Meet Lisa
HOOKER: military slang for a Chinook Helicopter Pilot/Flight Engineer/Mechanic
A Girl From Minnesota
Lisa was raised in a small, southwestern farm town in Minnesota. Growing up, she spent her summers on her Uncle Duane’s farm helping with fox, cattle, goats, and poultry. She learned animal husbandry and the grit and dedication it takes to be a livestock farmer. She also spent summers in South Dakota with her father and grandparents, learning how to raise pigs, dairy cows, and horses. When she was very young, her grandparents bought a pony named “Cookie,” for the grandchildren ride. From the moment Lisa met Cookie, she was enamored by horses and their beauty.
From 2000 to 2002, Lisa worked as a stable hand for the RJ Richter Ranch in Granite Falls, Minnesota. It was there she learned how to care for a large barn with high-end APHA and AQHA horses. She learned the proper management of a breeding facility, how to keep individual health records, feeding programs, and exercise regimens. During this time, she also assisted her Uncle Curtis with the care and training of his two paint mustangs, Cherokee and Dakota.
Meeting Jaclyn
In 2002, Lisa started taking individual riding lessons from a family friend, in exchange for working around their farm in Echo, Minnesota. It was on a weekend trail ride that Lisa met Jaclyn. Lisa was amazed as Jaclyn had a perfectly trained miniature show bull that trailed her horse. Soon, they were chatting and learned how much they had in common. Jaclyn surprisingly lived just outside of Lisa’s hometown and their friendship took off.
Jaclyn introduced Lisa to the cruel world of horse slaughter. In 2002, horse slaughter was still legal in the United States. Jaclyn and Lisa would take trips to the local “feed lot” in Redwood Minnesota to purchase and rehabilitate horses. It was called a feed lot because the pen literally fed into the slaughterhouse. A door would open, and the horses would move up, never to be seen again. In those times, $300 would buy any horse you wanted out of the feed lot. Jaclyn also taught Lisa about livestock auctions. The pair would regularly attend the Wilmar Minnesota livestock auction to purchase horses out from under the slaughter brokers.
Alaska and Wiseman
Lisa’s favorite two horses she purchased from the feedlot and auction were Alaska and Wiseman. Alaska was Lisa’s first starvation case. He was a beautiful bay off-the-track Thoroughbred. Alaska was an amazing horse and helped Lisa tune her groundwork and riding skills. Alaska and Lisa would often race through the soybean fields bareback, sometimes stopping to take naps and swim through the creek. Wiseman was Lisa’s first draft. Wiseman was a black Clydesdale purchased from the Wilmar livestock auction and was Lisa’s first critical senior. He was another refeeding case and had several dental abscesses. Wiseman became Lisa’s primary trail horse and lived out his life at Jaclyn’s family farm with Alaska after Lisa went to college.
College and Military Service
Lisa studied at Southwest Minnesota State University from 2003-2006. She majored in Biology and Minored in Chemistry with an emphasis on animal studies. In 2012, Lisa earned her Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant Licenses at Middle Georgia College and in 2016 earned her B.S. in Aviation Maintenance from Thomas Edison State University. Lisa began her Masters in Management in 2020 and still is actively working on it in her spare time.
In 2006, Lisa enlisted in the Army with the military occupational specialty of Chinook (15U - CH47) Helicopter Repairer. She served two consecutive tours to South Korea from 2007-2009 before being reassigned to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. In 2009, Lisa deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan and actively fought in Operation Enduring Freedom. She was awarded two Air Medals for bravery during aerial combat and the Boeing Rescue Award for saving over 200 civilians during an avalanche in the Salang Pass. She was injured in Afghanistan while getting ready to off-load cargo, when a 5,000-pound pallet shifted and crashed into her leg. Prior to Lisa’s deployment to Afghanistan, she was asked to represent the Upper Sioux Nation as their “akicita,” or warrior and carry the nation’s flag. While in the Army, Lisa was awarded multiple Army Achievement Medals, Army Commendation Medals, and Army Overseas Medals in addition to her Air Medals. She was also awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal military service. In addition to Lisa’s medals, Lisa was also awarded Company, Battalion and Brigade Soldier of the Month as well as Non-Commissioned Officer of the Month for Company, Battalion and Brigade. Lisa was awarded Aviation Brigade Maintainer of the year while stationed in South Korea.
In 2009, Lisa was chosen to support George W. Bush during his G8 Summit in Japan. Lisa and her Chinook Helicopter were chosen to fly directly in formation with the President’s personal HMX helicopter. Lisa was honorably discharged in 2012 from the Army due to her leg injuries sustained in Afghanistan.
The Corporate World.
From 2012 to 2020, Lisa worked for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation utilizing her aviation and management skills to slowly climb the corporate ladder. She was chosen above her peers to be the Lead Airworthiness Inspector for the G650 Aircraft Service Program and managed a team of airworthiness inspectors and ensured compliance to over 40+ countries aircraft rules and regulations. In 2020, Lisa left her position as Maintainability Engineer, an aircraft systems analyst that determines and assists with aircraft maintenance intervals and inspections.
The Ranch
In 2021, Lisa and her family uprooted from Georgia and looked for a ranch in Texas large enough to start an equine rescue so Lisa could get back to her passion of saving and rehabilitating slaughter horses. In April of 2022, Hooker Ranch Slaughter Horse Rescue was formed, and the beginnings of the new rescue took root. Since ownership of her new land, Lisa has had to transform unmaintained land from wild prairie and shrubbery, to a pasture fit for equine needs. Lisa and her team transformed a 40-year-old equipment shed into a pole-barn stable complete with stalls and feed room, has built two 50x50 dry lots (following University of Minnesota animal management standards), and a 12x24 Quarantine barn with 50x50 dry lot. There is 20 acres of land for the animals to freely run and roam when turned out, to include a pond suitable for swimming and drinking.
Lisa’s goals for Hooker Ranch include accreditation by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the Standardbred Transition Alliance and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. In 2022, Hooker Ranch was already awarded several grants to facilitate with the health care needs of the animals in care and has goals to provide community assistance such as hosting gelding and vaccination clinics.
When Lisa is not working on the ranch and with the rescue animals, she enjoys spending time with her family, quilting, and repairing vintage sewing machines.
Lisa enjoys helping the public with horse care, community service, and education.
Thank you for ALL of the support.
Let’s SAVE SOME HORSES.
