April 12, 2002

We thought you might like to get to know Bill's lovely wife Elizabeth a little better. This article first appeared in the March issue of our fan club newsletter, The Best of Times, and we're pleased to share it with you this week.

Born with a love of horses, Elizabeth started riding at the age of five. At the tender age of eight, she got her first horse, a Galiceno pony. She and her father invested a lot of love and energy into training the young pony, and Elizabeth later went on to show him in local competitions. Her love of animals, and horses in particular, continued to grow, and while still in elementary school she began taking hunt seat riding lessons.

When Elizabeth was 12 years old, her family moved to a farm. Soon, she began training and showing family- owned Arabian and half Arabian horses, and exercising Quarter horses and race horses. By 14, she was teaching horseback riding and participating in young judging competitions with the Indiana Arabian Club, winning several national honors. During her high school years, Elizabeth taught riding at a local farm. She cared for horses year-round, and spent her summers traveling, training and competing with family-owned Arabians throughout Indiana, Ohio and the Midwest.

After graduating from high school, she attended Purdue University for a couple of years, taking equine and animal science classes. She became a professional horse trainer in 1980. Elizabeth married fellow horse trainer Mike Martin in 1983. They started out training in Michigan and later moved to Kentucky, finally settling in Montecito, California where they made Stalloreggi ranch into a premiere riding and training facility. Sadly, Mike Martin died of cancer in 1997. It was Elizabeth's husband's premature death and her intimate experience with the grief of losing a spouse that led her to send a letter of condolence to William Shatner after he tragically lost his wife Nerine in the summer of 1999. Their mutual losses and their love of horses eventually drew them to one another. They wed in a private ceremony in small town in Indiana on February 13, 2001.

Today, Elizabeth remains active in the horse judging circuit and holds seven judges cards! This year, she will judge the Andalusian Nationals as well as Arab and National Show Horse events. A "farm girl" at heart, Elizabeth feels at home on virtually any breed of horse. She currently rides mostly Saddlebreds and Quarter horses, but she has judged Arabians, Andalusians, Saddlebreds, Icelandic horses, National Show horses, Hackney ponies and Roadster ponies. Below, she is pictured on a 5-Gaited American Saddlebred named Assets and Attitudes competing at the World Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky last August.

When asked if she has a favorite horse, she smiled and said, "any good horse." These days, Elizabeth is reveling in the role of a student as she learns the art of reining horses from Bill and their trainer, Danny Gerardi. She is also an integral part of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show.

Contributed by Jane Singer and Sandy Moruzzi

Shatner & Friends International is William Shatner's official fan club. We are a community of friends drawn together by an appreciation of William Shatner, the actor and the man.

Your first newsletter, The Best of Times, is posted online. Each issue features the latest news about Bill and his activities, exclusive interviews, articles, lots of candid photos, charity updates and much more. The next one will be published in the end of March.

We will post time sensitive information concerning Bill's appearance schedule within Bill's online calendar. It's updated regularly, so keep checking back.

If you're interested in joining the Club, annual membership includes a beautiful autographed 8x10 photograph of William Shatner as Captain Kirk, a copy of Bill's credits, a short biography, a subscription to The Best of Times and the opportunity to participate in our annual Shatner Weekend. Membership also grants access to the Captain's Club, an exclusive members-only part of WilliamShatner.com which includes a bulletin board and Club merchandise. Click here to join.

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