Valhalla Farm

It's a Family Affair

Luckily, Jean's husband Roy, who had his own practice as a small animal veterinarian for many years, had strong desires of his own that fit right into Jean's plan. He retired from his veterinary practice (not a bad skill to have around the farm either) and gave in to his hidden talent as an architect and farmer. From raw land, he built a facility second-to-none in practical application. He transformed three long buildings that housed hundreds of pigs, into barns with over 130 stalls. Fields of tobacco and corn became pastures, lush in grass and fenced for horses. A covered round pen allows for safe and easy training of young horses. As the years passed, he added a large covered arena, an oval pen for free jumping of young horses, and hay fields growing both coastal and peanut hay. The initial 460 acres grew to over 1000, and some was sold to friends, mostly horse people, so that now they are surrounded by horses of all breeds, and live accompanied by wildlife of varied description, on 600 acres.

Today, both of the Brinkman daughters are active in the family business as well. Daughter Shannon became a fine photographer and artist who used both talents to help produce stunning and effective advertisements. She is currently the official photographer for the United States Eventing Association (USEA), traveling to many countries to photograph Olympic Games and World Championships.

Their other daughter, Erin, has dedicated herself to becoming the best rider and trainer possible and in doing so, also helps train and promote their stallions and sales horses and has personally earned her Bronze, Silver and Gold United States Dressage Federation (USDF) medals. Erin is an integral part of Valhalla's breeding operation bringing in-depth skills to their training of horses and riders.

Valhalla has learned from others’ mistakes and along the way has studied what not to do. Jean has seen that there are sides to the breeding business that can be unappealing, but that has only made her more determined to put out the best product with the utmost of integrity. Jean admits that her maxim is probably “No Pain, No Gain” and warns anyone who may be faint-of-heart that this business is never a sure thing. Nothing with horses ever is.