Our Story
A Partnership Is Born
Blake Westhoff met Allison Trimble Paparoa more than a fifteen years ago. He was 19 years old and hadn’t been exposed to the professional horse industry. Fortunately, Allison was looking for someone to clean stalls, so Blake’s inability to pick up the correct lead wasn’t of concern. Allison was already an accomplished horseperson. She rode on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Quarter Horse Project and before graduation, bought the horse Cutter’s Tourist Trap, a mare she rode at the NRCHA (National Reined Cow Horse Association) Snaffle Bit futurity in Reno in 2000, the same year she moved to Washington state. Over the years, Allison bought and showed some great horses, among them Tangys Classy Sox, Smokums Playlena, and Cow Cuttin Colonel. She built a name and reputation for herself as a reined cow horse trainer. Blake flourished around the horses and quickly found a passion for riding. “Meeting Allison was exciting because her way of working with horses wasn’t something I had been exposed to. My family used horses practically, for hunting and camping. With Allison, I got to spend time with high-caliber, talented, broke horses.” Within a year of working for Allison, Blake was competing in limited open cow horse, and was competitive. Their friendship became a genuine working partnership. Blake moved to Arizona for a time, where he showed reining horses and started two-year-olds. He and Allison remained close. A love of horses was the foundation of their friendship.
From Horses to Real Estate
In 2013, Allison got married and started a family, and with that came hard decisions. Riding and training reined cow horses is a dangerous business. Showing requires extended time on the road. Choosing to put time with her family first, she returned to her family business, and put her equine knowledge and experience to work in real estate, specializing in equine properties. Blake returned to Washington to be part of Coastal Realty. “I like real estate because it’s something I can stand behind. Property is a solid investment, historically one of the safest. Horses on the other hand can be unpredictable. I like helping people find property that makes their horse dreams, whether hobby or professional, come true.”
“Our work is about matching people with property,” says Allison. “There are pitfalls to buying and selling equestrian properties that a lot of Realtors are not aware of. Blake and I have hard-won experience, having seen many of the things that can go wrong with horse properties and hobby farms. Our job is to avoid those pitfalls and make deals come together where all parties are happy with the sale.”
Coastal Realty serves clients throughout Washington and Alaska. They specialize in equestrian properties, commercial and hobby farms, and also work with a variety of clients from first time homebuyers to luxury property owners. Blake is enthusiastic about partnering with Allison. “I enjoy working with Allison because she’s a problem solver. When an issue arises in a deal, Allison is on it. This means that problems don’t have time to develop. We close deals others cannot because she’s quick to act.” Allison has equal respect for Blake. “He’s hardworking, a fast learner, and has a strong moral compass. We process information and deal with problems in a similar way. Because our relationship is established, we can devote our time to successfully representing our clients. I’m lucky to have Blake as a partner.”
Partnering with Professionals
After years in the horse industry, Blake & Allison are particular about who trains their horses. In Washington, they are proud to have reining and cowhorses in training with F2F Livestock, Matt and Tiffany McAuslan in Monroe, WA who both show their Open horses and coach Allison and Blake in the showpen.
In California, we have working cowhorses in training with Justin Wright Performance Horses and enjoy traveling to see them compete in NRCHA Major Events.
