BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The all-volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of European Brabant horse owners who are elected by their peers to represent the voting Membership, keep the Registry on mission, achieve goals and establish policies. They develop long-range plans and strategies to ensure financial stability and strength of the organization.
Stacy Pearsall, President (Term 2021-2024)
Stacy Pearsall is the owner and manager of LowCountry Acres. She’s had horses most of her life. As a girl on her mom’s Arabian horse farm, she would help start young horses and assist during the breeding season. Upon graduating high school, she joined the service. During her 10-year career as a combat photojournalist, she documented stories in over 41 countries and always managed to stay connected to the horse world by assisting and volunteering her time at stables around the world. While stationed in Europe at the turn of the century (’00-’02), she encountered the European Brabant (Belgisch Trekpaard) at the barn which she worked part time. It was then she vowed to have one of these amazing creatures. After being wounded in Iraq and medically retired from service years later, she acquired her first Brabant, Leah. Today, she breeds European Brabants and trains draft horses of all varieties at her farm, LowCountry Acres, in Charleston, SC. Though combat disabled, she does not let her disabilities hold her back. With her service animal, Charlie by her side, she continues to work as a photographer, author, educator, speaker, television host, farm manager and horse trainer. Stacy serves as the President of the European Brabant Registry of America.
Dehan Courtney, Vice President (Term 2021-2024)
Dehan Courtney owns All the King’s Horses with his wife, Rebecca, and started Logging with Horses as a way to utilize his draft horses as a part of woodland management. Dehan was homeschooled and grew up with a strong love of forestry and the outdoors. His first career was in construction and excavating, but when he had the chance to transition to working in the woods he jumped at the opportunity. Today, he spends his winters logging with the draft horses and his summers doing residential tree trimming. Dehan began his logging business with his team of Percheron horses, but in researching and learning more about horse logging he discovered the European Brabant. He quickly fell in love and decided to add these beautiful, powerful horses to his lineup. In addition to full time employment, he can be found trimming hooves, assisting with breeding, running tractors and loving on foals in his ‘spare time.’ Dehan serves as the Vice President of the European Brabant Registry of America.
Austin Mantz, Class I Director (Term 2022-2025)
Austin Mantz is a Regenerative Ag and Telecommunications Consultant and Engineer who actively participates in the American Driving Society and American Registry for Internet Numbers. His special skills are finance and accounting, business management, web design and blog management, farm management, equine management and horse training. His goal as Director is to bring a different perspective to the group as he has not grown up with horses, livestock, or agriculture. He began his journey to restore the family farm a few years back through regenerative agriculture, while being sustainable and self sufficient as possible. He took on many new roles and made decisions based on research and understanding of how the environment/nature operates. He started with 2 horses in a paddock built with plastic step in posts. He now has seven horses and a herd of fourteen Belted Galloway grass fed beef cows. He believes his role is to be a good steward of the land and to the animals which he cares for.
Olga Pushkareva, Class II Director (Term 2023-2026)
Olga Pushkareva is an Engineer and Project Manager who actively participates in the Gateway Harness Club, USEF and Missouri Farm Bureau. Her skills are equine management and horse training. She is passionate about European Brabant breed preservation and owns two purebred studs. She wants to help further develop the Registry and promote the breed in the US.
Dr. Hernando Plata-Madrid, Class III Director (Term 2021-2024)
Dr. Plata was born in Colombia, South America, where his father was an equine veterinarian. From an early age, Plata had the opportunity to learn about the different draft breeds. In the early 80’s, he visited several breeding farms in the Eastern United States. Fortunately his visits included “Milkwood” farms, where he met Ann Harper. He was mesmerized by her horse, Babar, trotting around his paddock. A few years later, Plata completed an internship and residency at the University of Missouri, then became a board certified equine reproductive specialist. For the last 20+ years, he has been working in central KY as a reproductive ambulatory clinician. With his wife’s support and encouragement, they bought a small farm, Silver Meadows, near Versailles and decided to breed and promote the European Brabant breed. Plata also volunteers his time as a European Brabant Registry of America Director.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPOINTED OFFICERS
The Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar are longterm Board of Director appointments established for the administrative and financial stability of the organization.
Jessica Edwards, Secretary
Raised in southern Arizona, Jessica fell in love with horses on the thousands of acres of BLM trails surrounding her home. At ten years old she became CSMA's Peewee Grand Champion on her beloved horse Sassy, a quarter horse paint mare. She remained active in 4-H, training in team penning, cutting, dressage, and hunter jumper. She has wrangled horses in Colorado, driven carriages seaside in Florida, and mucked stalls everywhere else. Jessica graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Technical Communications. She is now a freelance Copywriter, award-winning international poet, published author, and Brabant groupie, excited to serve as EBRA's Secretary.
Rebecca Courtney, Registrar
Rebecca Courtney is the founder and co-owner of All the King’s Horses and serves as the Registrar for the European Brabant Registry of America. Rebecca grew up on a small farm with a variety of animals. Throughout high school and college her focus was primarily beef cattle, starting a herd of purebred Shorthorn show cattle and direct marketing beef to customers. Upon graduation from Michigan State University with degrees in Animal Science and Economics, Rebecca returned home to run the family farm. She spent a few years working at the local Farm Credit office and during this period she purchased her first Gypsy Vanner and began her foray into breeding horses. Her interest in European Brabants was a result of her husband’s interest in logging with draft horses. As the herd grew, Rebecca left her job at the bank to focus fully on the farm, including managing the daily care, breeding, health, and marketing of the horses as well as pasture and farm maintenance.
Sandi Austin, Treasurer
Sandi Austin is a retired Customer Operations Specialist with Cisco Systems who actively volunteers her animal husbandry skills at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She's also the Treasurer of the Monterey County Film Commission and Monterey County Civil Grand Jury. Her special skills are Finance and Accounting, and Business Management. "I'm passionate about European Brabant horses and would like to help promote and encourage their growth in the United States."