About Deidre

Info about me - because "inquiring minds need to know"
I'm Deidre Sharp - Born a long time ago, in Richmond VA (no, I'm not originally from Rhode Island)-Grew up between VA and St Croix, Virgin Islands

Native American - 3/4 (Cheyenne, Arapaho and Pamunkey) yes, the dreamcatchers and Medicine Ponies are made by a REAL Indian - 1/4 Irish
Attended College of William and Mary(scholarship and worked) English/Writing

Began riding at age 16 months (relatives breed, import/export Irish Sporthorses in VA and Ireland) when aunt put me in a basket on a pony and ponied from her foxhunter around the VA countryside

Since then have ridden all types, all disciplines - 3-day event, open jumpers, polo,team penning, gymkhana, endurance - I didn't just fall off the hay wagon

Working student, Pro/Am rider - NC, VA, MD, PA and NJ (I paid my own way by working for lessons, show fees) - Rode for several prestigious farms in VA - Shown at Lexington, KY, Devon, PA, Washington, DC an Madison Square Garden, NY - Got my first horse when I was 27 yrs old in RI - always rode for others

Trainers I've studied with (names might be familiar)- Rodney Jenkins, George Morris, Bruce Davidson, Sally Swift, Mary Wanless, Monty Roberts, GaWaNi PonyBoy, John and Josh Lyons, Frank Bell and many others you wouldn't know

Farriers I've studied/trained with - Pete Ramey, KC LaPierre
(been keeping horses barefooted for 8 years and do all the trimming at Horse Play)

Was a professional ballet dancer in my teens (Joffrey II Company when it was in New York) - Achilles tendon injury ended that career possibility
Speak 3 languages
Been married once
Travelled a lot - Eastern US, Caribbean, South America, UK, Mediterranean, North Africa
Worked for many years as a sailboat/charteryacht captain - hold a USCG 200 ton Masters License as well as a British Yachtmasters Certificate - how I ended up in RI

Worked for professional high-goal Argentinian Polo Player as Groom and manager (lived off and on in Argentina for 18 months), also managed a couple of T'bred breeding facilities and one TWH farm and a Polo/T'bred lay-up facility.

Personal beliefs and a passion for honoring life led me to founding Horse Play and continuing it's operation thru all the ups and downs of the non-profit horse rescue and sanctuary "business". My past experinces have provided me with lots of knowledge but they are past. What matters is Now