America's horse static by bongdamoicom

For AMERICAN ≤UARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 • www.aqha.com

AN ENDURING LEGACY AQHA CELEBRATES ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY

t For information about the rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this Rewards card, or to apply, go to the website listed above or write to P.O. Box 15020, Wilmington, DE 19850. The 2% cash back on grocery store purchases and 3% cash back on gas purchases applies to the first $1,500 in combined purchases in these categories each quarter. After that the base 1% earn rate applies to those purchases. † You will qualify for $100 bonus cash rewards if you use your new credit card account to make any combination of Purchase transactions totaling at least $500 (exclusive of any credits, returns and adjustments) that post to your account within 90 days of the account open date. Limit one (1) bonus cash rewards offer per new account. This one-time promotion is limited to new customers opening an account in response to this offer. Other advertised promotional bonus cash rewards offers can vary from this promotion and may not be substituted. Allow 8-12 weeks from qualifying for the bonus cash rewards to post to your rewards balance. The value of this reward may constitute taxable income to you. You may be issued an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax advisor, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide tax advice. By opening and/or using these products from Bank of America, you’ll be providing valuable financial support to American Quarter Horse Association. This credit card program is issued and administered by Bank of America, N.A. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association, and are used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. BankAmericard Cash Rewards is a trademark, Show Your Pride and Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. ©2014 Bank of America Corporation ARVBB3CK-07112014 AD-08-14-0182.A_CRB100

A≤HA

PROUD

VO L . 1 7 N O . 5

JA N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Executive Director of Association Communications

Kim McKinney Editor-in-Chief

Becky Newell Editorial EDITOR Holly Clanahan

Advertising DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Doug Hayes 806-378-4384

Horses and love have kept Angie and Brant Moore together. Angie is a barrel racer, and Brant was a team roper. In the three years that they have been married, they have combined their hobbies to share the sport of cowboy mounted shooting. Since discovering mounted shooting, Angie and Brant have traveled across the United States together, getting better at their sport and making new friends they consider family, all with their American Quarter Horses in tow. Angie and Brant hope to have a family ranch someday where they can keep their horses and their shooting dreams alive. “We have our barrel racing family, our mounted shooting family and the family we’ve created together,” Angie says. “The horses are our kids.” “If it wasn’t for the horses, we’d spend a lot of time apart doing separate things,” Brant says. “The horses bring us together.” Brant & Angie Moore

Art/Production DIRECTOR OF ART, PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

Tim Archer SENIOR MANAGER OF PRODUCTION

Eula Utsey SENIOR MANAGER OF CREATIVE AND DESIGN

Justin Foster GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jay Banbury, David Brown, Clint Swearingen, Cathy Wheeler PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Monica Wing AMERICA’S HORSE 1600 ≤uarter Horse Drive, Amarillo, TX 79104 P.O. Box 32470, Amarillo, TX 79120 806-376-4888 Fax 806-349-6400 aqhajrnl@aqha.org AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 200, Amarillo, TX 79168 Customer Service 806-376-4811 Records Research 806-376-7415 Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST) America’s Horse (ISSN 1522-8983) is published monthly, except bimonthly Jan-Feb and Mar-Apr, by the American ≤uarter Horse Association, 1600 ≤uarter Horse Drive, Amarillo, TX 79104, as a benefit to its members and to those of its auxiliary youth organization, the American ≤uarter Horse Youth Association. $1 per year of the membership dues is allocated toward the magazine subscription.

Address correspondence to America’s Horse, P. O. Box 32470, Amarillo, TX 79120, or email to aqhajrnl@aqha.org. The editors welcome photos, but cannot guarantee their return. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be acknowledged. Periodicals postage paid at Amarillo, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to America’s Horse, P. O. Box 200, Amarillo, TX 79168. Changes can also be made by calling 806-376-4811. Changes cannot be made without the old address as well as the new. For uninterrupted service, changes should be made 45 days prior to date of publication.

Tell us why you are AQHA Proud! YOUR MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

#AQHAProud • aqha.com

Canada subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement Number 40030582. Send change of address information and blocks of undeliverable copies for Canadian subscribers to DPGM, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. America’s Horse is an official A≤HA publication. Its mission is to present informative, educational and entertaining articles that promote the benefits of owning an American ≤uarter Horse and belonging to A≤HA.

Call 800-291-7323 or go to www.aqha.com/subscribe for subscription information regarding The American ≤uarter Horse Journal. AQHA also recommends that prior to purchasing a horse or selecting a horse for breeding purposes, a buyer should take measures to verify the accuracy of records proclaimed by a seller in an advertisement (pedigree, performance record, sire record, dam record, etc.). Such measures may include visiting www.aqha.com or contacting AQHA for official records.

