Ariel Taylor

Ariel Taylor ... so loved by her partner, John Gorman, her sisters Peri and Marcy, her brother Brad (married to Linda) her four nieces, Taylor (married to Daniel, with their son, Kaba), Alyssa, Jessamy and Kory and a "village" of close friends, passed on into the continuum of life on Friday, May 14, 2021. It's said she was riding on Pegasus.

Family and friends were with her day and night, reading to her, playing music, finding delights she liked to eat and drink and assuring her comfort - all in the sanctuary of the beautiful home she designed and built several years ago. Ariel's pair of Norwich Terriers were her constant companions and protectors, and her favorite horse Teddy was brought up one day to visit her just outside her window.

Ariel was a prolific and trained artist, master gardener, competitive horsewoman, lapidarist (she never gave up on the idea that there were diamonds to be found in New Hampshire), mushroom forager, CEO of her magnificent equestrian center, Freestyle Farm, horse whisperer and ardent lover and champion of Nature. In 1996, Ariel and her thoroughbred Benchmark, who had been sold because he was difficult to jump, competed in nine US Combined Training Association events. Benchmark finished the year fifth in the nation for training horse, and Ariel finished third in the country for Master Training Rider.

Ariel generously opened her horse farm to the community for charity events, the USA Track and Field Jr. Olympics Cross County New England Championships (11 years running), local high school competitions, and the very popular fundraiser, The Joe English Twilight Challenge. Ariel never forgot to hold huge gratitude in her heart for her parents, Bill and Georgie Taylor, of whom she always spoke when she gloried in her property. She named the land on which she built her home "Taylor's Falls".

Ariel made everyone feel comfortable and welcome in her presence, she was interesting as well as interested in an incredible array of topics. While essentially a gentle, sweet soul, she could be surprisingly assertive when she had a strong opinion. Her wicked sense of humor and her smarts only enhanced what fun it was to be with her. Her beautiful spirit was a light in so many lives - she was fulfilled by filling the hearts of others.

Ariel's dream to protect the ponds and forests and carriage trails of Freestyle Farm is a testament to how she cared for preserving the natural landscape of Amherst and its environs, while keeping those lands and facilities available for the benefit of the greater community. Ariel will be remembered with deep love by her friends and family, and her hopes and ideals will be preserved with the protection of Freestyle Farm as a land trust for future generations.

A Celebration of Life will be held for family and friends at a later date, in the early Fall.