Professional rider and trainer Shelley Campf and her husband Jeff operate Oz Inc., in Canby, Oregon. Shelley, a native of Calgary, loves living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two children, Chad, 10 and Blake, 4. Shelley’s known as a dedicated volunteer and currently sits on the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Board of Directors, is chairman of the USHJA Trainer Certification Committee, is a sub-chairman of the USHJA Hunter Restructure Committee, and is an avid advocate for Zone 9 and similar regions.

Name: Shelley Campf
Home Base: Canby, Ore.
Age: 44

What was the name and breed of your first horse?
Ironically, his registered name was In The Beginning. We called him Max, and he was an Appendix Quarter Horse. I say it’s ironic because I could have been a kid who owned one horse, but it didn’t end up that way.

Given the chance, what horse other than your own would you like to take a turn on?
Next Milton. He was like a world-class equitation horse that jumped the Olympic Games and the CN International. He had “ponyesque” qualities to him. He was snow white, and he’d walk in under the [Spruce Meadows] clock tower and look around like he was thinking, “We should just win today.”

Name a person you would most like to meet, dead or alive, and why.
Oprah Winfrey. I think she’s amazing. She believes in the work ethic. If you try hard you don’t have to be the most talented, but the ones who work harder are the most successful. I believe that too.

What is your least favorite chore around the house?
Putting laundry away.
 
How many miles are on your vehicle?
The vehicle we call mine is 4 years old and has 27,000 miles—I prefer to be driven.

What is your favorite trait in a horse?
Kind. Just like people who are hard workers, if the horse is a hard worker in his core he can make it. Kind horses are trainable. If they’re vindictive they’re harder. Everyone wants to ride the kind horse.

Name one random fact people wouldn’t know about you.
I am a fanatic cook.

Describe yourself in three words.
Tireless, hopeful and “the world’s your oyster.” That’s not really a word, but it’s the philosophy of Shelley.

What’s the most frequent item on your credit card statement?
Groceries.

Besides the 2008 USEF Proposed Rule Changes, what was the last book you read?
Where Have All The Leaders Gone by Lee Iacocca. I only read non-fiction. I’m boring. People ask if I’ve read Harry Potter, and in 100 light years that’s never going to happen.

How many text messages do you send/receive each day?
Because I’m inundated with teenagers in my life, I would have to say 25 is the teenage count. The adult count is about two.

What is your drink of choice?
Diet Coke.

What is the best feeling in the world?
It’s when my kids say, “I love you Mommy.” And they’re good at it.

What one item in your wardrobe best personifies you?
A scarf in the winter and a hat in the summer.

What is your greatest regret?
My dad died before he saw his grandchildren.

What characteristic do you value most in a horse?
Scope.

What three things are most likely to be found in your refrigerator at all times?
Diet Coke, milk and salami.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the world today?
Poverty.

What do you find to be the most ridiculous part of the horse world?
The gross sense of entitlement.

Where do you think you’ll be 10 years from now?
I think I’ll be in the same place doing much of the same thing. I have young children, and I enjoy where I live because its not the Mecca of horse sports, but it’s a wonderful place to raise a family and that’s priority No. 1.

What are the best and worst aspects of living in the Pacific Northwest?
Best: People who live here care about the environment and the people around them.
Worst: It is a little difficult to do horse sports at the top level here.

What are your hobbies?
I water ski in the summer almost daily. Boating is such a family oriented passion. The complexity of our lives makes our family unit pull apart, and the boat brings it together.