Tell us why you are AQHA Proud by submitting your story and a picture to membership@aqha.org, and you will be entered to win a Quarter Horse Outﬁtters gift card! A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

H O L LY C L A N A H A N

january-february 2015 a m e r i c a s h o r s e d a i l y. c o m

Features 10

Born in 1940

Birth of a Breed

Celebrate 75 years of the American Quarter Horse Association. By Holly Clanahan

24 Share and Share Alike

This Kansas rancher always makes guests feel welcome as he develops his breeding program. By Holly Clanahan

28 32

Sweet Daphne This racehorse “zooms” on the track and also works with her owner in his mission of helping people. By Andrea Caudill

Come to Convention! AQHA’s annual convention is in March in Fort Worth, Texas. By AQHA President Johnny Trotter

departments

75 years ago, the founders of AQHA gave legitimacy and value to the shadowy Steeldusts. By Don Hedgpeth in “They Rode Good Horses: The First Fifty Years of the American Quarter Horse Association”

18 6

Soon to Be Famous

From the brushy rolling hills near Guthrie, Texas, to the spotlights of Lexington, Kentucky, 13 American Quarter Horse colts from the Four Sixes Ranch prepare to start traveling down the Road to the Horse. By Holly Clanahan

Readers Write Letters and fun photos from AQHA members

36 Find It in the Journal A preview of something for everyone from our sister publication, The American Quarter Horse Journal

38 Bits & Spurs Why do horses yawn? Who comes up with these fun foal names? Get your horsey news, tips and trivia here! Compiled by Holly Clanahan

46 Horse People Meet some amazing American Quarter Horse owners from Arizona, Wisconsin, Maine and Minnesota.

54 Mane Events Check out our stable of great corporate partners and see what AQHA events are on deck.

56 Sage Remarks Quotes and quips about horses

34 “It Makes a Lot of Difference” Despite a disease that steals many of her abilities, this woman’s continued involvement with horses is restorative. By Holly Clanahan

D I G I TA L EXTRAS 18

Watch as the Road to the Horse remuda is selected at the famous Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas.

Cover

Illustration by Justin Foster

See Page 40 for instructions on accessing the digital edition of America’s Horse.

Ride along with Rex Buchman, featured on Page 24, as he takes America’s Horse readers on a trail ride tracing the footsteps of Billy the Kid, and as he hosts a cowgirl cattle drive.

Sage Remarks A bonus page of catchy horse-related quotes to remember

≤ re a d e rs w r i t e

MARKS

A Birthday Balloon THIS IS A PICTURE OF OUR HORSE, “LUCKY,”

who is registered as Slick Little Chic, owned by our dad, Jared Eakins. Her marking reminds us of a balloon. We hope you publish this picture. We are submitting it as a birthday surprise for our dad.

Cross

Colonels Spoonfull, owned by Joanna Perkins of Montgomery, Texas

Adie, Josh and Joe Eakins, Paxton, Nebraska

Even though we missed Jared’s birthday, we hope he still enjoys the special surprise from his kids. An early Father’s Day present, perhaps?

Editor’s Note: Tornado

Twister In A Breeze, owned by Jarrett Pitman of Berryton, Kansas

The Odd Couple

“The Simpsons” character Milhouse

SBM Midnite Javaroma, owned by Amanda Martinmaas of Stayton, Oregon

Any time I would go out to brush my horse, Jupiter Moon Jumper, aka “Mr. Moon,” Ricky the cat would bug me until I put him on Mr. Moon’s back. Mr. Moon never minded (I think because they were almost the same color), but I don’t think his buddy “Chic” was so sure. I don’t think Ricky knows he shouldn’t be up there. Amy Tritenbach, Aromas, California

The Even Odder Couple Gypsy

the famous trick goat hopped onto the dog house and then onto the back of Zips Barcode, or “Diesel.” He didn’t mind one bit.

Question Mark

TS Colonel Dual Jazz, owned by Raechel Lukowski of Greenwood, Missouri

Ashton Siddall, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Dr. Seuss’ “Cat in the Hat”

Wicked Style, owned by Gemma Kay-Hudson of Chandler, Arizona

We’ll Make Ya Famous Do you have a special horse you’d like to see in the pages of America’s Horse? Send a high-resolution photo to aqhajrnl@aqha.org, as well as a brief description. Don’t forget to keep sending in those personalized horse-related license plates and unique horse markings, too!

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≤ aqha business

Born in

1940

ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, 1940 WAS A

momentous year. In the United States, the Great Depression was beginning to lift, but war was raging in Europe, and many Americans felt it was only a matter of time before it escalated into a second world war. Charlie Chaplin released his film “The Great Dictator,” and the soundtrack of the era was big band swing music, or crooners like Bing Crosby. Only about a quarter of farm families enjoyed electricity, and a radio cost nearly 1 percent of the average income. As mechanization continued its march, fewer horses were being used as work animals – except on ranches, where you couldn’t use a John Deere Model H or a Ford sedan to move cattle or brand calves. Horse racing was a prime pastime, as well, and a fast horse was quite the status symbol of the times. It was against this backdrop that the founders of AQHA came together in 1940, determined to somehow quantify and preserve what they saw as an already established – but poorly documented – breed that blended the best of what the American West had to offer. Their story appears in the following pages of this magazine, and we’ll continue to revisit the Association’s history throughout 2015 as we celebrate its 75th anniversary. We’ll introduce you to a handful of breeders who, amazingly enough, have been breeding American Quarter Horses for all 75 years. We’ll take a look at the Association’s more recent history, as retired Executive Director of Publications Jim Jennings releases his new book, “They Still Ride Good Horses.” And we’ll invite you to celebrate along with us. After all, without you, AQHA wouldn’t be thriving after three-quarters of a century and making big plans for the next quarter-century! To show that you’re #AQHAProud, these special commemorative products are available at www.quarterhorseoutfitters.com or by calling 806-376-5181.

