Meet the Staff

Tom Avery

Tom is originally from Rockford, Illinois.  His relationship with horses started when he met Mary in 1983, but he has caught up!  Tom's current equine passion is draft horses and driving, and he and his family have participated in several wagon trains including the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train in 1996. 

Tom is a natural leader and entrepreneur, and he loves to share his 30 years of business experience and wisdom with adults and youth.  

Tom has a degree in Physical Education for the Handicapped from the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse, which makes him uniquely qualified as a riding instructor, especially for people with special needs.  Tom is very effective in starting horses, applying leadership and "salesmanship" skills to the horse gentling process in the round pen. 

Mary Avery

Mary has been passionate about horses for as long as she can remember.  But her dad said she couldn't keep a horse in her suburban Milwaukee garage!  Instead she started riding at age eight, taking hunt seat lessons.  Camps and other riding experiences followed, and Mary found that she just enjoyed BEING with the horses and connecting with their unique nature. 

What she likes best about Cedar Ridge is the youth programs, including 4-H, and the blessings associated with watching kids and horses grow together.  She also enjoys working with unwanted horses, giving them a new life on the ranch.  Mary also really enjoys the corporate groups, since she is also passionate about business and leadership. 

Currently, Mary has an MBA from UW-Whitewater and is Associate Professor and Director of the Business Administration Program at Ripon College.

David Sakrison

David Sakrison is the Marketing Director for Cedar Ridge Ranch (he prefers the title, "Minister of Propaganda"). He is also a trainer for our Leadership and Corporate Retreat programs.

David has a Master of Public Administration degree from the U.W. Oshkosh and has more than 30 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. His company, Sakrison Communications, helps other businesses with marketing, technical, and corporate communications, and conducts workshops on business writing.

Since coming to the Ranch in 2002, he has learned to ride horses and to drive the draft horse team. His other interests include flying, building paper models, and reading about American history.

Sue Sonnleitner

Sue Sonnleitner and her horses, first Cass, then Mattie (pictured), and most recently "T" (all thoroughbreds), have been at Cedar Ridge Ranch from the time it opened as a boarding facility in 1994.  She has been riding for the last 22 years, participating in clinics, showing at dressage competitions, trail riding, and learning from and enjoying her equine companions.  During the summer of 2004, Mattie and Sue galloped the better part of 5.5 miles in a relay race call the Wiowash Quad -- their team finished 5th out of the 20 competing!

Sue is responsible for feeding, turning out, and handling horses at Cedar Ridge's barns on 2 mornings and one evening a week.  She rides her horses as often as possible, alternating ring work with trail riding.

Sue believes that if you can't learn something from working with horses every day, then you're just not paying attention.

Debbie Ott

Debbie is one of our faithful chore helpers.  She and her family own a lively pony named Lightning and a quarter horse named Sean Patrick, and Debbie and her children take riding lessons at the farm.

Debbie's daughter, Ashley, is a State 4H Champion!  Ashley and the Avery's horse, Will, won the state championship in pole bending in their age division at the 2004 4H State Gymkhana.