Nicole grew up in northern Saskatchewan, far from the mainstream horse industry, only 10 miles south of the edge of the Canadian Shield landscape.  With an 11.1 hh Shetland pony, named Taxi, she got her start at age 2 1/2.  Nicole's show career  began with her competing as a 'wee pee' in 4-H at age 4.  By her third pony (ex chuckwagon racing Welsh/QH cross) she was handily jumping 3' courses, competing successfully in all show ring classes & winning in the speed events as well, and practicing sliding stops on the wet grass any time the opportunity arose.  

Nicole has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a vast interest in an array of subjects.  She believes strongly in continual learning and development.   In hindsight, this began early on.  Nicole attributes her youth in the open shows along with the countless hours her parents, Doug & Karen Brown, invested in her, as a beginning she'd not trade for anything.  "In my youth, the open shows were extremely competitive.  I moved up to an Arabian gelding in a world of primarily quarter horses and I liked to win, in all events, therefore I learned all about hard work & dedication and I learned it on horses I built from the ground up.  I feel very fortunate that I never had a 'trained' horse purchased for me. I'd have missed out on invaluable experiences."

In her early teens, Nicole was able to take two Vern Sapergia clinics, and in grade 11, watched her first NRHA show in Moose Jaw, SK.  From there she convinced Locke & Deb Duce of HIgh River, AB that if she could stay with them for a 3 weeks, she really wouldn't get in the way!  Aboard her Arabian gelding in her first actual reining show, she got her feet wet.  After more homework & another month at Duce's, her 2nd reining show, a year later, saw her take home the buckle for the Non Pro 3 & 4 Yr Old class (on her PMU colt that she won as a Hi Point award a few years earlier) (in a run off against an expensive professionally trained horse) and the award for High Point Non Pro with her Arab, Sterling Image (who incidentally is a legend in the Sask open show world!).  

After this, Nicole gave up her non pro status and found herself working for Don Rudko, outside of Winnipeg, MB.  "Don was about the fairest, most reasonable boss anyone in the horse business could ask for.  He taught me so much about people & non pros and I am forever grateful for that experience."  While at Rudko Training Stables, Nicole trained her first futurity horse, TT Tivios Twist, aka Rat.  Rat was a Sask bred 50/50 horse she showed to a top 10 finish in that 2 year old competition before developing him into a reiner.  The two won the CCRHA Slide n Spin Futurity, the NHO & were 4th in the Open class at that show.  Rat was then purchased for the late Jennifer Easton.  He had a few homes in the US and Taylor Mason (Larson) piloted him to the first Collegiate Reining Championship.  He now enjoys retirement back on the family farm in northern Saskatchewan.

In a bittersweet decision, Nicole left Rudko's for what seemed like an enticing opportunity in Alberta, which resulted in her making the decision to go out on her own.  A couple years later, she returned to Duce's with a gelding named Docs Badger Dude, aka Willy, owned by Stan Wilson, from The Pas, MB.  "I can remember telling Locke he could feed my own hay to Willy to which he replied, 'aren't you going to need that for Cardston?' Back then Cardston seemed like a Holy Grail of reining shows to such a newbie & the thought hadn't crossed my mind!"  So, Nicole & Willy entered up in Cardston where they hit the win picture in the Futurity class!  They went on to have a successful fall and even captured a coveted Supreme buckle!

Skip forward and Nicole's career has a few more noteables: Shiners Q Chex, owned by Wendy Williams and Don Leach, who made Nicole's name familiar in the US, including an Open run off victory against Mr. Fappani himself at the All American Reining Classic, and 3rd & 4th place Ltd finishes in the Derby & the NRBC; Ima Docs High Sign, owned by Bill Cookshaw & Marie Rowe who was a serious force to be reckoned with in the west and who won a Freestyle World Championship.  Simon later went on to continue a successful career in the hands of Shawna Sapergia; BSF Shortypoo, owned by Jack Cazes/Jamie Dodds, to this day Poo holds a very special place in Nicole's heart; KR Tejons Hobby, owned by Lorie & Harvey Engbrecht, Tony always seems 'like the one that got away'; Padrons Flash N Fame, owned by Mientje Ploeg; Flasher took Nicole to Scottsdale to the big Arab show and as a 5 year old was 6th in the Ltd after a dragged lead.  Flasher is now in the best amateur home ever in southern Louisianna & captured a 2018 Canadian National Chamionship in Amateur Showmanship with owner Annalise Himmel Allemand!

To end this long speel, on the horse side of things, Nicole prides herself on creating sound, sane, well rounded horses that can remain in the reining pen or move on to other careers.  (All her horses have heard of showmanship! & have seen fields!)  She is well studied on nutrition, hoof fundamentals and maintenance of the equine athlete to ensure she can deliver the best experience possible for each horse and has 'repaired' a number of horses that have fallen through the cracks in other programs simply because there was less awareness of certain things.

Jumping on board with Equiprovet Canada Inc, when the opportunity arose was an easy decision. Bringing the advanced technology of European Orthopedic Sports Medicine to the veterinary industry in North America allows Nicole to help all types of owners & trainers provide even better solutions for maintaining their top notch athletes & equine companions alike, how rewarding!

On the people side of things, Nicole prides herself in a Drama Free Non Pro program where everyone, regardless of their skill level or the caliber of their horse cheers on everyone else!  "If your goals are to become highly competitive in the reining pen, or to show at the local shows or to simply learn to sit a lope better, I can help you to achieve your goals.  I always tell people, after 1 lesson, you'll know whether or not you're coming back for more!"