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By Holly Clanahan

C the A Horse

of ≤

Montana Silversmiths commemorates AQHA’s 75th anniversary with this 2 1/2-inch pendant with sterling silver, gold and ruby stone accents on a black background. $100. This 2 1/2-inch tall Montana Silversmiths pendant is made of sterling silver, with gold accents and ruby stones. $300.

The handle of this Montana Silversmiths knife features silver scrolling framing the 75th anniversary logo on one side, and “AQHA” on the other side. Closed, it is 4 1/2 inches long. $90.

The commemorative Montana Silversmiths belt buckle features the 75th anniversary logo in gold and silver. $200.

Justin Boots has memorialized the AQHA 75th anniversary logo in leather with these special-edition boots. Men’s boots are $415, and women’s are $240.

≤ aqha business

Birth of Breed 75 years ago, the founders of AQHA gave legitimacy and value to the shadowy Steeldusts. By Don Hedgpeth in “They Rode Good Horses: The First Fifty Years of the American Quarter Horse Association”

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As AQHA celebrates its 75th anniversary and looks ahead to the future, it’s only fitting that we remember how the Association came into being. Many of us now take for granted that we’re able to register our horses, and of course, the American Quarter Horse is an accepted, well-documented breed. But it wasn’t always that way. Throughout this anniversary year, America’s Horse will explore the history of our great breed and Association.

Editor’s Note:

Unraveling the Mystery

AQHA FILE PHOTO

THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE QUARTER HORSE HAD SLIPPED INTO Hereford cattle and Quarter Horses. He was a refined gentleobscurity by the beginning of the 1900s. Men who ran them man of thoughtful prejudices and an outstanding raconteur on the short tracks, and cowboy who rode them on the ranch with a flair for eloquent profanity. “Mr. Dan” was truly one of were concerned with performance, not pedigree; with what a kind. His first article on horses was “Steeldusts as I Have they could do, not how they came to be. The private stud Known Them,” which was published in 1927 in the American books of a handful of breeders, and the dim memories of a few Hereford Journal. old-timers scattered from Montana to Texas, were the only H.T. Fletcher and Gene M. Moses each wrote short pieces record of the horses they still called Steeldusts. on Quarter Horses, which appeared in 1922 and 1924, The horse named Steel Dust respectively. These five articame to Texas as a yearling in cles, and scant references in 1844, and his progeny had early eastern racing records come to epitomize the cowand registries, constituted the boys’ favorite kind of horse. entire body of material on the They were heavy-muscled Quarter Horse. horses, marked with small Legitimacy for the Quarter ears, a big jaw, remarkable Horse as a true breed could intelligence and lightning come about only from a dedispeed up to a quarter of a mile. cated and broad-based camWilliam Anson was the paign for recognition. The first man to make a serious man who began the effort attempt at tracing the Quarter was Robert M. Denhardt. Horse from its preeminence Bob Denhardt was born as a cow horse back through and grew up in California, time to its origins in Colonial and he liked horses, all kinds America. His article, of horses. In 1937, he received “Breeding a Rough Country a master’s degree from the Horse,” appeared in The University of California at Breeders Gazette in May 1910. Berkeley. His graduate school It outlined the information thesis dealt with the Spanish that would support the claim horse in America. After gradthat the Quarter Horse was a uation, Denhardt accepted a distinct breed. Anson wrote, teaching position at Texas “Owing to the absence of a A&M University. His friend, studbook, these horses have Paul Albert, editor of Western undoubtedly been bred more Horseman, suggested that once William Anson, son of an English nobleman, immigrated to Texas in 1890 and quickly got for type and performance than into the horse business. He is now a member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. he got to Texas, Denhardt for strict blood lines and pedshould try to unravel some of igrees. Comparatively few can lay claim to pure lineage, but the mystique surrounding the horses called Steeldusts. in spite of this, type is very firmly established, and with J. Frank Dobie had just published an article in The whatever breed he is mated, the Quarter Horse transmits Cattleman titled “Billy Horses and Steel Dust,” and it had certain unmistakable racial characteristics to his offspring.” raised more questions than it had answered. Anson’s first article, and another published in 1922, Denhardt met Dobie and talked with him about Steeldust attracted the attention of Dan Casement. From Anson, history. He was also familiar with the articles by Anson and Casement acquired both a Steeldust stallion and an active Casement, and before long, he developed a genuine interest intellectual interest in the preservation of the breed. Casement in the shadowy background of western cow horses. On his was a unique individual of singular influence and reputation way to Texas that summer, he swung through Colorado to in the western livestock industry. He was educated in the meet Dan Casement and his son Jack. These two dynamic East, ranched all his life in Kansas and Colorado, and made men and the horses they were raising only increased the exceptional contributions to the breed associations of both young man’s interest and enthusiasm. A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, DENHARDT WAS RELENTLESS IN his pursuit of information relating to Quarter Horses. Weekends and summers were spent driving down dusty ranch roads, from the slopes of the Colorado Rockies down to the South Texas brush country. He looked at the horses and asked about their bloodlines. He listened to the men who had spent their lives on and around Quarter Horses. The pieces of the Steeldust puzzle began to fall in place. Billy Anson had been right – not only were they of a distinct physical type, they also shared a common ancestry. Finally Denhardt was ready to share what he had discovered in many miles and long hours of “taking notes and talking horse.” The January 1939 issue of Western Horseman carried his first article, “The Quarter Horse, Then and Now.” During that year, Denhardt published four other articles: “The Southwestern Cow Horse,” “Quarter Horse, An Explanation of His Speed,” “Peter McCue, A Wonder Horse” and “New Light on Old Steel Dust.” The response to the first article was encouraging. Denhardt heard from people all over the country who wanted to share information and recollections about Quarter Horses. As his research files and circles of acquaintances grew, Denhardt’s attention shifted from the historical perspective. In March of 1939, he met with several breeders in Fort Worth, Texas, during the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show. It was on this occasion that Denhardt presented his idea for what was originally called a “Western Quarter Horse Breeders” association. It was a monumental idea, with great promise and challenge. It was also clear that it would require an enormous amount of work and considerable financial support. Although Denhardt received encouragement from those who heard him that day, there was not sufficient support to actually organize. Denhardt was not disillusioned. He spent another year gathering information, writing articles and drumming up interest wherever there were Quarter Horses and men who raised, raced and rode them. He made a special point of cultivating the support of people who had the financial resources to underwrite the organization he envisioned. In an interview given years later, he said he had looked for horse people who also owned oil wells. Denhardt’s work during this period is an accomplishment of singular importance and generated the momentum that would lead to the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association.

