About Me

.I was born Eleanore Genevieve Merrill in Paris, France in 1968. My mother was Colette Marie Yvonne Bruvry and my father was Deane Whitney Merrill Jr. Colette and her younger brother were begot by Maurice Bruvry and Mary Alice Jones. Deane and his two younger brothers were begot by Deane Merrill Sr and Harriet Ray. I am an only child, raised mostly in the Netherlands by my mother and my dad, her second husband, Richard Dean Peterson.  My education and friends from way-back-when are predominantly Dutch and my cultural tone may be Dutch but I identify as an inhabitant of this planet, a member of this species. When I couldn’t yet say my name, I called myself Elan.

A lot of time growing up and later, also I lived in the USA, mostly in California, because my father lived there and my family and I was included in a lot of the communities. After wading through a rich classical education in Utrecht, where I discovered my talent as an actress and singer, I moved to Italy and learned administrative business skills as well as a love for my passionate self. I was good at developing learning programs. Being me took some getting used to I suppose. Seven years later I followed a fantastic idea to South America and then found my way in a very high, very dry desert around an oasis between three Andean countries where a few abused horses asked me to save them… and they saved me. 

We can laugh more freely.  We can love our shortcomings back to health. Showing up with authenticity and humility, connecting, with our own nature, connecting with Nature. Connecting in Nature, in natural now-ness. Here is a hand outstretched.

Helping people to shift their perceptions, to inspire to heal, to open and to lighten our hearts up out of fear, and into growth. This is what I strive to hold space for, to let this happen in horse-human interventions.

Certain values I hold quite high, such as a dedication to the best ethical standards and continuous learning. Science is a fun and fabulous tool to be made use of, to continually evaluate, improve and look again!  In a new light from another angle, building on what we have been given and adding a measure of joy.