“Team Green”
Michele Flarida, Business Manager
There aren’t many decisions at Shawn Flarida Reining Horses that don’t get a stamp of approval from Michele Flarida first.
Michele has never been afraid to speak her mind, and she did just that when she asked out a shy cowboy at the couple’s high school in Wapakoneta, Ohio. One year her junior, Shawn agreed to a first date, and the couple has been “going steady” ever since.
While dating Shawn, Michele didn’t let herself get distracted from her studies. A serious student, she graduated from college and went on to get a master’s degree in Immunopathology. She began working on her Ph.D. while teaching at Ohio State University, and was close to finishing when her professor moved to New Jersey.
Michele decided to stay in Ohio, but did complete her doctoral dissertation on the effect of gamma delta t-lymphocytes on the human immune system, using a bovine model. Her findings are still being used in cancer research today. Michele has five patents in conjunction with OSU, and she has been published in six leading scientific journals.
While Michele’s work was mostly geared toward human medical research, she taught both human and veterinary courses at OSU. One of her biggest accomplishments while there was creating cell lines to perfect a method for cryopreservation – a method that is used today for frozen shipped semen that the horse industry now utilizes extensively.
After leaving OSU, Michele worked as a research scientist at Proctor & Gamble for two years before giving it up to become a full-time mom and run Shawn’s business. Michele and Shawn celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary on April 25.
Michele is Shawn’s #1 fan, and an integral part of their business. You can contact Michele at shawnflaridareiners@gmail.com.