Under Construction ! Please check back later.
Gay Talmey's equestrian story began in the Barrington, Illinois where she grew up riding,
fox hunting, showing, and immersing herself in her passion for horses. It was enrollment in Mills College that brought her
to Northern California where she pursued a B.A. and then a M.F.A. in Art. But she never abandoned her involvement in
the Hunter-Jumper community. After receiving her Masters degree, and newly married, Gay (now, Piper) relenquished her Amateur
status with the AHSA and entered the ranks of professional horsemen.
For the next twenty-five years, Gay was an active Hunter Jumper trainer in the Bay Area. During
those years, she ran an active training stable in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. She became an AHSA Judge,
and then later a Course Designer and a Steward. She was among the group of trainers who founded the NorCal Hunter and Jumper
Association, and was an active Jumper rider who showed in some of the West Coast Grand Prix and was the 1973 PCHA Jumper Champion
with her horse, Every Family. During this time also, she got a divorce and regained her family name of Talmey.
In 1972, Gay purchased a young Thoroughbred colt by the name of Big Jim S. Her intent was
to geld him and then train him to resell as a Hunter. But, as he had suffered a mild bowed tendon on the track, she was advised
by her Vet to delay the castration until the horse could go back into training. During those few months, Gay became so captivated
by the kind sweet character of the colt, that she decided to keep him entire, and stand him as a breeding stallion. And so,
Gay found herself in the horse breeding business. During the next few years, Gay and her business partner, Don Mehaffey, showed
and sold some wonderful horses such as Vogue (who carried Meredith Michaels to many National awards), Tom Mix, Cloned Steel,
Shirley You Jest, Baby Doe, Science Project and many others.
But this Sport Horse breeding operation had one big problem. It had no farm!....
