Rene Trehy 

Region:  North Central

I told my grandfather that I wanted to be a cowgirl when I grew up.  When visiting a famous fountain once as a six year old, I misheard the tour guide and thought that three coins in the fountain meant you got a “horse”, instead of “divorce.”  My mother took me for riding lessons as a child, but I really did not start riding a lot until my thirties. I rode mostly Thoroughbreds. My favorite horse was a 17.1 Appaloosa Thoroughbred cross who wasn’t the most beautiful horse in the world but was the greatest horse I have ever known and I miss him to this day.  Most of my riding has been in the English discipline. A few years ago, I decided to purchase two well-trained Quarter Horses after a bad fall. They are wonderful and are helping me regain my confidence. My husband and I have a small farm in Bahama just north of Durham.

I very much respect the mission of the NCHC.  In the years that I have been an active equestrian, I have observed the lack of legal protections for horse professionals and owners and so I appreciate the interest in, and the importance of, the legislative ties of the NCHC.  I have been a full-time mediator for many years and am a former chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section where I frequently was able to observe the legislative process and work with lobbyists. Mostly, I just respect these incredible animals and I am passionate about their well-being and the individuals who own, care for and enjoy them and I would enjoy the opportunity to be on the board and help with that work.