While nine-year-old Darla Halbe was first dabbling in horses thanks to the help of her 4-H leader in Apple Valley, California, then 11-year-old Brian Lee, born into a family of horsemen in Ohio, was growing up in the barn aisles at horse shows. His father, Dean Lee, was well-known in Ohio for his success showing Halter horses and, by the time Darla got her first horse–a grade Quarter Horse named Maxine–Brian was more than comfortable in the saddle aboard his first horse, Angel.