Friends and Neighbors: LaValla Reher

A very strong and independent woman -- now, as she always has been, LaValla Simms-Reher stays strong by staying very involved with her passion, horses.

Reher was born in Sterling, Colorado, to parents Roxie and Melvin Simms. She attended Kimball schools and graduated Kimball High School in 1979.

Her love of horses began when her Grandpa Simms put her on the horses he owned as soon as Reher, as a little girl, was able to climb on the back of her father Melvin's, gray horse bareback.

"I was hooked on horses," she said.

AIthough, Reher is currently a 4-H leader, and had been for many years she was not able to be involved as a youngster because her parents were both extremely busy running an oilfield company and on weekends the family was at the family ranch taking care of the chores.

"When my two children Crystal Cook and Spencer Teasley were 4-H age," said Reher, "we enrolled. They showed horses, steers, sheep, goats, pigs, and we rode in the drill team for fair. When I would get home from work, the kids and I rode till dark. As a 4-H mom I missed the horse shows, trail rides, drill team, and then I was asked if I would take the Colts and Phillies Club over."

The woman decided, "Why not?" She has been a 4-H leader for approximately seven years now, and clarified that she is not trying to fill the shoes of the previous club leaders, but is doing her best.

Currently, she and her husband Rod, are leasing the family ranch and cow/calf operation to help the family out.

"Taking over the Colts and Fillies 4-H club was about the time my dad was getting bad with his dementia, " expounded Reher, "The club helped me get through some of my darkest days with his illness."

She drives a 100 mile round trip to Kimball to continue to help lead the approximately twenty students with the 4-H horse club.

"Most of the kids have new and old horses to learn to ride," stated Reher, "twelve hundred pounds of horse is a lot to overcome!"

In the winter months the 4-H meetings are once a month, but come mid-June, the volunteer work will mean travel twice each week until fair time in August.

"We have trail rides in May, a Fort Robinson Horse Camp and Districts in June, July is the state horse show, and we try to have a horse clinic then. August is fair time," she said. "With all that going on I have family, friends, parents, and four helpers, "Auntie" Sharon McKinney, Jo Timmerman, Erika Loy, Kelsey Herzberger, who help me with horse practices, fair horse show, and the Colts and Fillies gymkanna. The club would not be so successful without them!"

Although Reher never has a dull moment or much 'downtime' -- she stated that she "wouldn't change it for the world."

"My favorite thing I like to do with the club is to load up the horse trailers and kids and head up to Fort Robinson for horse camp in June," offered Reher. "I've mentored a lot of kids in the club. I will ask them, "What is 4-H about?" Their answer will be 'to learn and help others'."

Reher explains to her students that yes, it's not about winning ribbons, it's what you learn and the goals you set through the year with your horse.

"My motto is I will, I can, I'll try. 4-H is a good program. I just wish folks would slow down in their busy lives and enroll their kids in 4-H. I reap my rewards after every horse practice, and am so very proud of the kids in the Colts and Fillies horse club!"