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 Born and raised in California, Connie Cole O’Brien has had a passion for horses all her life. Connie began competing at the age of 10 as a junior exhibitor in innumerable divisions and disciplines, including Hunters Over Fences; Equitation (Western, Saddle Seat and Hunt Seat); AQHA; Color Breed; and the Arabian show circuit.
During Connie's college years, she operated a training stable which produced winners in Halter and performance divisions at the Regional and National levels. She then apprenticed at several large farms and training stables. In the 1980's, Connie was head trainer at Wayne Newton’s Aramus Arabians and Sandspur Farms. There she trained in Halter, Western and English Pleasure and presented numerous winners at Scottsdale, Regional and National shows. Additionally, Connie showed winners for numerous clients in Europe at International competitions. She was also involved in the herd management, purchasing, marketing and breeding management for these farms.
In the early 1990’s Connie retired as a professional and transitioned to her current amateur status while also running her own breeding farm. Horses bred by Sandspur have won National Top Ten, Reserve and Championship awards in Western and Hunter Pleasure. Connie has shown to multiple titles at Nationals, Regionals and Scottsdale in Halter, Western Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure AOTR.
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Beyond breeding and showing, Connie has been a carded USEF and Arabian Horse Association judge for over 20 years with National/Regional status as well at "R" status in Western/Reining Seat Equitation and Reining. She is also licensed in the National Reining Horse Association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Connie has judged the entire spectrum of shows, including the Arabian U.S. National Championships, Scottsdale and Regional Championships as well as various open shows, reining and cow horse events. In 2007 Connie was nominated to the USEF Western Committee, where she now serves.
Connie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. She and her husband, John O’Brien, live in Winnemucca, Nevada and have two children.
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