ASHLEY AKKERMANS MC:AT, CCC, CT
Ashley grew up in rural Alberta on a mixed farm operation where her passion for agriculture, ranching, rodeos, and everything horse-related began. During her former reign as Miss Ponoka Stampede, she noticed there were very few children’s books on rodeo. Using her experiences as a cowgirl and skills as an artist, Ashley embarked on the journey of authoring and illustrating a book that captures the essence, lifestyle, and experiences of cowboys and cowgirls with their horses. Her goal was to create a book that resonated with children within and outside of rodeo culture and western living.
Ashley works as a certified counsellor and art therapist in Central Alberta. She is passionate about her career as it merges her love for art, working with children, and her desire to help people. To balance her need for the outdoors, Ashley also works casually driving horse drawn carriages, and facilitating other equine-related activities at a public ranch. Her hope is to eventually combine her counselling practice and horse experience to provide equine-facilitated psychotherapy for children healing from trauma.
Ashley’s Christian faith inspired every avenue of this book, and she hopes that the message of courage, trust, and connection touches and inspires her audience.