OUR STORY
My story—my heart—begins with one horse…
Smart Little Alec.
My first cutting horse.
My heart horse.
The love of my life.
My name is Michelle, and I was raised with horses—shaped by their spirit and immersed in their world for over 50 years.
Horses are my passion, my peace, my teachers, and my friends. They have taught me life lessons of humility, of patience, of sorrow, of resilience, of love and of great joy.
For those who have loved a horse that changed their life… this is for you.
I create these pieces for those who:
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loved deeply
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lost deeply
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and still feel that connection
He wasn’t just my horse.
He was my heart.
His name was Smart Little Alec—
an own son of Smart Little Lena—
and from the very beginning, he carried something extraordinary.
But what he gave me… was entirely his own.
A bond that can’t be explained.
Only felt.
When I lost him, I didn’t just lose a horse —
I lost a part of myself.
And in that heartbreak, something meaningful was born.
He’s the reason Little Sorrel Design exists.
What I create now is more than keepsakes — it’s a way to stay connected, to feel them close, and to carry their presence with you.
This brand was created for those who understand…
you don’t move on from a horse like that.
You carry them with you — always.
His story didn’t end here…
There’s a part of him that never left.
I see him in the horse I ride now—
in the way they move, the way they try, the way we connect.
He is there.. he's not gone.
Some bonds don’t end.
They continue—just in ways you never expect.
NCHA director Jack Werner, left & Joel Cohen and PCHA President Andy Sutliff, right, presenting the Richie Gold Memorial Sportsmanship Award to Michelle Sterner McNutt at the September 2020 Memorial Cutting. Photo credit - Lance Jeffrey Photograph