Eagle’s Nest Ranch is a horse ranch ministry that provides Life Support for our Nation’s Heroes to take back what the enemy stole.
By harnessing the powerful bond between horses and humans, military personnel, veterans, first responders and their families begin the journey of taking the brave trails to restoring peace, renewing faith and rebuilding lives through the power of God’s redeeming love and His faithful promises, so they will soar on wings like eagles.
Our Equine Partners
Danny
Danny was born in 1996 and is a registered Appendix gelding, which means he is a cross between a Quarter Horse and a Thoroughbred. He has the disposition of a Quarter Horse and the build of a Thoroughbred. He is the ranch favorite due to his endearing personality. He loves attention and is quite social with ranch participants and visitors. He LOVES to eat and will beg for food. His gentle and friendly nature has given ranch participants confidence even though he is the largest of the horses at 16.2 hands.
Hope
Hope is miniature horse of an Australian breed of minis. She was born approximately in 2008. Hope came from a neglected home in Texas where she and 79 other minis were not handled, nor had enough food or water. She came to ENR in the winter of 2018, and we couldn’t be happier with our little girl. We hope that someday she will visit the VA hospital and other places
Brave
Brave arrived in November of 2023. She is a 14 year old Gypsy Vanner mare. Brave was rescued from a kill pen. Sometime in her life, she lost her left eye.
Joshua
Joshua joined our herd in the summer of 2023. He is a sorrel quarter horse gelding born in 2000. He was donated to us by an Army veteran who had retired. He and Josh used to ride in the mountains during hunting season. As time went by he knew that the days of riding up and down the mountains had become more difficult for both of them. Additionally, he and his wife were going to start traveling. With that in mind he had to find a home for his beloved horse. He was happy to hear from a neighbor, who is a friend of the ranch, that a main part of our ministry is supporting veterans seeking help. He was glad to know his horse would help his brothers and sisters struggling with invisible wounds. Josh is a very friendly horse, and we have come to love his personality and how nothing much phases him. We are grateful for the trust of his owner in giving the gift of Joshua. He is a wonderful addition.
Starlight
Starlight is a registered Pony of America mare, which is an Appaloosa breed. She was born in 2001 and has been a part of the ranch family since December of 2018. She received her name because of the star she has on her forehead which reminded Suzy of the Star of Bethlehem whose purpose was to show the way to Jesus. Since the ranch purchased her just a few days before Christmas it seemed appropriate to name her Starlight with the purpose that her life would also shine the way to Christ. Her appaloosa spots on her rump appeared to Suzy as a blanket of stars. Starlight is a favorite at the ranch due to her quiet and gentle nature.
Gideon
Gideon is a dark bay gelding pony born in 2015. He was purchased by the ranch in 2020 to serve the children who come to the ranch. He has a big shaggy mane and tail and displays his antics with Danny his horse pen partner. He was given the name Gideon, a warrior from the Old Testament. Despite the fact that he was from the weakest clan and was the least in his household, God called him a “mighty man of valor.” Our pony is one of the smallest of our herd, but he doesn’t know it. Lol. He is here to be a strong pony to fight the war that is raging against the souls of children. Gideon is also a part of our Pony Patrol.
Suzy Stanfill
Founder and Executive Director
Suzy has owned horses at different times in her life and earned her first horse after a summer’s work at a horse stable at the age of 13. She served as a missionary over a 14 year period in the Amazon jungle of Peru and on the northern coast of Colombia. After coming to Colorado in 2001, she began working at a human service non-profit agency that helps families in crisis. She continued to work there for more than 13 years and served as the Director of Kinship and Military programs. She also volunteered for three years at a local horse rescue. She has a B.A. from Moody Bible Institute, as well as a Professional Certificate from Front Range Community College in Equine Management, Training and Industry, which is a two-year program. She has four sons and enjoys gardening, hiking, and reading.
