About Us

Ricochet Ridge Ranch is owned and managed by Judy Langevin, Jake Langevin, and Alisha O’Dell.

Owner Judy Langevin’s competitive riding career began and ended when she was 5, but horses have always been an important part of her life. These days she’s content to be a devoted horse owner and casual trail rider, and to watch over the finances, marketing, and general management of Ricochet. Judy works a day job as an employment lawyer in Minneapolis, and can’t wait to move to Northern California.

Jake Langevin, who manages Ricochet Ridge Ranch, grew up around horses and has a background as a recreation counselor and manager of kids’ programs at the YMCA. More recently, he owned and managed a large boarding, training, and lesson barn in Minnesota, where he never had time to ride and had to deal with a very harsh climate. For Jake, managing a recreation business like Ricochet, riding every day in the most beautiful place on earth, and working side by side with his wife Alisha is a dream come true.

Alisha O’Dell is a competitive eventer who serves as Ricochet’s manager, trainer, and chief trail guide. She has been teaching riders and training horses since 2001, and has developed several upper-level competition horses in collaboration with her mentor Ralph Hill. Alisha believes that magic happens when a horse and rider connect. Her mission at Ricochet is to help create those connections and to introduce as many people as possible to riding.

At Ricochet Ridge Ranch, we are proud to incorporate responsible and sustainable practices into every ride and action. We strive to promote the best in ecotourism:

“Responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local people.”

For us, ecotourism is about connecting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel.

This means that we follow the following ecotourism principles (and encourage others — our guests, and other tour operators to do so, too):

• minimize impact
• build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
• provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
• provide direct financial benefits for conservation
• provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
• raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate

We love to travel and enjoy bringing our guests to Nature on the backs of our wonderful horses. For our travels to be sustainable, we must satisfy this crucial condition:

We must meet the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.

Ricochet Ridge Ranch is proud to be a part of the North Coast community. We want to do our best for the Fort Bragg, Mendocino, and surrounding areas. We will work actively with state and local authorities and environmental groups to preserve the beautiful place we live. We are members of the Chamber of Commerce and supporters of local events, festivals, and businesses. We encourage local charitable and community groups to ask us about reduced-price rides and complimentary gift certificates.

The legendary Lari Shea owned and operated Ricochet Ridge Ranch for nearly thirty years. She is an extraordinary horsewoman. She built Ricochet’s reputation and created its remarkable success. When we purchased Ricochet from Lari in late 2015, we realized that she is irreplaceable. We also realized that we could and should learn much from her, and she has been very generous with her time and advice.

Lari received a degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley in 1968 and moved to Mendocino that same year. For 12 years she served as the director of the Horsemanship Program at the College of the Redwoods, where she lectured in equine science, including equine anatomy, physiology and genetics, reproduction and breeding, equine psychology, and horse training. She taught English and Western riding to riders of all experience levels. That academic background, combined with her riding talents, formed the foundation for her creation of Ricochet Ridge Ranch.

Lari has excelled in endurance racing, and she and her beloved horses have won many, many times. In 1980, she began producing the Tevis Trail Endurance Training Program, through which she has offered endurance training seminars for many years. The endurance racing community recognizes Lari as an expert, and the entire Northern California horse community recognizes her skill, enthusiasm, and many contributions.

After completing the transfer of Ricochet’s ownership, Lari jumped into a new phase of writing, consulting, endurance racing, and (above all) riding. She is a frequent and welcome visitor at Ricochet.