Melissa lives in Wilmington with her husband and 3 children. She grew up in Durham, NC, spending most of her spare time trail riding and caring for her family's small herd of horses. She has always had a passion for working with horses that started at 9 years old when her parents bought her a horse. That passion continued when Melissa assisted with the family's small breeding program, and she was given her very own foal to raise and train. Melissa was a member of the first group of riders that founded The Appalachian State Equestrian Team and competed with the first ASU IHSA show team. When she isn't busy being a mom, Melissa enjoys working part time for Reagan Equine and caring for her own horse, German Shepherd, and chickens.