The Start of Something Big BY EARLY 1940, DENHARDT FELT HE HAD ENOUGH SUPPORT LINED

up to go ahead. He announced a meeting to be held on March 15 in Fort Worth to organize a Quarter Horse breed registry and establish a stud book. At this time, Fort Worth was still proud to be called “Cowtown.” It was home to the largest cattle market and stockyards complex in the Southwest and was headquarters for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Many of the most prominent West Texas ranching families kept homes and offices there. During the annual Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show each March, practically all of the major powers in the western livestock industry were in attendance.

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AQHA FILE PHOTO

Wearing Out Tires and Shoe Leather

In 1982, Bob Denhardt, pictured, and J. Ernest Browning were the first inductees into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. At the time, they were the only surviving founders of the Association.

It was a time of the year when cowmen ordered new boots, or a saddle, from Leddy’s; when ranch women, who seldom saw the lights of town, got the opportunity to visit with each other, talk about their grandchildren and go shopping without using a Sears and Roebuck catalog. Cattle, horse and land deals were made on the strength of a handshake in the lobby of the old Blackstone Hotel. All-night poker games, cigar smoke and sour mash whiskey made for a lot of bleary-eyed, bow-legged men eating breakfast in hotel coffee shops all along the old brick streets of Cowtown. March in Fort Worth was a time and place that was Texas as it used to be, with echoes of the Chisholm Trail and stories of Steeldust horses. On the evening of March 14, Mr. and Mrs. J. Goodwin Hall hosted a supper in their home for several of those who had come to Fort Worth to talk about a Quarter Horse registry. Mrs. Hall was the daughter of Tom Burnett and the granddaughter of pioneer Texas cowman Samuel Burk Burnett. This lady, affectionately known as “Miss Anne” throughout ranch country, was interested in Bob Denhardt’s plans. The men who sat down to supper with Miss Anne that night had the power, influence and money to make the project work – men such as Jack Hutchins, Raymond Dickson, Dan and Jack Casement, Bob Kleberg, George Clegg, Bert Benear, J.E. Browning, L.B. Wardlaw, W.B. Warren, Walter Hudgins and J.H. Minnick. That night was the real genesis of the American Quarter Horse Association. The following evening, March 15, 1940, about 75 people met at the Fort Worth Club. William B. Warren of Hockley, Texas, acted as chairman of the meeting. Denhardt presented his ideas for a breed registry and offered a charter for the organization. The charter, modeled after that of the National Horse and Mule Association, called for a stock issue, with shareholders to have complete control of the organization. Dan Casement proposed that they take stock subscriptions at this point, before any other decisions were made.

