About Us

Daniel Patton

While Daniel did not grow up with horses, he was continually around them through many of his friends, whose families owned horses. Though he didn’t know it at the time, Daniel had the opportunity to develop his incredible love for breeding horses from some of the greatest who have ever done it. His first horse was an Egyptian Arabian mare who had bowed a tendon on the race track and recovered after a couple years off. She was known to buck anyone off who tried to ride her. As was his way, the took the challenge head on and worked with her over the next few years under the assistance of legends in the Horse Racing industry, Bryant Leigh, Ray Hall and Walter Merrick. These great men helped Daniel not only to train his mare, but to learn the in’s and out’s of horse breeding and to develop a great passion for it.

These great men taught him what to look for in a stallion prospect, how to make a stallion, what to look for in a mare, form to function conformation and why it matters, and how to raise, train and show your prospects to their full potential. Those years of tutelage, along with the opportunities to learn from other greats in training, showing and breeding such as AQHA Hall of Fame Member Carol Harris are what shaped him into who he is as a horseman.

Daniel, a life long Entrepreneur, works daily as the President & CEO of two very successful companies, and is working to develop his newest endeavor, National Ranch Horse Inc as the leader in the Ranch Horse events. He is currently working on the creation of two major concepts in Ranch events, The Ranch Horse Triple Crown Challenge and the National Ranch Riding Futurity, both of which will be launching in 2022’ and will be giving out hundreds of thousands in prize money and prizes.

Kristin Patton

Growing up in Oregon, Kristin was always around animals from dogs and cats to milk cows, beef cows and horses. Early in her life, the loss of a horse helped to shape her career as a Veterinarian, and more specifically a Veterinary Pathologist. She attended Oregon State University for her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and then onto Cornell to complete her Pathology Residency, and finished up with a PhD in Immunology at Washington State University. Her career path led her to becoming a Professor and teaching Pathology at multiple Veterinary Schools. She made the jump to Pathology Research and worked for a leading research institution Battelle, until she chose to retire and manage our Horse Ranch.

Kristin has been riding and showing Horses since she was a small child. She started out with Morgan’s in pleasure driving, and had a number of show horses from Mustang’s to Warmbloods, competing primarily in Dressage. She spent multiple summers as a working student for the German Dressage trainer, Ernst Herman in Boise, Idaho and grew up taking lessons from him and many other National and International Dressage Trainers.

Over 20 years ago, Kristin was introduced to Quarter Horses through Daniel, and she realized the true potential of these horses. She spent a couple of years working with Clark Bradley, so gave her a great foundation in the Ranch events, and she regularly rides with Shawn Flarida, Stacy Westfall and multiple others. From 2019-2021 Kristin and her show partner, our stallion Smokin Custom Crome have amassed together (4) AQHA World Championships in Traditional and Western Dressage, and multiple Reserve World Championships in Cutting & Ranch events.

Emily Patton

The youngest daughter of Daniel & Kristin, Emily has been heavily involved with horses her entire life. She started riding at a very young age under the guidance of Allison Applegett, where she learned a great deal about Equitation and how to ride effectively. That experience led her to ride under NRHA Hall of Fame Member Clark Bradley for multiple years until his retirement. That experience with Clark was essential to her development as a rider, and gave her an amazing skill set to build off off.

Emily went on to ride under the guidance of the very talented coach and Hunter trainer Scott DeHalian, and then to her eventually working with the All-Time Leading Reining Rider & Trainer, Shawn Flarida. She’s also been blessed to have ridden with and learned from greats in the Pleasure, Hunter and Ranch events such as Spencer & Kim Zimmerman, Jerry Erickson, Bud Lyon, and Steve Meadows.

Emily is early in her 14-18 Youth career as a rider, and actively competes in all AQHA over fences classes as well as some fence classes in USEF. She is an AQHYA Level 2 World Champion in 13 & Under Working Hunter, APHA World Champion in Youth Reining, APHA Reserve World Champion in Youth Ranch Riding, NSBA Reserve Congress Champion in Equitation Over Fences, NSBA Congress Champion in Youth Ranch Riding, and in 2021 was the NSBA Congress Champion in Level 1 Youth Working Hunter and the Reserve Congress Champion in Level 1 Youth Working Hunter.

Brad Stengel

Our phenomenal Ranch Manager Brad is a regular fixture around the Ranch. He has spent a lifetime working with many different animals, most recently as a supervisor at one of the largest breeding facilities for cattle in the country, Select Sires. Brad also raises cattle himself, and farms hundreds of acres of his own and leased ground.

When he’s not at Four Star he’s either spending time with his wife, son and daughter or he’s farming or doing something outdoors. We consider ourselves blessed to have Brad as part of our team here.