Wranglers

Samuel Ackerman

Head Wrangler
First Aid, CPR & AED Certified
Hometown: Longmont, CO

Samuel wandered into the Rocky Mountains when he was 11 and has been hooked ever since. He grew up backpacking, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, and doing whatever else he could find in the western half of Colorado. Samuel graduated with a degree in English literature from University of Colorado.  He spent a couple years as a high school English teacher. Last year, Sam attended Heartland Horseshoeing School.

Mary Grefrath

Herd Health Manager
Wilderness First Responder, First Aid, CPR, AED
Hometown: Clarence Center, NY

Mary graduated from Buffalo State College with a degree in art education. Along with art, Mary loves riding horses and exploring the great outdoors. Upon finishing school, she came to the ranch as a kids wrangler. After a short time away, Mary has made her way back to VVR last summer as a housekeeper, stayed this winter as a ranch hand and will now be with us in the barn! We couldn’t be more excited about her return!

Kylie Yancey

Wrangler
Wilderness First Responder, First Aid, CPR, AED
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Joining us for another season at VVR, we are so pleased to have this ray of sunshine back! Kylie studied Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina and has a deep passion for animals. You will never meet anyone who loves our ranch dog, Finn, as much as Kylie. She has even started the Instagram hashtag #GetFinnFit, which is sure to go viral one day. When she isn’t riding horses, talking about the VVR herd, or petting Finn, you might find Kylie hiking or reading! She is an adventurous soul, most recently returning from an entire winter of solo traveling to several different countries, including Mongolia, New Zealand, and India.

Sonnet Pradel

Wrangler
First Aid, CPR, AED
Hometown: Bainbridge Island, WA

Sonnet is a recent college graduate; she received her degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability from Occidental College. She grew up rehabilitating performance Quarter Horses, and later took part in the beginner’s lesson program at her trainer’s barn. When she is at home, Sonnet loves taking her retired horse, Jackson, out on trail rides. She is so excited for her second season at Vista Verde! Fun fact: Sonnet was the 2013 Washington State Finals Queen!

Stephanie Kuenast