Who’s Who THOSE GATHERED THAT NIGHT IN FORT

Worth were determined to hold tight to the reins of the new organization. They would, in fact, own and control it. Before the evening was over, a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and 20 directors were elected. They included J. Goodwin Hall and all of the men who had met at his home the night before, plus John Burns, Duwain Hughes, R.L. Underwood, Dean Marstellar and D.W. Williams. Wayne Dinsmore, secretary of the Horse and Mule Association, who helped prepare the constitution and bylaws, was also named a director, as was Denhardt. There was general agreement at the first meeting that Denhardt would be the secretary of the Association. For his services, they would pay him $1,500 a year and expenses. From looking at the job description in the by-laws, it appears he was going to earn every penny. On March 29, the directors met in Houston and elected officers for the Association. They were W.B. Warren, president; Jack Hutchins, first vice president; Lee Underwood, second vice president; Jim Hall, treasurer; and Denhardt, secretary. These men made up the Executive Committee and would control the affairs of the Association during the first

AQHA FILE PHOTOS

Thirty-three people from six states and Mexico wrote out checks on the spot, and another 30 or so indicated an intention to do so. Several individuals bought multiple shares. The meeting was adjourned at this point and immediately reconvened as the first meeting of the American Quarter Horse Association.

American Quarter Horse hall of famer Dan Casement believed that “bulldog” conformation was of utmost importance. Here, he’s riding The Deuce, a stallion bred by his son, Jack, who was champion stallion at the American Royal show.

five years. With the exception of Denhardt, they were all Texans with plenty of money. Warren, the first AQHA president, was a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and a well-known figure in the livestock industry. His prestige and influence, along with that of the other officers, gave the new organization a credibility that was essential. The Association was granted a charter as a nonprofit Texas corporation on April 17, and five days later, the Executive Committee met for the first time. The main issue at this meeting was to develop the procedure for registering horses. The by-laws called for Quarter Horse conformation, blood and performance, or at least two in the case of a truly outstanding horse. The last stipulation was included primarily to allow for the registration of exceptional horses whose pedigrees were not verifiable. In the March-April America’s Horse, you’ll learn how the registration process worked in the early years, and exactly how a horse qualified to be called an American Quarter Horse. A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

â&#x2030;¤ h o rs e p e o p l e

Soon to Be Famous

Check out the digital edition of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horse magazine for an exclusive video feature on the Road to the Horse remuda selection. Go to Page 40 for details on how to access the digital magazine from your computer, smartphone or tablet.

ROAD TO THE HORSE PRODUCER TOOTIE

Bland says it’s like Christmas for her when she gets to go look at horses at the famed Four Sixes Ranch of Guthrie, Texas. It was for me, too, when I got to go to the ranch in October with Tootie and Road to the Horse director of operations Tammy Sronce for the unveiling of the 2015 AQHA-Four Sixes Remuda. All of us quickly picked out our favorites, although there was something to like about each of the 13 geldings that Dr. Glenn Blodgett had selected. In the group, which was 2 years old at the time, there is an amazingly stocky sorrel with some fancy cutting-horse bloodlines; a couple of

incredibly elegant sons of Mr Playinstylish (a world champion working cow horse); and some of the best racing blood on the planet, including offspring of Mr Jess Perry, Stoli, Eyesa Special and Bigtime Favorite. The colts’ bottom sides are equally interesting, representing a couple of daughters of Tanquery Gin, some Frenchmans Guy mares and more of that racing influence. “There are a lot of special horses out there,” says Dr. Blodgett, who is the ranch’s horse division manager, as well as AQHA’s second vice president. “I’ve got a story I could tell about just about every one of them.”

Twelve of the horses will race into the Road to the Horse arena in March in Lexington, Kentucky, with one of them being held as an alternate in case of any injury or illness between now and then. It’s mind-boggling to see them now – living in a 5,000acre pasture on the expansive Four Sixes Ranch, largely unbothered by humans – and envision how their lives will change in a few months. They’ll be thrust into the spotlight and asked to partner up with a strange human in front of a boisterous crowd of thousands. Amazingly, they’ll step up to the task, and they’ll impress that crowd with their willingness and responsiveness. By the time the event’s over, they’ll be started nicely under saddle and ready to continue a lifelong partnership with people. That amazing progression is what keeps spectators coming back to the colt-starting championship event year after year, but imagine what it’s like for Dr. Blodgett, who has been there from the colts’ Day 1, or actually even before. “It’s an emotional experience for me,” Dr. Blodgett says of Road to the Horse. “You had something to do with the decisions that were made to mate the sire and dam, decided what to feed them, decided where they would live. We’ve cared for them all this time, trying to prepare them to be really good all-around versatile western performance horses. That’s just what a Quarter Horse is. It’s a true all-around athlete. “ Tootie says she teases Dr. Blodgett about being the horses’ father figure, but it’s an emotional journey for her, too, as she

meets the horses that will become such a part of her life and her event in the coming months. “It’s exciting for me to go out there and see these horses that I know that are going to take a journey that will make some of them famous. Some of them will go to people’s homes and make those people very, very happy, but they’re all on a journey,” she says. “That’s an emotional part of Road to the Horse is coming out and seeing these young horses and knowing what’s ahead for them. When we stand out there in the arena, you know where it started, and you see the performance level and the trust and the belief that these horses put in these guys … yeah, we cry.” So far, these colts have been halter-started as weanlings and have been given their vaccinations and dewormings in a chute. They’ve had their feet trimmed a time or two as weanlings, and then they’re left on their own to develop. “Very lightly handled” is a good way to put the degree of training they’ve had when they’ll be put into the hands of competitors Chris Cox, Jim Anderson and a yet-to-be-decided “Wild Card.” Each of them will select two colts to start under saddle, so that spectators can see (and judges can evaluate) their skills at handling different personality types. The winner leaves with $100,000. Road to the Horse is March 26-29 in Lexington. Visit www.roadtothehorse.com for a full listing of the remuda, as well as pedigrees and photos on each horse.

