After graduation, Jeannie got a "day job" to support her horse habit, but continued to ride, train horses, and give lessons after work and on the weekends. In 1987 she married her husband, Patrice (French for Patrick), who also shared an interest in the horses. In 1989 they packed up their 8 horses and "Shotsy", their Jack Russell Terrier puppy, and headed for greener pastures in Oregon. There they established Mulberry Lane Farms on 200 acres at the foothills of the beautiful Cascade Mountains. Of course with so much land the number of horses grew rapidly, but seems to now hover around forty.
In the mid 80s-90s their focus was on raising, training, & showing Arabians and Half-Arabians, winning many championships in several divisions. They still have several Arabian mares, as well as two stallions, one by Khemosabi++++, and the other by Baskhemo. In May of 1995, after 3 years of research, they purchased their first Friesian mare, three year old Cassie. At that time there were only about 1250 Friesians in N. America. Jeannie trained and conditioned Cassie to prepare her for the Dutch Keuring (Inspection) in September of 1995. Cassie amazed the judges at the Keuring and was awarded all 8.0s, giving her the highest score of all mares in N. America presented that year. At the annual FPS/FHANA meeting held the following March, a special announcement was made, stating that Cassie had been crowned Champion Mare of N. America! Cassie had a gorgeous filly by Pyt in April of 1996, which was followed by a colt in May out of Oeke, their second Friesian mare, purchased in March of 1996. The number of Friesian horses continued to grow, making Mulberry Lane Farms the largest breeder of Friesian Horses in Oregon.
In 2001, Mulberry Lane Farms became a USDA Approved CEM Treatment Center for imported mares and stallions. Horses from all over Europe have come through Mulberry Lane's facility, where many owners are able to meet their new horse for the first time. It is a great opportunity to see a variety of breeds from other countries.
In addition to the horses, the number of Jack Russells continued to grow, and Mulberry Lane is now raising 4th generation puppies. Shotsy turned 17 years old in February of 2006, and is sure she is still in charge! In 2003, Jeannie imported six Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies, to offer three breeding pairs, representing all four colors. The dogs' personalities seem to parallel that of the horses, with the Jack Russells being similar to the Arabians, and the Cavaliers more like the Friesians.
In addition to caring for the horses, breeding, training, putting on shows, going to shows, and putting up 200 tons of hay each year, Jeannie and Patrice were very involved with local horse organizations, serving on the board of the IAHA local chapter and the Crabbet Arabian Horse Assoc of Oregon (CAHAO). Jeannie was also a technical delegate and attended the IAHA conventions. Recently Jeannie has been working to promote the Friesian Horse and is presently serving on three rules committees for the International Friesian Horse Show Assoc. (IFSHA), and chairing a fourth. She participated extensively in the creation of the horse show rules for the Friesian Division of the USEF, recognized in July 2004. Jeannie currently serves on the USEF Friesian Committee, and is the NW Representative for the Friesian Sport Horse Registry (FSHR).
Patrice graduated from Notre Dame with a BSEE and has a full time, high-tech "day job", yet still manages to help run the farm; maintaining all the equipment, keeping the various barns stocked with hay, and catching new born foals in mid-air at 3:00am when the mares refuse to lie down . . . Patrice and Jeannie have two daughters who help care for the horses, dogs, cats, and assorted other creatures.