Meet the Board
Daniel Ryan, President
Daniel Ryan has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and training horses for many years. For the past year he has been studying under a lifelong trainer, breeder and shower of world-class Arabians, Friesians, and Arabian crosses. Daniel is also an accomplished farrier, offering natural hoof trims. Daniel grew up in Texas where he started riding at a very young age–bartering donuts for lessons–and then lived & worked on a 10,000-acre cattle ranch and owned his own horse during his teens. He spent almost every weekend at the stables of an El Paso race track. An animal lover to the core, he’s been rescuing/fostering animals of all kinds all his life. Daniel has a special affinity with wild and abused horses that “hate men!”
In addition to horsy pursuits, Daniel owns Dun-Rite Custom Carpentry. He is also an artist, working mostly with wood and leather. A carpenter by profession, he feels that God has guided him into the vocation of horse rescue.
He and his wife, Amanda, have two children: Erin, 13; and Conor, 10.
Richard Selah, Board Chairman
Richard Selah, B.S., M.S., M.T., is a life insurance agent and registered investment company representative for Primerica.
Amanda Ryan, Board Secretary/Treasurer
Amanda Ryan, MT(ASCP), has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and training horses since 2005. She has shared her life with horses and burros in Colorado for more than thirty years. A horse lover since, well, birth, she was raised in Connecticut where she learned to ride, showed horses and worked as a groom. During high school and college she worked as a veterinary assistant in Salt Lake City, Utah. A medical technologist by profession, she worked at Mercy Medical Center and La Plata Community Hospital, both in Durango, CO, for a number of years before 12 years at Montezuma County Hospital District in Cortez, CO. She also worked as a news assistant at the Durango Herald.
Horses being the natural muses they are, Amanda is also a writer and musical composer.
Sally Selah, Board Co-Chair
Sally Selah, B.S., M.T., is a medical technologist at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez, Colorado. She was the clinical laboratory director there for many years. The Selahs have been area residents since 1991.
Amy Violette, Outreach Director
A horse owner for many years with a deeply rooted love for animals, Amy brings her skills and commitment into the day-to-day operations of the rescue. In addition to horsemanship and facility help, Amy spends many hours using her writing skills and her public speaking talent to apply for grants and to help educate people about the unwanted horse issue, and the important role even the most downtrodden old horse can play in changing a person’s life. Her vision has sparked the development of EAYEP!, a program in which at-risk youth will be partnered with special rescue horses for mutual benefit and empowerment in a safe, open-hearted environment.
Fred J. Turek, Board Member
Fred J. Turek is a retired corporate executive with more than 35 years of experience in Senior Administration, Planning and Financial Management in both domestic and international activities; and eight years as a Director, CEO,and Board Chairman in the private sector, with three 501 C Non Profit Corporations. His experience and contributions are of tremendous help in running the nonprofit. He lives in Florida.