Sixes cowboy Will Wallendorff and Playboys Valliant take the remuda toward a set of pens. It’s familiar territory for Playboys Valliant, who was in the Road to the Horse remuda in 2012. He was chosen by Pat Parelli, but then had what was described as a mild stomach ache after the first day of the event and was taken out of the competition. Back home on the Sixes, he has competed in ranch horse pleasure, AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenges and AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse competitions.

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The colts have grown up in a herd of their peers, roaming a 5,000-acre pasture, and as they enter their 3-year-old year, it will soon be time for them to start “school.” The loudly marked Stoli Moley is by champion racehorse Stoli, out of a daughter of Frenchmans Guy.

There’s a lot to like about this colt. For one, his name – Eye Like Cows – is pretty fun. He is sired by racing champion Eyesa Special, and his dam is Valliant Cowgirl by Tanquery Gin. She also is the dam of Valliant Paddy, with whom Guy McLean claimed a Road to the Horse win in 2012. “Aussie” is now on Guy’s touring squad.

Making a Fan Famous, Too

Friendly and inquisitive, this remuda member, Jess In Vegas, boasts a yellow hide and blue blood. He is by preeminent racehorse sire Mr Jess Perry, a 23-year-old who is one of only three American Quarter Horses to have sired earners of more than $44 million. He stands at the Four Sixes Ranch. This colt’s dam, Sixes In Vegas, is sired by Sixes Pick, the ranch’s world champion Versatility Ranch Horse. On her bottom side, she is a granddaughter of top barrel sire Frenchmans Guy.

Producer Tootie Bland always has some twists and turns up her sleeve. For 2015, here’s one that’s especially important to the spectators: “We’re going to have 12 horses from the Four Sixes in the arena, and we’re going to select 12 random seat numbers,” Tootie says. Those chosen fans will then pick their favorite horse out of the AQHA-Four Sixes Remuda. The fan who picks the highest-scoring horse in Road to the Horse competition wins $10,000. “It’s just my way of giving back to the fans,” Tootie says. “There wouldn’t be Road to the Horse if we didn’t have that fan base.” And although there are no strings attached to the money, Tootie has some words of advice for the winner: “If I were them, I’d probably buy that horse. He just won you $10,000 … he’s worth it!” A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

There are definitely some nice big movers in the group. This is First Trail Drive, sired by Mr Playinstylish, who is an AQHA world champion in junior working cow horse and has earned more than $132,000 in the National Reined Cow Horse Association. First Trail Drive’s dam is a daughter of Tanquery Gin, known as a top cutting-horse sire.

Road to the Horse producer Tootie Bland and Four Sixes horse division manager Dr. Glenn Blodgett, a member of AQHA’s executive committee, look over the 2015 remuda.

These photos were taken in October 2014, the fall of the colts’ 2-year-old year. All of them were sizeable horses, with good bone.

The horse headquarters of the ranch is on Dash For Cash Road. The Four Sixes has long been home to some of the most amazing equine specimens, and racing blood still runs through the veins of many of its horses.

22 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

This iconic barn has graced many a camera lens.

≤ h o rs e p e o p l e Come with us on our walk down memory lane! The digital edition of America’s Horse features our previous stories on the Flint Hills Cowgirl Cattle Drive and the AQHA trail ride down the path of Billy the Kid. See Page 40 for instructions on how to access the digital magazine through your computer, smartphone or tablet and enjoy exclusive content.

Shareand

Rex Buchman and Its A Hickory Thing at the 2014 ranch horse show held at the Working Ranch Cowboys Association’s World Championship Ranch Rodeo. The American Quarter Horse Journal sponsors that show

H O L LY C L A N A H A N

This Kansas rancher always makes guests feel welcome as he develops his breeding program. By Holly Clanahan

H “HERE. YOU WANNA RIDE HER?”

And with that, AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder Rex Buchman hands over the reins of his pride and joy, a nice mare named Its A Hickory Thing who had just walked out of the arena at the ranch horse show held at the Working Ranch Cowboys Association’s World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo in November. Maybe it’s like a vineyard that offers free wine tastings, or a chef that sends out complimentary appetizers. Letting consumers sample the product has long been considered a good marketing practice. But I think there’s more to it than that; Rex simply likes to share his horses with people. As it relates to the AQHA Publications staff, it all started nearly a decade ago, when Rex invited Editor-In-Chief Becky Newell to his family’s ranch in the Kansas Flint Hills. She was one of the guests who took part in a “cowgirl cattle drive,” and she participated in an Ultimate Horsemen’s Challenge Association event hosted by Rex. He loaned her what was then a young superstar around the Buchman place: a grulla mare named Squaws Lil Cherokee. Not long afterward, Rex invited me on an AQHA trail ride he was hosting in New Mexico (where he had once been a county extension agent) that followed the trail of outlaw Billy the Kid. My transportation was another nice Buchman mare, the sweet dark-maned sorrel Docs Heart Bracre. When I caught up with Rex at the ranch horse show, which was sponsored by The American Quarter Horse Journal, he had

