Growing up on a California ranch that had been in the family for over 130 years exposed her to the lifestyle of being a steward of the land and animals, and also helped her develop her feel for horses. Her father and his close friend, Tom Dorrance, served as an early wealth of wisdom into the language of horses. As she got older, Erickson-Noe took this strong foundation of Spanish-influenced horsemanship and built on it through her own instincts and pursuits.
Her journey has been diverse, and yet there are small moments that have served as an impetus for powerful growth. One of these such moments came out of a childhood practice with her Appaloosa pony. Inspired by a children’s book series, Erickson-Noe and her pony would often take to the fields and practice jumping logs for fun. She soon discovered that aside from her own pleasure in the game, her little ranch pony was rather good at it. Elisabeth’s parents took note as well and decided the pair’s interest might be worth furthering with formal jumping lessons, especially since it seemed like a positive social outlet for their shy daughter.
Through these lessons, Erickson-Noe became competitive in both disciplines of the horse world, to the point that she served as a rider for an Olympian competitor while in TX. She credits the knowledge developed through this time to furthering her own ranch skills and molding her into a rider who could really feel horses.
Yet beyond her unique blend of English and Western horsemanship, Erickson-Noe took an unusual route to the beef industry. In fact, when she first entered college, her focus was not on agriculture at all, but rather on neurology. This pursuit was largely related to the impact of losing her grandmother to Alzheimer’s and wanting to study more about the disease. However, when medical school didn’t open up with career opportunities, another door opened for her and her husband to manage the ranch. He too had grown up around cattle, and they fell back into the lifestyle as a natural fit. While her day-to-day work may look different than the original neurology path, she still holds this love of family and servant’s heart nearby.
In all aspects of her life, she feels as though God’s promises have come to fruition. Her passion for discussing their journey with the land speaks to her deep joy at the ability to care for the animals and watch her two children grow up on the ranch, with their respective loves of chickens and Roy Rogers.
While in many ways she carries on a family tradition, she has much different tools than her grandfather before her. While he sent cattle by train, she is now able to utilize Instagram to connect with individual customers throughout the United States and spread the word about Mesa Beef’s unique All-Natural Wagyu (Kobe beef) x Angus beef which is Dry-Aged for an extended 21 days.
When not busy helping with the beef cattle, Elisabeth enjoys the peacefulness of watching the horses of Dreamer Horses enjoy their retirement. This creative service allows folks to “board” their horses in the wide-open country of the Noe Ranch. Not only does it allow them to return to their instincts and live as one with the land, but it provides the horses with companionship, the appropriate care, and the freedom for their own daily pleasure of their choosing. Dreamer Horses is a gift, to horses and those who love them, and continues to attract a wide array of storied creatures.
Whether you’re looking for some quality beef, a spot to retire your faithful horse, or just want to see a faith-filled family in action, it is worth the time to get to know Elisabeth Erickson-Noe and her family. Head on over to Mesa Beef and Dreamer Horses to learn more or find her on social media.
