Jan/San Distributor Embraces Daughter’s Passion for Horseback Riding

Behind every 12-year-old Grand Champion horsewoman is a devoted dad. Aaron Anger is one of those dads. Aaron, president of Quartermaster Supply in Indianapolis, spends much of his spare time helping his daughter Ella to achieve her dreams.  

“Ella has loved horses since she was a toddler. We got her into riding lessons at age six, and she started entering competitions two years ago,” says Aaron.  

Both years, Ella has been named County Fair Grand Champion. With dad by her side, she also competed at the State Fair this year and placed in five of the six events that she competed in.  

“She’s getting so much better every year,” Aaron proudly notes.  

Aaron takes Ella to her lesson two-to-four times per week, depending on the season. Ella will ride for as many as four hours at a time, and she is the one who takes care of and builds a relationship with her horse.  

“My wife, Stephanie, and I have three daughters, and we both coach sports. The other two girls have no interest in horses. We had no idea what to expect from having a daughter who rides because we’ve never done it before,” Aaron says. “I do the horse stuff, typically because of driving the horse trailer.”  

When there are competitions, they’ll pull three horses in the trailer: Ella’s own and her two friends’ horses. They’ll spend the summer traveling to various county and state fairs, among other competitions that they find. 

Transporting the horses — and their riders — to competitions usually means undertaking a 12-hour day. The State Fair, though, involves a much longer day on the road and in the horse barn — up to three full days.  

“We leave home at 5:00 a.m., get to the barns, and Ella makes sure the horse eats, tacks it up, and exercises it. I stay there until about 9:00 p.m. to muck the stall and make sure that the horse gets fed and watered,” he describes. 

Ella and her horse compete in barrel racing, pole bending (a timed event around six poles in a line), and the keyhole event. This is a timed event in which the rider navigates the horse through a keyhole-shaped pattern drawn on the ground with chalk.   

Reflecting on Ella’s enthusiasm and joy when it comes to horses, Aaron beams with pride. 

“Ella’s success at this has all come from her,” he says. “All I know about horses is what I’ve learned from her. Her passion is infectious, and it is what inspired us to jump on board to support her in her love for horses and riding.”   

When asked when he realized Ella was so enthusiastic about horses, Aaron smiled at the memory.  

“Ella participated in a horse camp when she was six or seven years old,” he recalls. “Every day she'd come home and talk about all the horses — all 30 of them. A few years later, the ranch where Ella rides and takes lessons did a show for the families so we could see the stuff they’ve been working on. The first time I watched Ella compete in the barrel races, I knew right then that she was a natural.” 

Aaron and his wife try to be as supportive as possible as Ella explores her dream.  

“We just go and do what it takes,” he says. “Like buying and figuring out how to drive a horse trailer.” 

 Gretchen Roufs, a 25-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns a marketing and public relations company in San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “Freetime,” contact her at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com.