46 • The WRANGLER • August, 2024
Trading Fishing Nets for
Saddles
if you've sPent any time Listening to
the dynamic duo, Russell Dilday and Chris Dawson
on the wildly popular podcast, Cowhorse Full Contact, then
you've heard them mention of Stefan Heim. What I am sure
that you haven't heard, is how fascinating and diverse his
life is. Stefan and his wife, Molly, are currently employed by
the standout Reined Cow Horse trainers, Chris and Sarah
Dawson of Dawson Performance Horses located in Perrin,
Texas.
At the age of four, Stefan Heim would have no idea of the
countless blessings that God had in store for his life. It was
during those early years that his father moved their family
from Switzerland to France with the hopes of giving them
more room to roam and horses to ride. He was seven when
his dad bought a horse. That would eventually become a
turning point for young Stefan, and what ultimately led him
to move abroad in search of a new adventure.
Stefan spent most of his younger years learning to ride,
do some team penning, and showing reining horses.
Through friends of the family, an opportunity to move to
the United States and train with Morgan Lybert became
available in 2006. This provided Stefan with a start into
really gaining experience in the reining arena.
Eventually, he traveled back home to Europe for a short
time, then returned to the States to work for Jim Babcock.
Over the course of many years, Stefan has ridden and
trained under some incredible professionals in the western
industry.
While working in Gainesville Texas, a sweet young
woman captivated Stefan's attention. Molly Bosick was
working for a veterinarian where he had taken a horse
for a prepurchase exam. Once married, the couple were
needed back in Europe where Stefan's family was building
a new horse training and boarding facility. Stefan trained,
and Molly helped with the boarding of horses. After two
years, the itch to return to the US became increasingly
stronger.
This time the Heim's returned to where Molly's
grandfather had homesteaded. She was born and raised
in Kasilof, Alaska. Her childhood years were spent on the
family's purse seining boat in Prince William Sound.
Although her summers included fishing, Molly was no
stranger to horses. "Between my mom and my grandpa,
they had a good size string of horses that were primarily
used in the fall to go moose hunting and packing,"
By Reba Talbot
stefan and moLLy heim share their adventure of going from Purse seining to training
coW horses
