Home on the Range: Sam and Ann Trufant

By Beth Anne Piehl
Photography by G. Randall Goss

While Larry Beck has been key in his support of the high school horse program, Ann Trufant has stepped up as its leader.

Down the road from the Becks, she and husband Sam have their own 30 acres, pasture and horses. Like most horse lovers, Trufant’s passion for riding started in her youth, 25 years ago while a student at the University of New Hampshire.

Their three horses, Feckless, ‘Dacious (short for Audacious), and Sir William “Willy” are home in the pasture that meanders out the front door of their Harbor home. Ann continues her love of jumping and dressage that she began while a college student, today earning awards for her talents, including advancing through the levels of recognition with the U.S. Dressage Association.

Until last fall, she was considered an adult amateur, and now since she offers paid lessons, Ann’s status has been changed to professional. She also works with a trainer herself, in Southern Michigan, to continue honing her dressage skills for upcoming competitions. As the levels become more technical, the sport becomes more exciting for spectators to observe and her own bond with her horses deepens, too.

“I just really like the relationship with the horse,” she said. “You’re not working with a tennis racket; it’s an animal with a brain. It’s just really cool when it clicks, and the connection you make with the horse.”

Sam has shared her passion for equestrianship since the two wed in 2000. Sam became interested himself in driving horses, and now enjoys directing a carriage through the trails around their home. “We’ve cut roads and paths through here, it’s a fairly extensive network,” he said.

It seems the two were indeed meant to be saddled with each other; when Sam built the home in 1975, he used a barn footprint for the layout, based on the barns at the Emmet County Fairgrounds at the time. With a budget of $5,000, he used 100-year-old barn wood for the exterior and capitalized on the space inside as much as possible — even suspending a staircase so as to not take up floor room inside the cozy home. He’s added on considerable space through the years, including a master bedroom and living room area.

Together, the Trufants operate Northern Forest Products, a sauna and log home building materials company, while Ann ramps up her coaching and training schedule.

“Now that I’ve started teaching people,” she said, “I can really appreciate the long education I’ve had with horses.”

See also:

Home on the Range - Beck
Home on the Range - Waldron

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