Please welcome Christine Starkweather to the SIRE team at Hockley. Christine started with SIRE this past fall volunteering in the arena and is now working for SIRE as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Hockley location. She brings a passion for horses and a dedication to helping those with special needs. We are thrilled to have her and encourage you to get to know Christine.

As I begin my journey with all of you, there are a couple of things I know with certainty, and I am grateful for them:

1-That we absolutely couldn’t accomplish SIRE’s amazing purpose and mission without your help and dedication,

2-That you and I have in common our hearts for service, and for helping people improve their lives through the incredible therapeutic power of horses.

To tell you a little bit about my background:

  • I am originally from France and grew up in Mexico City, Canada and France;
  • I graduated from Trinity University, San Antonio in 1983;
  • I have been a fitness instructor and personal trainer for 25 years;
  • I enjoy training for and running marathons.
  • I am married to John Starkweather and have a daughter, Leah, who is a junior at UT-Austin;
  • I now live in Willis, Texas on 20 acres with my husband John and four amazing horses; two are mine, Scarlett and Lucky, and two are therapy horses boarding with us, Leo and Shiloh. You will get to know Lucky since I will soon move him to SIRE Hockley so he can be with me and train with me; I am working on the exciting challenge of becoming a therapeutic riding instructor, which has been a dream of mine for 2 years.
  • After my daughter graduated from high school, I served as a volunteer at Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch for 1.5 years before coming to SIRE Hockley last fall.
  • Horses have played a tremendous healing role in some difficult times throughout my personal life, which I am beyond grateful for. I, want to give back, and I discovered a passion, a calling and a purpose: to share that form of healing with as many people as I can.

This is what brought me to this day, and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as the Volunteer Coordinator for SIRE Hockley.

I look forward to getting to know you better on this great journey we are on together.