Ask any of these three women to sum up their passion in one word, and you will likely hear the same answer: horses. But dig a little deeper into the responses from Susan Hallmark, Susie Phillips, or Andi Weekley. You'll find that while they each share a love for all things equine, their individual stories and their involvement with one of the most beautiful and majestic members of the animal kingdom are as unique as—well—each of the horses they work with.
As a realtor specializing in luxury residential, new home, and farm and ranch sales, Susan Hallmark has enjoyed a long and successful career for over forty years. However, she has also found joy in breeding miniature horses for over three decades. And it all started with an anniversary gift.
"I was a city girl born and raised in San Antonio," explains Hallmark. "My boys in their teen and college years had horses and roped calves. I was not familiar with horses and was, frankly, afraid of them. So, for my 25th wedding anniversary, my family gave me a miniature horse. They said that it's just a smaller version, so you can learn how to take care of them. Little did I know this first horse started as a hobby and ultimately a business with a horse breeding operation of approximately 80 horses at one time."
Susie Phillips is co-owner of Corrival Ranch, which bills itself as "a premier Quarter Horse and breeding facility that also offers a world-class rehabilitation center." Phillips grew up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, the largest on the East Coast, and has been around horses her entire life.
"My parents encouraged my love for horses. I was bullied in junior high and high school," Phillips recalls. "Horses made dealing with all of that easy. I was involved with 4-H and FFA, intercollegiate horse judging, and showing horses, and I am active in both the American Paint Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. I built an extended family in the horse industry, who aren't even blood-related."
Like Phillips, Wyoming-born Andi Weekley, Vice President of the Youth Horse Club of the Hill Country, grew up around horses. "My dad was an outfitter, and we lived on the side of a mountain between Cody and Yellowstone," she explains. "He worked with mules, dude horses, and Belgian Draught Horses. I started roping in high school, rodeoed for a year, and then moved to Stephenville, where I mainly team roped and ran barrels." While living in Stephenville, she met her husband Mark Weekley—a former rodeo professional himself—and moved to San Antonio after they married.
Through their varied involvement with horses, Hallmark, Phillips, and Weekley each express a personal connection that affects them deeply.
"Horses were and are my therapy," says Hallmark. "I've sold real estate longer than having the horses, and some days, you just have to come home, sit out at the barn, and love on these tiny horses."
She also credits her love for miniature horses as a boon to her work as a realtor. "I lived on the ranches and learned about wells, fencing, barns, cattle, growing hay, etc. Those skills are now an asset that can assist other new ranch buyers."
Through Corrival Ranch, Phillips shares her love for horses by giving special needs kids life-changing experiences. "Whenever you work with children with special needs or other mental issues or struggle to find where they fit in, watching them take the reins of a 1200-pound animal is one of the best and most exciting things. Watching a child accomplish something that seemed impossible to them, there's nothing like that."
Weekley's affection for horses is rooted in a story from her younger days. "When I was a kid, we had a big plot of land. My mom would never let me ride in a saddle,” she remembers. “There was this squeeze gate, and I had to get off and on the bareback to get through it. This wasn't always the easiest thing to do. My horse at the time, Chance, would move to the fence so I could get on him. That's the beauty of working with horses. When you care for a horse, they take care of you."
All three women have worked hard to make their respective marks in the industry. Last year, Hallmark and her horse “Parade” won the Driving Horse of the Year in the 34" and under classes with the American Miniature Horse Registry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She also earned the World Grand Champion High Point Driving Horse at the American Miniature Horse Association World Show in Ft. Worth.
In October 2023, Phillips won her first Congress Championship at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress with her horse “Al That Matters Most.” It was a significant achievement for her and the horse since they competed in the world's largest Quarter Horse show.
As a member of the Junior High Rodeo Association state Board of Directors, Weekley is committed to passing along her passion for horses to succeeding generations. "Horses have always been my passion," she beams. “I love helping other kids get involved, especially those without the opportunities I had. I love mentoring them."
Weekley also has a unique and philosophical take on these majestic animals. "It's fun to see the patience a horse can teach you," Weekley muses. "Horses are very savvy and remember more than you think they do. Horses are very forgiving animals, and their love is consistent. Caring for horses is a form of reflection."
Corrival Ranch | corrivalranch.com | @corrivalranch
Youth Horse Club of the Hill Country | yhchc.org
"Horses are very savvy and remember more than you think they do. Horses are very forgiving animals, and their love is consistent. Caring for horses is a form of reflection." —Andi Weekley
“Some days you just have to come home, sit out at the barn, and love on these tiny horses.” —Susan Hallmark