Clare Tone

Get Acquainted with Tom and Kristin Lopez, our 2010 Fling Hosts at Lone Hawk Farm By Pat Jarvis The setting for this year’s Horse Lovers’ Fling is classically romantic. We arrive at Lone Hawk Farm via a country road with views of the Front Range, an expansive 360 degree view of Potato Hill, and the nearby foothills. The topography drops away southward below the barn, giving a feeling of having lots of room to roam. There is a wonderful drive-through barn, which adds to the charm and stately appearance of the farm. “How long have you been at Lone Hawk Farm?” I ask the delightful owners, Tom and Kristin Lopez. “I’ve been here since 1975, and Kristin since 1980,” Tom replies. “In the beginning many people asked to have events here. They wanted a place where they could enjoy an indoor/outdoor setting in a country atmosphere. The owners of the West End Tavern were the first people to get married at the farm. We’ve been doing weddings here for more than 18 years now.” We enter the main venue for the Fling festivities via a pair of large wooden doors, into a world that reminds me of the Italian countryside. The structure consists of unique “arch ribs” of curved laminated beams, with a stage inside at one end. Tom explains that when the indoor arena at Autumn Hill was being built, a strong wind knocked the partially-erected beams over and some of them splintered. The owners of Autumn Hill started over and put the salvageable beams

In Greek, the name Philip means “lover of horses”—fitting for the editor of a cowboy magazine. Since hiring on with American Cowboy www.americancowboy.com in 2009, he has led the magazine and website through successful redesigns that have broadened the appeal, while staying true to loyal readers. The magazine’s paid circulation now approaches 100,000. American Cowboy was founded in 1994 and reports on “Western lifestyle, travel, and people.” It is part of the Equine Network at Active Interest Media www.aimmedia.com, which publishes 60 percent of the horse-oriented magazines and websites in the U.S., including Horse & Rider, Practical Horseman, and Dressage Today. “My career has followed my passions for the outdoors, the environment, and being physically active,” says Philip. He is drawn to horses, in part, because, “Horses are calming and call forth empathy and physical skill sets. A relationship with a horse is subtle and requires patience—not to depend on a quick fix. ”Getting a masters’ degree in literature led to journalism and a seven-year stint editing for Outside magazine, which he also published internationally. Philip’s freelance career has included launching a magazine for Forbes and editing custom publishing photography book for Toyota, called Working America. He also served briefly as the outdoor reporter for the Colorado Daily. Before getting into journalism, Philip was an Outward Bound instructor and ski patroller. The Armour family is settling in to a farm north of Boulder, where his wife, Amanda, is developing an equine-facilitated psychotherapy program. She grew up riding English and is now reining on her adopted roan