Bey. Watch for Sherwood and JoAnn on the trails and Sherwood and Kelly in the show ring!

Fall 2002 Arabian Classic Check out these pictures from the Oct. 4-6, 2002 Arabian Classic in Lexington, Va. Thanks to JoAnn, Tammy, Jeanetta, JoAnn, Kelly, Seth, John and everyone else who helped make it a success!

Shire Thoroughbred Geldings Awesome size and wonderful personalities, these two big boys are under saddle and ready for fox hunting, eventing, or just trail riding. Call 540-254-1017 for more information.

Shakkan Arabian yearling colt "Shakkan" (ZT Shakfantasy x Nishka) owned by Richard Cohen practices halter moves in preparation for the Fall Arabian Classic Show. Shakkan won the yearling colt halter class at the Fall Classic, and is looking forward to an exciting show career!

Kelly Sprinkle & Sierra's Secret Kelly Sprinkle teaches her new filly "Sierra's Secret" to free lunge in the round pen.

Minstrils Moniet Straight Egyptian Arabian mare "Minstrils Moniet" owned by Tania & Alan McDonald. "Minnie" makes an early morning arrival from Canada. Next morning she relaxes in the pasture and enjoys some green grass.

Jeanetta Bailey & Miss Ellie Congratulations to new owner Jeanetta Bailey with her yearling Thee Desperado Arabian Filly "Elusive Desperado" or "Miss Ellie"....watch for Jeanetta and Ellie in the halter showring soon!

Sarah Cobb & Breeze And also congratulations to new owner Sarah Cobb with her Paint gelding "Appalachian Breeze."

Greg & Lorin Falls Greg Falls takes a ride on the Arab gelding "Atticus" and Lorin Falls puts "Appalachian Breeze" through the paces. Afterwards they join Mark on "Jewel" for a trail ride around the farm.

Cathy Pozder and Jewel Cathy takes her first ride on her newly greenbroken Quarterhorse/Arab mare Jewel . Mark has been working with Jewel the past 30 days getting her under saddle and is proud of his new "graduate."

Cindi Stultz & Dakota Cindi Stultz and her Appendix Quarter Horse mount "Dakota DOC" take a break after a trail ride around Amethyst Acres.

Hanovarian mom Maxima & son Hanovarian mare "Maxima" and new colt "Firecracker" owned by Jocelyn Audet enjoying a lazy day.

Kathy Munsey & Spencer Kathy Munsey aboard her mare "Spencer" and Mark Burke with "Atticuss" stop to chat while trail riding.

Geneieve Starting Under Saddle Mark starting the National Show Horse mare Geneieve under saddle. "Genna" is owned by Jill Hufford.