When Pigs Fly...

The Inspiration Behind Flying P Ranch

The name 'Flying P' has A LOT of meaning to us; we hope it will to you too!
Dana grew up in San Francisco dreaming of training and breeding horses for a living, but was always told that her dreams were unobtainable, crazy, ridiculous, stupid even. The phrase 'when pigs fly' has crossed her ears more times than she can count. Flash forward to the present day, and here we are, building out our very own facility designed specifically to train horses and the people who love them, and Dana is an award winning horse trainer who is also the local breeding expert. Despite what most people have said, it is rather obvious to us that pigs do indeed fly.

The other, and if we're honest, deeper meaning behind the Flying P, lies with the most amazing dog that has ever crossed our paths, our mascot, Cupcake the English Bulldog. Partially because Cupcake was born deaf, and partly because she was, well, a bulldog, she snorted like a pig, rooted around like a pig, and even looked like a pig when she was wet, all of which earned her the nickname, you guessed it, 'Pig'. Being deaf, Cupcake, was never expected to amount to much of anything. Her brothers and sisters went on to become champion show dogs, but despite her beauty, she wasn't eligible or "worthy" of the show ring. Several trainers said she was untrainable because she would never hear commands, and we were told she would need to spend her entire life 'on leash'.It had even been suggested to us, multiple times actually, that we should put the poor dog down so she didn't have to suffer through life with her 'handicap'...
Soak that one in for a minute.

If you ever had the chance to meet this perfect soul, you instantly understood why our ranch was named in her honor. Words can never touch the feeling. In her prime, Cupcake was a CGC Certified Therapy Dog who not only provided comfort to those living out their final days in hospice, but also gave confidence to children who struggled to read. We lost Cupcake suddenly on May 17th, 2021, just weeks before her 13th birthday. Her passing was unexpected as she was seemingly in perfect health until the very moment she suffered a massive stroke, from which no amount of emergency care could cure, and trust us, they tried everything. Cupcake died as she lived, on her own terms and in Dana's arms. The amount of joy Cupcake brought to everyone she met will forever make us think twice and question those who tell us we can't or shouldn't do something.

Pig is now, as she was in life, an angel, and we all know that angels have wings!

Fly on Pig, Fly <3

Cupcake, a.k.a Pig
6/14/2008 - 5/17/2021

Flying P Ranch is dedicated to everyone who has ever been told that their dreams were unrealistic, to those who have been told they weren't enough, to those who were made to believe that they aren't worthy, and to those who think they have nothing to offer this world.

May we all rise to the challenges life throws our way, and fly.

Our Dream Facility

In the Fall of 2017 we purchased a house on 10 bare acres in Gilroy, CA and have slowly been turning it into our dream equestrian training and breeding facility. We've got big plans, and are no where near done.

We can't wait to share our little piece of paradise with you!

Our Facilities include:

250' x 150' Horsemanship Arena
200' x 100' Performance Arena with CowTrac mechanical flag
60' Custom ergonomically designed, all weather round pen
10 Stall FCP Shedrow with hot water wash rack & two foaling stalls
1 Acre Paddock Paradise (aka Track Pasture) attached to the barn
5 - 20' x 36' paddocks with 3-sided 10' x 12' stalls
10 - 12' x 16' 4-rail Pipe Paddocks for Day/Overnight Use
1 Acre Pasture Turn Out
IMTCA/Extreme Cowboy Style Obstacle Course spanning 1.25 acres!
Access to a kitchen and multi-stall, all gender restroom
Secure entry with automatic gates
The most important feature:
- A fun, supportive, no drama, zero judgement environment!