Cindi was born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO where she started riding horses at a very early age. She competed in Little Britches Rodeo in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway calf roping and timed trail event. In high school Cindi was instrumental in establishing rodeo as a qualified athletic event. With the encouragement of friends, Cindi learned to trick ride and helped form The Thunderbird Trick Riders. The group traveled the western states promoting and entertaining at numerous amateur and professional rodeos.

Cindi graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education. She continued her rodeo career during college as a member of the CSU rodeo team. Cindi and her horse, Smokey, competed at the National Intercollegiate Finals in Bozeman, MT.

Upon graduating and marrying her husband, Tom Flower, she began a teaching career at Yuma High School in Eastern Colorado and coached girls volleyball and basketball. During this time she continued her love affair with horses, trained to become a jockey and raced at various tracks in Colorado and Wyoming.

Cindi and Tom moved to Ft. Collins, CO where she continued teaching and coaching, and then returned to CSU and to complete her master's degree in education.

The couple moved to Westcliffe, CO in 1986. While Tom developed a new Vocational Agriculture program at the local high school, Cindi studied to become an EMT and eventually a Paramedic. She has worked in the ER at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, CO for the last seventeen years.

Cindi has also helped to develop the EMS division of the Custer County Medical Clinic and is currently working as a Nationally Registered Paramedic.

Living as a neighbor and friend, she watched A Painted View Ranch develop into a state-of-the-art facility. Cindi had longed to return to her roots in working with horses and teaching others to love and respect them as much as she does. When the events and office manager position arose at A Painted View Ranch, she decided to get back to working with her first love—horses.

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