By Kelly Sigler

I was sitting in my house getting ready to pack George into my trailer and head out for a jumping lesson when a sudden storm popped up. I looked outside to see what was going on with our crazy Texas weather, and saw a mini twister slithering it’s way through my pasture. It picked up George’s lean to that he was casually standing under, and whisked it away like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. George went from 0-60 faster than a Ferrari- scared out of his wits. Quicker than it ... ...

If you ask a Cherokee tribal member how long they have lived in this area of Western North Carolina, they will say that they have always been here, that the Creator put them here. If you ask an archeologist or Dr. Barbara Duncan, like we did, she will say that evidence dates the Cherokee as having been here for thousands of years. No matter what you believe, the Cherokee have been in Western North Carolina for a long time. They have deep rooted traditions and culture and a great history with horses. ... ...

So today, I took a break from the saddle to explore downtown Asheville's arts, restaurants and shopping and spend the afternoon rock climbing at Chimney Rock Park. No, I have never gone rock climbing before, and yes, I am still in one piece. It was a lot of fun and certainly a challenge.

Asheville is a nice mix of urban culture in a small area. We used the Chestnut Street Inn as our jumping off point. The Chestnut Street Inn is owned by a young couple, Eddie and Jesse, who had great recommendations ... ...

Today I went horseback riding on the Biltmore Estate, enjoying the grounds, trails and horses from an insider's perspective. It was a hot day in Asheville, NC, and with dry roads, we kicked up a lot of dust as we headed over to the equestrian center.

If you want to ride at the Biltmore, you can enjoy over 100 miles of surrounding Appalachian trails and many choices. Anyone can take a Western style trail ride at the Biltmore. Riders can also bring their horses to board at the stables and enjoy thetrails, ... ...