How Eagle's Nest Ranch Started
Eagle’s Nest Ranch was founded by Suzy Stanfill who was inspired to model a ranch ministry after Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon. After the reading the book "Hope Rising" by Kim Meeder, she went to Crystal Peaks in 2008 to their information clinic to see if this would be God’s call on her life. She left knowing establishing a similar ranch was her next purpose. The name Eagle’s Nest Ranch came easily. A bald eagle was nesting at a property her church was considering for purchase.
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Martin
Elizabeth has been a horse lover all her life. She currently owns a Morgan that she trail rides and jumps. She understands the power the horse can have on the emotions of people and believes in the healing that is done at Eagle’s Nest Ranch. Her background is in business management, accounting, and information technology. She attends Save The Cowboy.
Chris Clements
Chris was born and raised in Wisconsin and moved to Colorado with his wife and two daughters in 2010. His first job as a teenager was working at the neighboring horse stables feeding and handling the horses and cleaning the stalls and barns. Chris now works from home as a software engineer and started volunteering with Eagle’s Nest Ranch in 2018. He serves as an elder at Pinecrest Community Church and has made several trips to Haiti to help build an orphanage and minister to the Haitian staff and local Haitian workers. Chris has a brother that is in the Air Force Reserves and is a volunteer firefighter in Wisconsin. He believes in the mission of Eagle’s Nest Ranch and looks forward to being part of growing the number of people that soar above adversity through the services of Eagle’s Nest Ranch.
Kent Nossaman
Kent has a lifelong love of horses and a deep respect for our military and first responders, which led him to begin volunteering at Eagles Nest Ranch. He is a member of Mission Hills Church where he has taught elementary Sunday School and led a Life Group. Of all the blessing in his life, he is most thankful for his loving, amazing wife and three wonderful daughters. Kent grew up in southern California and moved to Colorado in 1995. He works in the wealth management industry for a national firm.
Our Staff
Linda Lauper, Office Manager
Linda has been involved with ENR since our inception in 2014. She has helped with many events of the ranch, and can even occasionally be found mucking. Before his passing, she and her husband Steve became involved with rescued dogs. Linda continues to care for and enjoys their adopted dogs Ben and Dexter. Linda retired in 2014 after almost 45 years with a health insurance company where she worked in claims processing, quality assurance, customer service and management. She also was Project Lead over many implementations of new processing systems. Helping out around the ranch serves to fill her passion for serving THE LORD and continuing her walk with Jesus. Linda enjoys being around the horses and helping wherever she can to further expand what she can do to help ENR bring HOPE and healing to those that come to the Ranch.
Derrick Eident, Ranch Hand Extraordinaire
Derrick was born and raised in central Illinois. The son of a minister and school teacher, he spent his youth enjoying the bucolic nature of the Midwest. After high school Derrick enlisted and served in the US Army. After discharge he attended college, eventually pursuing a career as a paramedic. In addition to the ambulance, Derrick has worked as a helicopter Critical Care Flight Paramedic, a Tactical Paramedic assigned to a SWAT unit, and a medic in the US Army Reserves.
After 18 years in EMS, an early retirement and family life brought him to Colorado in 2022. This move introduced him to horses and the ranch life. Working on his father-in-law’s horse ranch reignited the love for animals and open spaces he experienced in his youth. Derrick comes to ENR looking to support the mission of helping veterans and first responders through his work with the ranch horses, as well as keeping the ranch in tip top shape.
Derrick and his wife, Mary, have been married for nine years. Mary is a nurse practitioner in the Colorado Springs area. Together they have three children and live in Falcon. In his free time, he enjoys family time, riding horses, camping, hiking, mountain biking, computers, and astronomy/cosmology.
Maddy Blaha, Horse Care Worker
Maddy fell in love with Eagles's Nest Ranch, and their mission to serve the hurting in 2021. Since then she has interned twice and now is hired on as a ranch hand. She is also serving as a Session Leader for kids, and is helping with the Kingdom Cowgirls volunteer program. Maddy has been passionate about horses her whole life and loves the opportunity to serve and watch Jesus work through them. She hopes to one day have the opportunity to take what she has learned and work specifically with foster kids and their families.
Our Sponsors!
