In the fall of 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic, John, Bonnie, and their son Jorge (J’ai) embarked on a new adventure, purchasing property at 790 Heritage Drive in Merrickville, complete with a 26 stall stable. John, a Canadian by birth, was looking to be closer to family members in Canada,  as well as to find a place that allowed J’ai to indulge his passion for horses and provided a safe haven for the family amongst the turmoil and growing intolerance of the American political environment.  Little did they realize how much their lives would be changed!

John, a computer scientist by training, currently works as an executive in the tech industry. He rode horses growing up and enjoys a nice trail ride around the property on occasion. However you can more often find him working with the Aztec facilities manager to complete the never ending list of projects that come along with owning a farm. His favorite activity is driving the big orange tractor. Bonnie is a statistician by training, recently retired from a career spanning academia, industrial research, and the tech industry. When not swimming or biking, she oversees the activities of the farm, working hard to manage all the moving pieces. John and Bonnie split their time between Merrickville and New York City, where their daughter, Anna, lives and works. J’ai lives at the farm full time when not training and competing in hunter/jumper events across Canada and the US.  

J'ai is currently developing his show jumping career under the guidance of the Millar Brooke Farm team in Perth, ON. He aspires to compete at the highest levels of the sport and create his own training program one day.