Mary (Austin)-Kerns was born in Walla Walla and lived there until she was 20.   When she turned 8, her first horse was her Godfather’s hunting horse, Babe. 

Mary rode Babe bareback, by herself, everywhere up in the high Blue Mountains (Tiger Canyon mostly) because the horse was pastured at her Godfather’s Cabin just a 1/4 mile past the Oregon state line on Mill Creek where her folks had a summer cabin next door.   Every summer was spent in the mountains on "her" horse, riding with the elk and deer herds!  What a happy little grade-schooler she was!

In 1972 she was crowned Co-Queen with Peggy (Kelly)-Farrens for the Blue Mountain Appaloosa horse club.

After reigning with Co-Queen Peggy until September, Mary had to step down from her position (she became engaged to her Queen Mother's son, Bob and was married 3 months later and moved back east where her new husband was employed).  Peggy, her husband Dean and his brother Greg, Pat Kerns-Prince, and Jerri Yale were in Mary's wedding party.  Also in the wedding (but not pictured) was Shirley Fowler.

While back east she had her first experience with gaited horses and fell instantly in love.  They bought a 6 month old show stallion (Impala’s Fury) whose Sire was World Grand Champion  The Impala,  and the young colt’s Dam placed 15th in the World Championships.

Mary was now deeply entrenched in the “Walking Horse World.”  While back east she took lessons from renowned trainer Joe Webb to enable her to bring this new stallion back to the west coast and show him appropriately, which she did.   Fury was only 8 months old when he won his first trophy, the (1973) Washington State Grand Champion Stallion (all ages) and went on to win many more titles in his career.  He passed away in 1997 at age 24.

Over the years Mary studied with many trainers (however, most of her foundation knowledge was taught to her by Pat (Kerns)-Prince at the Bar K Appaloosa Ranch) and she took private training from the late Roy Larson to become an accomplished Walking Horse trainer.   Mary did this for a short while, but in 1980 her husband took a job in the Tri-Cities at Hanford as a Nuclear Scientist and they had to once again pick up and move.  Shortly after moving Mary took a hiatus from EVERYTHING due to a near fatal car accident.  Broken bones, glass embedded in her face, and broken bones in her right hand  kept her busy recuperating for over a year.    

Mary never really got back to the horse world after that until April 30th, 2000 when her little filly Tory was born.  With the new little horse came a renewed life for Mary.  Now she not only trains Tory, her own horse, and Bob's horse Lady, she has started teaching beginning riders in the Tri-Cities. 

She also belongs to the Purple Sage Riders, Backcountry Horsemen of America, Franklin County Saddle Club and the American Horse Soccer Association.  Mary is pictured here with her wedding party 35 years later at the BMR Christmas Party 2007.

This is me on Hero, an Arabian show horse

We are accepting the Princesses' Award at the Benton-Franklin County Fair 2002 Grand Parade! (that's the award for the prettiest entry)

 I'm wearing one of my belly dance show costumes to advertise my business as a dance instructor.

I made my costume and the horse's costume also.