Janet Mendez
Occupation: Registered Nurse, Certified Emergency Nurse, Forensic Nurse Examiner, and Nursing Supervisor.
Horse Experience: Janet grew up on a cattle ranch in Central California and had a show string of registered Hereford cattle and Quarter Horses. She has been successful at exhibiting and fitting both horses and cattle as well as campaigning in working cowhorse and cutting. The shining stars in her stable included:
Kaweah Navajo- AQHA stallion, points earned in working cowhorse, halter including Grand Champion stallion at the prestigious Santa Barbara Quarter Horse Show.
Triple Amber- AQHA stallion, Register of Merit (ROM) in racing and cutting
Foolish Goer- ApHC stallion, High Point three year old halter stallion, SoCal Appaloosa Horse Association and undefeated at halter.
Janet was in the Top Ten of the Ladies Cutting division one year, competing in the Central California Cutting Horse Association. While she has left the world of the Quarter Horse, her cutting horse breeding continues through her special mare Cal Tessa and her daughter Cal Tessa O'Lena, a cutting mare currently showing in the $10,000 Non-Pro division.
While searching for a replacement to Cal Tessa, Janet fell in love with Kigers in 1999 and purchased her first Kiger from a fellow nurse. This initial purchase has grown into a successful breeding operation, Karisma Kigers, which is a family endeavor that she co-owns with her daughter and son-in-law.
Janet enjoys trail riding and exploring the wonderful wilderness of Oregon from on top of a horse. As she nears retirement as a nurse for more than 25 years, she is looking forward to spending more time in the saddle.
Janet is an excellent asset to the KHAR because of her dedication to the breed, her love of horses, and her experience on other organizational board of directors and teams.
She hopes to introduce more people to Kigers and their uniqueness in the equine world. She would like everyone to experience how fantastic the Kiger is; they are truly different from other breeds.
Janet wants to preserve and protect the Spanish-ness of the Kiger horse, not to remake the breed but embrace the Kiger's unique characteristics.