C O U RT E S Y O F R E X B U C H M A N

Docs Heart Bracre and her 2014 foal sired by CRR Hurricane Cat. Although the foal hasn’t been registered yet, its tentative name is Hurricane Rain.

some fun updates. Those mares, “Cherokee” and “Heart Bracre,” are both in the broodmare band now, raising the next generation of nice ones. And that’s where Its A Hickory Thing, aka “Tess,” was headed, too. “She’s probably as good a one as we’ve ever had,” Rex says of the bay granddaughter of Doc’s Hickory. “If you’re going to breed your best ones, you’ve got to get started, and she’s 10 years old.” Like Cherokee and Heart Bracre, Tess is used to being loaned out occasionally. Yes, she has been Rex’s show horse, but she has also carried guests who visit the Bar U Ranch in Burdick, Kansas, for a riding experience. Rex and his wife, Teresa, own the Stone Horse Bed and Breakfast in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. Guests there have the option of coming out to the Buchman family ranch, where Rex’s parents, Burton and Mary, reside. “We sold a recreation package, and it was a day of whatever you want to do with a horse,” Rex says. “We settled on doing some boxing work and some gathering work and some trail riding. Tess is pretty good. (Guests) can get along pretty good with her, and she teaches them things. She’s stopping on a cow where they’re supposed to be stopping on a cow, so it’s fun. And she’s knows when there’s a guest up there. She just puts it in neutral.” And some things haven’t changed. “We still have the cowgirl cattle drive,” Rex says, “and I’m still involved with the UHCA.”

Alike

A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

MELANIE DOLECHEK

Squaws Lil Cherokee has been a competition mount for Rex, navigating any obstacle the Ultimate Horsemen’s Challenge Association can throw at her. She’s also throwing some nice colts.

His latest mount for the UHCA obstacle courses has been Hurricane Josey, a now-6-year-old daughter of Heart Bracre’s, sired by CRR Hurricane Cat, a grandson of High Brow Cat and Duals Blue Boon. Rex is hoping to bring her to the 2015 ranch horse show in Amarillo. “She’s really cowy, and she has got a lot of things going for her,” Rex says enthusiastically. “She’s fun.” In the broodmare band, Heart Bracre and Tess are cuttingbred, while Cherokee and other mares stand out for another reason. The ranch/foundation-bred mares trace to a mare that Rex, now 60, had in high school. Blessed with a good memory for details and horse names, Rex loves to tell stories, and this one, filled with Kansas legends, rolls easily off his tongue. “Dean Smith was winning everything in the cutting pen with two studs from Delmar Wesseler in western Kansas,” Rex says. “They were Melvin’s Gold and Wesseler’s Gold, both Hollywood Gold horses. And so Grandpa and Daddy took me to western Kansas, and we picked out a mare that was by Wesseler’s Gold, and that’s where I started.” Eventually, Rex says, “I traded Little Gold Squaw to Grandpa for a pickup to go to college, if you can believe that. An old 1969 International pickup with a flatbed on it! Well, Grandpa kept that mare and raised some colts out of her, and then he sold her to a fellow that had a Fox Easter stud.” His grandpa, Kevin Davis, later bought back one of Little Gold Squaw’s foals, Foxy Gold Squaw, and Rex ended up inheriting her. He bred Foxy Gold Squaw three times to

26 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

Cowboy Grullo, a horse owned at the time by Bill Thompson of New Mexico, who had been a county agent with Rex. “It was a magic cross,” he says. That’s where Cherokee came from, as well as Hollywood Lily, who is the dam of Hollywood San Doll. Her son, Hollywood Bear Cat, is in training with Rex now, and Rex hopes to show him at some Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenges. He’s among a small handful of ranch geldings that Rex is preparing for sale. Meanwhile, there are several 2014 foals on the ground at Bar U Ranch, including ones that belong to Cherokee and Heart Bracre, sired by CRR Hurricane Cat. Next year, including Tess, six mares will be bred. Rex’s excitement is palpable when he talks about the future of his breeding program and the ones he’s training now. But, true to form, it’s not something he wants to keep to himself. “You’ll have to come back up to Kansas,” he tells me. “We’ll get you a good horse to ride.” Contact Rex at brbuchman@gmail.com or 620-794-5332 to learn more about his offerings. The Flint Hills Cowgirl Cattle Drive and Stone Horse Bed & Breakfast both have pages on Facebook. Visit www.aqha.com/ranching to learn more about AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders. And check out the February issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal (www.aqha.com/ journal) for more on the ranch horse show and Youth Cow Horse Championship sponsored by AQHA and the Journal at the World Championship Ranch Rodeo.

