You can take the cowgirl out of Oklahoma, but you can’t stop her from switching disciplines when she finds herself in the heart of three-day eventing country.

Since acquiring Hawkeye II, her sweet-natured Oldenburg gelding, Gibson — who owns the Lob Steer Inn with her husband, Michael — has become a regular competitor at Area II events.

And now Gibson’s 9-year-old daughter, Campbell, is poised to follow her mother into eventing with her own pony, Calico.

Q: Where are you from originally?

A: Oklahoma.

Q: How did you end up in Southern Pines?

A: In 1993, my dad asked me to come work for him at his CPA firm (Busby and Company). After I learned about the accounting world I ended up managing his office for about 13 years, until Michael and I bought the Lob Steer.

Q: When did you take over the Lob Steer?

A: Michael was manager from 1993-98 and I worked there nights as a bartender from 1995-98. We purchased it in 2006.

Q: What do you do at the restaurant?

A: I’m there at the front door on Friday and Saturday night seating guests, running food … keeping order when it’s needed. When our bartender Adam needs a night off you can find me behind the bar. I keep all the books and run the payroll as well. Of course, my father does our taxes.

Q: When did you start riding?

A: I was 9 when we got our first horse, Casey, but I wasn’t allowed to ride her because she was 3 and very green. I learned to ride watching Westerns on TV. I probably started when I was 10, on our next horse.

Q: Who was the first horse?

A: The first that I could ride was Star, a very patient and gracious retired Western pleasure horse. She was a bay quarter horse mare with a white star smack dab in the middle of her forehead. My dad bought her for $350. She was what I wish I could find now for Campbell.

Q: How did you start eventing?

A: (My friend) Jodie Kubachka hooked me up with my current trainer, Chris Padgett, after I badgered her about taking lessons with someone in town.

Q: How did you find Hawkeye?

A: When I started with Chris, she was at Longleaf. One of the other boarders had a horse (Hawkeye) that was available for partial lease, and when I had enough experience Chris suggested that I lease him. He was owned by Joan Strawson and he was wonderful. She let me learn on him and then I full leased him, and then she offered to sell him to me about a year ago. We jumped at the chance and bought him.

Q: What had he been doing before you started riding him?

A: I hate to admit this, but he was trained through Prix St. George for dressage. Unfortunately, he has kissing spine so he was extremely limited in his movement (and hated it), so he quit dressage and became a pleasure horse for Joan. Joan thought that maybe jumping might help his back so he started learning to jump. And then I came along and ruined all the dressage training he has ever had!

Q: How old is Hawkeye?

A: He is a 13-year-old branded Oldenburg.

Q: What’s your plan for him this season?

A: Every season is just a learning period. We are going to head toward Training Level this season, maybe moving up in November at Pine Top. Hopefully we’ll qualify for the AEC’s (American Eventing Championships) at Novice. I just take it one day at a time. The restaurant and family life really keep my time limited.

Q: If you could attend any horse-related event in the world, what would it be?

A: It used to be Rolex but I was fortunate to attend the last two years. So now I’d have to say Burghley.

Q: When did Campbell start riding?

A: Two years ago, when she was 7, we leased a pony named Chugga Chugga Choo Choo for a year. Now she has her own naughty pony, Calico.

Q: How many horses in the family?

A: Two.

Q: Where do you board them?

A: At Equinox Farm, Chris Padgett’s farm on Youngs Road.

Q: Finish this sentence: “I wish Moore County…”

A: Had a Target store!

Contact Stephanie Diaz at MediaPlan88@aol.com