BIOGRAPHY OF
MARTY & BEVERLY READ

Before authors & illustrators Marty and Beverly Read met and married, they spent time with horses.

Marty Read grew up on a ranch where horses were necessary for cattle work. His father raised mini mules and ponies and horse training was left to Marty. During the evenings Marty enjoyed drawing horses and cattle.

Marty's roping skills increased through his youth, and he later roped calves during college. Marty competed on North Eastern Oklahoma College Horse and Livestock judging teams. He continued judging at Kansas State University where he earned his Animal Science Degree .

Marty then returned to the ranch and earned his membership in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals many times and the ProRodeo Tour Finals. Marty continues to use his rope when needed to doctor his livestock.

Beverly Read grew up on a farm that boarded ponies through the winter that were used for rides at the Kansas City Zoo. When Beverly was 14, she raised an orphaned Quarter Horse foal on a bottle. She trained the colt and earned a fifth in Horsemanship at the American Royal Horse Show .

At K-State, Beverly majored in Art. She worked for a veterinarian where her duties included cleaning stalls and grooming horses. Other work experience included riding green colts on trails.

While in college, Beverly showed in cutting and pleasure classes. Returning to the American Royal she won pleasure class runner up. She also won the Ladies & Amateur Cutting Titles in both Missouri and Kansas.

Mrs. Read volunteered as a 4-H Horse Project Leader for 25 years. Under

Marty and Beverly's guidance the County 4-H Horse Judging Team won State twice, were third at the Arabian Nationals and 10th at the Quarter Horse Congress. Beverly teaches Art at their local High School. Marty and Beverly own the Marty Read Auction Service.

Marty and Beverly's life-long love of horses has given them a wealth of experience to share with horse lovers around the world. With humor, they encourage youth to "Ride all day" and "Color all night".