About Us

---

Darren Miller and Rhoda Rein own and operate Darren Miller Stables, a 40-acre horse training and breeding facility in Watkins, just 20 minutes east of Denver.

 They met in Colorado Springs in 1988, introduced by Butch Morgan. In 1990, they moved to Erie, Colorado, 20 minutes north of Denver, leasing a large facility for seven years before buying their ranch in Watkins, Colorado.

Darren Miller

Darren grew up in Dodge City, Kansas pitching baseball and leading the football team as their quarterback.   His parents were teachers and his dad also coached baseball.  He credits his uncle, a race horse trainer, for his early horse experiences. 
He feels that his sports background has direct applications to being a successful competitor, coach and judge in the reining and cowhorse industry.

Darren was playing college baseball at Garden City Community College in 1982 when he was inadvertently introduced to the horse show world. “I needed to pay off a bet is how I got started in reining,” Miller smiled. “A friend and I made extra money by playing pool while we were in college. It so happened that night we weren’t as lucky as we had been in the past. I didn’t have the money to pay off the bet, so I went to work for these guys who were reining trainers. I ended up working for them for a couple of years.”

Darren stayed in Garden City working for brothers Jim and Chuck Klipfel. He was married to their sister, Cynde, and worked in Kansas training cutters for two years before moving to Colorado. He and Cynde have two daughters, Jenna and Britta.

Darren has trained reining and working cowhorses for over 20 years, showing in futurity events and coaching non pro riders.  He is a six time RMQHA Cowhorse Champion and has served on the Board of Directors and as President for both the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association and the Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association. For a closer look at his achievements, go to his page.
 
While deeply involved with the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association, he originated the Stallion Stakes Program in 1991. With the help of club members, especially Lance Shockley, Ray Secor and Phil and Steven White, that program has continued to be a vital part of the Summer Slide Futurity show.

In 1996, Darren, Rhoda, Jim Cook, Phil White and several other local riders decided to form the Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association. Darren’s experience serving the reining club made him a designated leader for the new cowhorse club. He and Rhoda are very proud of the CRCA and invite you to visit www.coloradoreinedcowhorse.com.

His innovative ideas still help the CRCA to grow and meet the changing needs of a larger and more popular event. He implemented a novice horse division in 2008 at the CRCA shows that is now used at the national NRCHA sanctioned events.
His passion and experience got him elected to the NRCHA Board of Directors in 2008. He serves on the rules committee, judges committee and is the chairman of the Stock Horse News committee.

He is also passionate about judging. He is a 3A sanctioned judge for the NRCHA events and approved by the AQHA for the special event cowhorse and versatility events.


Rhoda Rein

Rhoda grew up in Wichita, Kansas, showing horses in all around events, dressage and jumping. She graduated from Kansas State University in 1988 with a degree in agricultural journalism. She was a member of the KSU Rodeo Team, running barrels and managing their annual rodeo production. She was also active in the KSU Horsemans Club, serving as their president.

After graduation, she worked at PRCA in the Media Department before starting an automotive paint touch-up business in 1990. She still operates "ColorTech by Rhoda" on a part-time basis. From 1990 to 1996, she worked during the National Western Stock Show as their media correspondent to report and publicize equine performance events and livestock sales. She continues to work as a freelance journalist, covering regional reining and cowhorse events for the Quarter Horse News, Stock Horse News and The Wrangler magazines.

She helped found the Colorado Reined Cowhorse Assoc. in 1996 and her involvement continues today in marketing and managing horse shows. She has served as a board member and officer for many years and continues to promote the club thru the media. 

She also served the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Assoc. by writing and distributing their newsletter in the early to mid-1990’s, and has held officer positions within both organizations. She served on the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Assoc. board of directors for several years, helping with horse shows and the magazine committee.

She was successful in the NRCHA showing Pep In My Step in 2004 and 2005, winning the North Central Regional and CRCA titles in Non Pro Hackamore and Non Pro Bridle divisions. The pair made the NRCHA Top 25 non pro list in 2005. Rhoda has also enjoyed success showing Uncommonly Savvy to non pro reining titles. She won the 2007 Colorado State Fair Non Pro futurity riding Sheza Peppies Poppy.

She and Darren have been raising horses since 1990. Her breeding services business, Pinnacle Performance Breeding Services, Inc., was created in 1992 by the show success of Darren and Diggers Rest. That led to a busy time from 1993-2005 of standing multiple stallions, embryo transfer, breeding and foaling out mares.

The horse brand

	The cattle brand