Horseback Riding at Sagecliffe Resort: A New Guided Trail Experience
Looking for a unique beginner-friendly horseback riding experience near the Columbia River and the Gorge Amphitheatre? This spring, Sagecliffe Resort & Spa in Quincy, Washington will launch a new guided trail riding program led by professional rodeo rider and entrepreneur, Aubree Skone. I sat down with Aubree to talk about horses and how this experience invites visitors to slow down and connect with the land and with each other—exploring the mindset and intention that guided her path, the people who shaped her journey along the way, and how the Sagecliffe horseback riding experience is meant to remind us what truly matters.
A breathtaking view on horseback along the trail at Sagecliffe Resort.
Where the Trail Begins: A Conversation with Aubree Skone
I met Aubree Skone on a December afternoon over burgers and shakes at The Ranch in Vantage, Washington, wanting to learn more about the new horseback riding program she’s launching this spring at Sagecliffe Resort & Spa in Quincy. Even though Aubree is about half my age, I was blown away by the wisdom she casually imparted throughout our conversation. We talked about horses, business, loss, intention, and what it means to follow something you can feel—but can’t fully explain yet.
I’ve always felt a connection to the land around the Gorge Amphitheatre—it’s the entire reason I started my own business in the area. The beauty is striking, and there’s an indescribable energy there that you can feel somewhere deep in your soul. Aubree described feeling a similar pull, sharing that the first time she saw the landscape, she wanted to cry. I knew immediately that we were kindred spirits.
That sense of connection ran throughout our entire conversation. By the end of it, I told Aubree she felt like an ancient Zen master soul in a young body. I learned more from her than I expected— and it became clear that the horseback riding experience she’s creating at Sagecliffe offers something deeper than what most people might imagine.
Meet Aubree Skone, the successful entrepreneur cowgirl behind Sagecliffe Horseback.
Aubree’s Mindset: Intention, Manifestation, and Following the Pull
Aubree is the kind of person who doesn’t follow straight lines. She grew up in the small farming town of Warden, Washington, before heading to college in Walla Walla, WA. Her early twenties were spent in motion: a few years in Pendleton, Oregon, winters spent in Wickenburg, Arizona (as a 20-year old “snowbird”), and eventually a leap all the way to Florida. An unexpected hurricane evacuation briefly sent her to Louisiana, before traveling across Mississippi and Alabama on her way back. Along the way, she built businesses and learned that while you don’t always know exactly what the future holds, you can trust your intentions—and have faith that things are unfolding exactly as they should.
“It’s like you’re walking up a hill with all the knowledge you have, and it’s kind of dark,” Aubree shared. “And on the other side there’s the sun, and you can’t really see anything quite yet, but it’s all there—you just need to take the next possible step in front of you.”
That philosophy runs through everything Aubree does.
She believes in the power of manifestation—aligning thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions toward your desired outcome. “It’s the act of thinking and then doing,” she says. “We are all made of energy, and this creates the energy to get what you want.”
Before horses returned to the center of her life, Aubree built and ran a teeth-whitening business, trained others, created a training curriculum and sold her own online courses, and later transitioned into real estate. Along the way, she taught herself systems, marketing, taxes, and operations. The power of manifestation, she says, is how she built each chapter of her career. “I understand where I belong. I’m a creator. I’m a business owner.”
Then, in 2025, Aubree received the unexpected news of her stepfather’s passing—a loss that brought her back home to Warden and set the stage for what would come next.
The people who shaped her path to guided horseback riding
Aubree calls herself a first-generation cowgirl. She grew up riding horses, a love first fostered by her mother through time spent riding for fun and connection, and was actively involved in rodeo from junior high on—drawn mostly to the adrenaline.
But it wasn’t until her freshman year of college, when Randy, her stepfather came into her life, that she truly began to understand what the rodeo lifestyle could offer.
“I used to be a huge soccer girl. Then COVID hit—so no more soccer. But with rodeo, people can’t tell kids not to ride their horses, so that’s when I got really into it.”
Before she was serious about rodeo, Aubree was a competitive soccer player.
He taught Aubree everything about how to train, sell, and truly capitalize on horses, not just ride them. He shared his knowledge, contacts, and deeper understanding of the industry, opening doors that allowed Aubree to professionally rodeo and make a living selling horses.
One of the most defining partnerships of Aubree’s rodeo career began with Murphy, a horse originally purchased by Randy and trained by Aubree in just a few months. Together, they quickly became a dominant team, earning regional college titles, trophy saddles, and a trip to the College National Finals. “I won almost every single rodeo on this horse,” Aubree says. “We were unbeatable.”
She later trained Sparkle—another of Randy’s finds—into her first truly competitive breakaway horse. Breakaway roping, a fast-paced timed event, requires precision, trust, and an intuitive connection between horse and rider. “During COVID, I entered my first breakaway jackpot with Sparkle, and something lit,” Aubree says. “We became a solid team.” They went on to win rodeos in Arizona, Texas, and beyond.
Aubree and Sparkle were a lucrative team, winning money at rodeos from Lake Havasu, AZ to Fort Worth, TX.
That partnership would eventually come full circle when Aubree sold Sparkle to a young girl who now competes in high school rodeo. “Sparkle found her purpose in young girls’ lives,” Aubree reflects, “and I found mine in training horses.”
From there, Aubree and Randy continued their partnership—he identified horses with potential, she trained them to be competitive, and then sold them for top dollar. His constant presence and mentorship shaped not only her rodeo success, but her business mindset as well. “He was at every practice, every event, sharing everything he knew with me,” Aubree says. “And if he couldn’t be there, he’d call afterward so we could break everything down.”
