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Obituary-Judith Mordaunt



Judith A. Mordaunt was born April 27, 1955, in St. Paul, Minn., and died surrounded by family and special friends on May 6, 2008. She was predeceased by her father, Roy Mordaunt, and mother, Sally (Nesbit) Mordaunt. She is survived by many loving friends and family: sister Mary (Mordaunt) Knudsen (husband Dan), niece Katie Knudsend and daughter Grace, and significant other Quince Stanfield.

Mordaunt graduated from Moundsview High School in 1973 and attended William Woods University in Missouri in pursuit of her love and passion for horses. That love started early with Hackney Ponies and grew from there to include Standardbreds, Saddlebreds, Morgans and Arabians, in addition to other breeds. As Mordaunt was often heard to say, "If it has four legs and a mane, it is for me."

Mordaunt worked for Raymond Shively in Indiana during her college years and for some time thereafter. She moved back to Minnesota, establishing herself as a trainer in Blaine under the name Bright Hour Farm, named for one of her grand and talented horses, Bright Hour, that showed at Madison Square Garden. Mordaunt trained at Blu-Star Equestrian Center in Hugo for RNW Associates in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In the mid-1990s, Mordaunt briefly moved out of state to train at Vegas Valley Morgans under Harold Angel for the Galetz family. Back in Minnesota once again, she re-established herself at Maple Hills Stable in Forest Lake. She has worked as an advisor and consultant trainer for a number of small breeding and showing farms in and around the Twin Cities over the last 10 years.

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