Barb Longacre

Owner/Trainer

Barb grew up in Montana on her family's Foundation Quarter Horse Ranch helping raise and train all around ranch horses and rodeo horses. She high school rodeo'd and competed at the intercollegiate level throughout college. She graduated from Colorado State University with dual majors in Equine Science and Agricultural business. She's interned under barrel horse trainers to cow horse horse trainers such as Judy Myllymaki, Fallon Taylor, and Aaron Ralston. After school and interning, Barb competed in the National Reined Cowhorse Association and found a new passion among the cow horse world. After her NonPro years, Barb became efficient in private barn management for private clients in the Aspen area, which led her to establishing the Longacre Equine boarding facility in 2018 in New Castle, CO. Her favorite areas of the horse world are colt starting, cow horses, rope horses, and barrel horses. She is extremely passionate about teaching and educating others on the aspects of equine behavior, responsible ownership, equine nutrition, safety, and helping her students reach their highest riding potential. Outside of the horse-world, Barb enjoys spending time with family, books, skiing, traveling, and her crazy Vizsla dogs.

Tony Franke

Barn Manager

Tony has worked at Longacre Equine since it began in May 2018. He started riding when he was 17 years old and has worked for a number of different riding facilities, guest ranches, and feed stores in his earlier years. He lived on the Sterling Ranch for seven years learning how to put up hay and run a cattle business. It was at the Sterling Ranch where he learned his passion for packing and outfitting. He left the ranch to work for an outfitter and was in charge of daily operations and getting hunters safely through the mountains. He's a jack of all trades and knows the Longacre Equine facility better than anyone! Outside of the horse-world, he enjoys being outside, hunting, hiking, and especially snowmobiling. 

Tara Ruggles

Ranch Hand

Tara was born and raised on a small farm outside of Montrose, CO. She has been around livestock her whole life and learned to ride before she could walk. Outside of the family farm, Tara started working for a barn in Montrose, cleaning stalls in exchange for riding lessons when she was only 9 years old. As her passion for horses continued to grow, with the assistance of her riding instructor, she began showing horses, and later started barrel racing. Her passion led her to Northeastern Junior College where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Animal Science. While in college, she competed at the collegiate level on the volleyball team and later the ranch horse versatility team. Tara is most passionate about spending time up in the mountains, exploring new places on horse back with her friends and family. Outside of the horse world, she enjoys hiking, dirt biking, camping, and traveling.