Peggy was born in Topeka, KA in 1942. She moved to San Francisco in 1964 while an airline hostess with Trans World Airlines. There she met and married Walter Kimes. Walt’s job moved him to Arizona in November 1967; two weeks after their wedding. 

In mid 1969 Peggy retired from TWA to start a family. In September 1970, Deborah, the first of Peggy’s two children, was born. Matthew joined the family in February of 1973. Walt had since begun his own business and Peggy became the prototype “Soccer Mom”. 

In 1979, while visiting Walt’s family ranch in Santa Rosa, California, Deborah and Matt were introduced to a horse for the first time. So, began Peggy’s lifetime love and commitment to horses and the horse industry. A fifteen-year old Quarter Horse mare with show experience introduced them both to the show world. Soon thereafter Deborah and Matt began their formal training with Pete and Tamara Kyle and Peggy took them to all their lessons, outfitted them for shows and attended shows. Those shows were in such states as Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Ohio, including the All-American Quarter Horse Congress, AQHA Youth World and AQHA World Shows. 

Peggy was always active in Arizona Youth activities and as such became aware of the need for help with the Arizona Sun Country Circuit. She and her friend Barbara Dietz volunteered for several years and were finally hired as a team to manage the circuit. During their twelve-year partnership they not only stabilized the circuit, but they developed it into the largest and most successful Quarter Horse Circuit in the country. 

When Walt became an Arizona AQHA National Director, Peggy became active in the AQHA Foundation Committee. She and her dear friend Becky Dunning began to work on a dream project that they hoped AQHA would adopt as one of its Hallmark charitable programs. They called it America’s Horse Cares; a therapeutic riding program for all ages. Surprisingly they encountered some resistance but after much persistence and about three years, America’s Horse Cares became a reality. Today it is one of AQHAs’ most popular programs. 

Peggy and Becky didn’t stop there. They created “Three Cowgirls and an Outlaw” an organization aimed at raising funds for America’s Horse Cares. Through their efforts and influence, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for America’s Horse Cares; much of it from silent auctions they hosted at Al Dunning’s Almosta Ranch. 

Now retired, Peggy looks back and counts the many blessings; her family, the horses, the show victories and heartbreaks, the new foals, and the many friends and relationships formed. She says she’s especially grateful for all the support she has received over the years from the Arizona Quarter Horse Association as well as the national American Quarter Horse Association.