Kathy Norton

After graduation, I attended and graduated from YVCC with an AA degree.

My family and I moved to a small ranchette in West Valley in June of 1975, where I am still located. I worked seasonally at Del Monte where my aunt was head floor lady, and was extensively involved in horse showing on the Washington State Horsemen ‘A’ and ‘B’ system open circuits and Arabian breed shows.

I started a sewing design business making show clothes , which I still do on a limited basis. I have held various offices in local and state horse organizations, including the Executive and regular Board of Directors for WSH, and have held the post of Arabian Division Director off and on for a good share of that time. I am the current Arabian director at this point in time, as well as the Zone One (our local region) Director.

I showed my beloved Arabian gelding, Kamwarro+/ to his Legion of Supreme Honor, and watched as he taught both of my nieces to ride and show, gladly sharing him with my “rent-a-kids”. I purchased “Jr.” when he was 16 months old in 1977 and was forced to put him down with acute traumatic heath issues two yrs ago this August at the age of 32 ½. He was an incredible athlete as well as an equine friend and partner. He was the second member of the WSH Horse Show Hall of Fame and my life is a great deal emptier without him, even though we were unable to ride him due to a hip injury at the age of 28 which ended his show career.

I showed another fantastic Arabian gelding, VP Extra Gold+, primarily on the breed circuit for several years and won many Regional and Top Five awards before reluctantly selling him. Luckily, I was able to purchase him back a few years ago for my youngest niece, and we finished his points for Legion of Honor at that time. The two of them make a fantastic pair, and I am so glad I was able to get “Fred” back for Dani.

I am a licensed WSH Open show judge, and enjoy it a great deal.

I worked at Hancock Fabrics for 7 years, and then as primary caregiver for my semi-disabled mother until her death.

I have been a certified paratransit driver for the last seven years with Dial-A-Ride and find it very educational in spite of the long hours and relentless schedules.

I have expanded my sewing line to include handmade jewelry and am currently teaching myself as much as I can about wireworking as my job schedule leaves very little time for any kind of classes.

I was and still am a voracious reader, and have recently ventured into Regency era romance novels, which are surprisingly much more interesting than I thought, being a life long SF and Fantasy fan.

I have been involved with organized media fan fiction writing and publishing for over twenty years now, and enjoy it a great deal. I have been to the Holy Grail of multimedia conventions, Media*West, in Lansing, MI, several times both as simple member, and as dealer. For several years in the early ‘90’s I also made the trek to NorWesCon, the humongous West Coast science fiction convention in Tacoma in March each year.

Today, in my spare time after driving elderly citizens around town four days a week for ten+ hrs a day, I manage to write, judge horse shows, and make and sell jewelry with a little sewing on the side to keep my hand in. I have several mostly over-the-hill cats and a dog at home, but no horses at home anymore. The two remaining Arabian geldings are boarded out, and shown by my nieces and sister.