Randy was always there for Aubree—even just for a simple pep talk.
Aubree competed at the Pendleton Round-Up, one of the largest professional rodeos in the northwest area.
Those years of training, competing, and learning alongside her stepfather shaped Aubree into both a horsewoman and an entrepreneur. When the chance to bring horseback riding to Sagecliffe emerged, it felt less like a new direction—and more like a natural evolution.
The opportunity to bring horseback riding to Sagecliffe came through word of mouth—through a “little bird,” as Aubree put it. Someone mentioned that Vince Coluccio, the resort President and CEO of Sagecliffe, was looking for someone to bring trail riding to the resort.
At first, Aubree hesitated. She already had plans back in Florida and was building something different in real estate. But when she sat down with Vince and they talked through a shared vision, something clicked. Not as a contract or a rigid business plan, but as a collaboration rooted in trust.
“What’s funny is that I’ve wanted to start something like this for years,” she told me. “I had a vision for doing horseback riding at the sand dunes, but no one was ever really with me on it—no one saw my vision. And you can’t do something like that alone. So, when I sat down with Vince and he started sharing the same vision that I once had, it was like oh hell yeah. Let’s do it.”
Inside Sagecliffe’s guided horseback riding experience, and how it brings us back to what matters
As we talked, it became clear that Aubree sees this work less as a business venture and more as a form of service. She spoke about how horses help people regulate their nervous systems, and how time outdoors—especially on horseback—can offer relief from grief, depression, or simply the constant noise of everyday life.
“If I’m ever depressed, I go outside with my horses,” she told me. “And it’s gone. It’s just gone. I want to show people that way of life.”
Horses, she explained, are incredibly intuitive. They pick up on a rider’s energy and reflect it back. If a rider is anxious, the horse becomes anxious. When the rider breathes and becomes calm, the horse responds in the same way.
She teaches riders to pay attention and stay engaged in order to understand how the horse is feeling: ears forward mean the horse is focused and interested in what’s ahead; one ear forward and one back means the horse is listening to both the trail and the rider; ears pinned back mean they don’t like something you are doing. It’s a quiet dialogue—one that requires presence.
Aubree shared a story from a day she and her rodeo girlfriends were riding the Sagecliffe trail together. As they reached the edge of a cliff overlooking the Gorge, something spontaneous happened: they all held hands and began praying. “I just started crying,” she said. “Sometimes your soul needs something more—you need to feel a connection to the earth, to an animal—an experience where you don’t even have to speak.”
That day, Aubree brought along her stepfather’s jacket and felt his presence with her. “I have all these girls in my life because of Randy. I was a soccer girl, not a rodeo girl, and now I have a whole tribe of them.”
That shared love for adrenaline, horses, and authenticity runs deep. “I love dressing up, wearing heels, and driving a nice car,” Aubree says, “but I’m also very genuine. And I love that the cowgirls are genuine too.”
She plans to bring that same community into the business by having her rodeo girlfriends help guide some of the Sagecliffe trail rides.
The rides will be intentionally intimate: small groups of five or six riders, led by Aubree and her best horses at a relaxed walking pace. Most guided trail rides at Sagecliffe run about 1.5 hours and are suitable for riders of all experience levels. The rides begin near Tendrils Restaurant—perfect for grabbing brunch or a glass of wine beforehand.
Riders will start with a short safety demonstration and time to meet and pet the horses before heading out on a trail that winds along the gorge, offering sweeping views of the river and the Gorge Amphitheatre in the distance. Aubree will also offer an option to pair the ride with a picnic, inviting guests to linger a little longer and soak in the landscape alongside the horses.
The rides are designed for couples and small groups—people attending concerts, staying at Sagecliffe, or simply looking for a deeper way to experience the Gorge. “Sometimes you can find connection having drinks together or going to dinner,” Aubree says. “But I feel like with the horses it’s such a different feeling.”
“With horses you can be spiritual, you can slow down and enjoy,” she adds. “It’s about connection. You’re not on your phone. You’re with your person.”
More than a Business
Aubree doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. What she does have is belief—in herself, her work ethic, and the idea that the right path reveals itself one step at a time.
Growing up, she didn’t always feel that confidence. Over time, she’s learned to love herself, trust her instincts, and stop worrying about others’ opinions. She’s come to understand how to bring her dreams to fruition, and her long-term vision is to share this learning with young girls.
“When you’re young no one teaches you that you have unique gifts. That you don’t have to worry about others’ opinions. You’re so worried about your life that it doesn’t allow you to do what you need to do to create the life you want.”
She knows she wants to positively impact the lives of many—especially girls and women—but she’s okay not knowing exactly what that looks like yet. “I’m still walking on the hill,” she says. “It’s a bit dark and I don’t have all the information yet.”
For now, what feels right is here: the dramatic beauty surrounding Sagecliffe Resort and the Gorge Amphitheatre, the horses, the trail, and the chance to offer something rare and meaningful—whether you’re visiting for a concert, staying a few nights, or calling this area home.
“I don’t really see this as just a business,” Aubree says. “I see it as a way of giving something I have to others. Just like Randy once did for me. Showing people the connection that horses can bring.”
You can visit at:
344 Silica Rd NW Quincy, Washington 98848
Book your trail ride now at Sagecliffe Horseback (rides start in April).
Follow along on the Sagecliffe Horseback Instagram page.
Book your stay at the Sagecliffe Resort or at a stylish nearby vacation home at Palomino Sun Collective.