Minden’s Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park to host author, equestrienne

Author Todd Borg will speak on his “Owen McKenna Mystery Thrillers” on July 8 at 10 a.m., and equestrienne Samantha Szeciorka will speak on her latest “Nevada Discovery Ride” at 10 a.m. July 9, at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park. Both presentations are free.

On July 8, author Todd Borg will share with his audience his journey to becoming one of the most acclaimed mystery writers of our time. Borg now has 14 Tahoe mysteries featuring ex-San Francisco homicide inspector Owen McKenna.

Borg’s books have achieved multiple accolades and many rave reviews in newspapers and magazines coast-to-coast, including a starred review in Library Journal. His books have won the Ben Franklin Award for Best Mystery of the Year and been chosen by Library Journal as one of the Top 5 Mysteries of the Year.

As a child in Minnesota, Todd Borg grew up with two fixations: reading mysteries and skiing the great, precipitous mountain ranges of the upper Midwest. The first fixation led him to make up his own stories. The second led him and his wife, painter Kit Night, to move to the Lake Tahoe area in 1990, where they could ski.

“Todd Borg’s thrillers are page-turners and difficult to put down. His attention to detail on both the mystery’s subject and the location leaves readers wanting more,” said the park’s events manager, Kim Harris.

On July 9, equestrienne Samantha Szeciorka will share her second Nevada Discovery Ride. In the summer of 2013, Szeciorka embarked on a 452-mile solo journey by horse across Nevada to encourage wild horse adoption. In 2016, along with her horse and dog, she once again set off on another epic equestrian adventure. For nearly three months and more than 1,100 miles, they trekked through some of the country’s harshest terrain, experiencing incredible adventures and challenges. Her presentation is an entertaining and educational look at the challenges of the trail and the hidden beauty of Nevada.

Szesciorka is an avid equestrienne with nearly 20 years of experience and is an associate member of the Long Riders’ Guild. She is also the assistant curator at the Wilbur D. May Museum in Reno.

“Samantha is definitely a very engaging speaker. We couldn’t be happier to have her back to share her latest adventure,” said Harris.

The two events are part of the park’s Dangberg Summer Festival and are sponsored by Soaring NV, Douglas County, and the Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation. Alpen Sierra Coffee Company will provide complimentary coffee and 88 Cups & More will provide baked treats at both.

The park is located at 1450 Highway 88, 1/4 mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital. This is an outdoor event, and visitors should bring their own seating. Dogs are not permitted at this event. For information, visit dangberghomeranch.org.

Upcoming speakers include Patricia Cafferata, who will give her presentation, “By Gas, Bullet or Poison: A History of Capital Punishment in Nevada,” on July 29; author Bonnie Nishikawa will a talk on her book, Nevada State Orphans/Children’s Home, on Aug. 6; and author David Antonucci will speak on his book, Fairest Picture: Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe, on Aug. 12. The park’s full 2017 event schedule is available at the park’s website.