Heart V-
Victoria “Tori” Dellapaolera

Born and raised in Glendive, Montana, I grew up on the back of a horse. While my peers were enjoying soccer and baseball, I was miles back in the backcountry known as “Makoshika” south of Glendive Montana.

My grandfather was Joe Shoopman, a Wyoming cowboy dedicated to his work chasing the oil fields from Thermopolis Wyo to New Town ND and about everywhere in between. Marrying my grandmother in Wolf Point in 1954, my grandpa went on to have a dude ranch in Glendive Montana during the height of Glendive’s glory.

Me? By the time I came around grandpa was long gone, and so was the cowboy way. My uncle Rockie Shoopman was an avid hunter, taking some of grandpas stock into the Bob Marshall for a bit, but otherwise letting horsemanship die in our family.

My mom enjoyed horses, and some of my earliest photos are from the back of a horse as she casually brought them back into our family. She provided a platform for my interest to grow with the horses.

From there I grew up riding and showing horses in the Eastern Montana Horse Show Circuit during the 90’s and early 2000’s, with some shows bringing in youth competitors who were winning titles at the AQHA Congress. As a competitive horse crazy girl, this motivated me and inspired me for greatness.

I dedicated myself to using what I had, eastern Montana ranch horses, with genetics from the Kinney Ranch, Searer Ranch, and Nemitz Ranch, and even decedents of the wild horses of eastern Montana, fresh from the kill pens; to compete with horses who later headed to AQHA Congress and won titles in the youth divisions. This inspired me, motivated me, and gave me something to ride for.

I learned a lot about the horse, about horsemanship, and

With this came a dedication to learning from anyone who would offer. I spent many summers with Ann McRae, Cheryl Corneliuson and Brenda Fischer learning the craft of the show horse. From there blossomed a relationship with Big Sky Shires. There I learned a formal approach to horsemanship, expanding from western and cowhorse events into jumping, introductory dressage riding and a comprehensive study of equine confirmation and horse judging.

I continued my journey to Dawson Community College, where I studied agribusiness, farm and ranch management and equine studies. It is here where I began to be exposed to buckaroo horsemanship and never looked back.

I began training colts for a few years, and bred my first mare out of a stud owned by Gary Ingraham, bred by Cy Wyse of Glendive. I gathered an understanding during this period of my life on business, as well as the horse industry as a whole.

My life journey has brought me through a winding path of self discovery and healing, with that my horsemanship growing and blossoming.

I became dedicated to traditional horsemanship, becoming a forever student of the horse and life. With this dedication came a love for horsemanship, tradition, evolution and growth.

I love being a horseman, I love being a wife to my husband and a mother to my children.

I carry that love into the land I call home, for the northern Great Plains, for the horses and the history they tell through the generations, and for the powerhouse stallions leading the performance horse industry today.