≤ ra c e h o rs e

A N D R E A C AU D I L L

Sweet

Daphne

This racehorse “zooms” on the track and also works with her owner in his mission of helping people. By Andrea Caudill

AQHA PEDIGREE SHAZOOM s 93 AZOOM brn 02 ZOOMIN DAPHNE 2011 bay mare

CRYSTALINAS bay 88 FIRST DOWN DASH s 84 LA REINA DE LA NOCHE s 95 LE RITZ bay 91

IT IS A FACT THAT HORSES CAN HELP HEAL PEOPLE, AS MOST HORSE

people can attest. Bruce Ironshirt of Standoff, Alberta, has been blessed with horses and is in the business of helping heal people. For 28 years, Bruce has served in the administration of his Native American tribe, the Blood Tribe, and currently serves as the administration director of community support. The Blood Tribe is the largest reservation in Canada, with approximately 12,000 members, and is a member of the greater Blackfoot Confederacy. “They are all my family,” Bruce says of his tribe. “The best part of my job is working with the elders, working with the families, those that need our services.” He oversees programs such as a food bank and assisted living program to help those in need have a better life. “That’s the best part of my job, every day working with my people in the program,” he says. “And that goes right back to being blessed with the horses. One elder told me horses are very holistic. They’re there to help you, and if you take care of them, they will take care of you.” Bruce was raised with horses around. He bought his first racehorse in 1992, a yearling bred by E.J. Keller named Flynfirstclassangel. The Flying Effort mare did extremely well for herself, winning the 1993 QHRBSA of Alberta Breeders’ Futurity and finishing second in the Canadian Bred Futurity. In October, Bruce traveled to Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona, Iowa, with his sophomore filly Zoomin Daphne, who was qualified to race in the prestigious $202,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship, part of the lineup for the Bank of America Challenge Championships. Bruce bought the filly as a yearling at auction, paying $7,500 for her. Bred in Oklahoma by Henry Brown, she is by Azoom, a now-13-year-old son of Shazoom. Azoom won 11 of 14 of his career starts and earned $738,136. The stallion has sired progeny with race earnings exceeding $6.5 million. Dam La Reina De La Noche is an unraced daughter of American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame stallion First Down Dash, from a family of top runners and producers. “I liked her bloodlines and conformation,” Bruce says of why he chose Zoomin Daphne. “I liked Azoom and of course her mother, she is from a black type family. With the yearlings, you never know. I took a gamble on that one.” His gamble has paid off. Zoomin Daphne won once in seven starts as a 2-year-old, but she bloomed as a 3-year-old, crossing the wire first in six

of her seven starts this year (she was disqualified from one of those wins). The Bank of America Racing Challenge is a program operated by AQHA as a way to provide more racing opportunities for horses and is a highly successful program. Horses qualify to the Challenge Championships by winning regional races in each of the six divisions. Zoomin Daphne prevailed in the $28,574 Adequan Evergreen Derby Challenge, qualifying for the Derby Challenge Championship. She returned in September to dominate her Canadian Cup Derby trial by nearly two lengths. Two weeks later, she came back in the $21,403 Canadian Cup Derby to dominate again by 1 1/2 lengths. “I was thrilled,” Bruce says. “She just started to run very well. She earned her berth here. That’s why we came here to Prairie Meadows.” Zoomin Daphne ran a very respectable race in the Championship, finishing a close fifth. She has now earned $44,983 in her racing career and a career-high speed index of 106. But Bruce and Zoomin Daphne have made an impact off the track as well as on it. For about five years, he has worked with small groups of disadvantaged children, bringing them out to work with the horses, including Zoomin Daphne. “These kids like working with horses, they connect very well with them,” he says. “They start working with them, start riding and just connect so well, they got better and better.” The kids are assigned a horse to take care of, and Bruce shows them how to work with the horses. There are rules: the kids must attend school if they want to work with the horses, and they also must do chores such as cleaning stalls and grooming before they’re allowed to ride. They ride three days a week and love to barrel race and do pole bending. Bruce has the support of his family, including three grown children and five grandchildren. He made the 24-hour drive to bring Zoomin Daphne to one of the biggest stages in American Quarter Horse racing, accompanied by one of his grandsons and with his family cheering him on. “It’s a big event for us,” he says. “But (Zoomin Daphne) earned her right to be here.” Zoomin Daphne and her people are taking care of each other. Andrea Caudill is the editor of the Q-Racing Journal. See full results from the Bank of America Challenge Championships, as well as other racing news, at www.aqharacing.com. A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

RESERVE YOUR ROOMS TODAY!

CONVENTION FORT WORTH, TEXAS

MARCH 6-9, 2015 FORT WORTH, TX OMNI HOTEL

Rate: Single/Double $199 per night* | For reservations, call 800-843-6664 Deadline to reserve, February 13, 2015 *Advise you are attending the AQHA Convention at the Omni Hotel Fort Worth or visit: www.aqha.com/convention for more details.

ABBREVIATED CONVENTION SCHEDULE FRIDAY, MARCH 6 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 President’s Reception Hall of Fame Banquet

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 8 – 10:30 a.m. 11 a.m. – Noon 12:30 – 3 p.m. 5 – 7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Membership General Meeting Board of Directors’ Meeting & Luncheon Committee Meetings Cowtown Showdown Special Event at Will Rogers Memorial Center – showcasing the American Quarter Horse Free Evening – enjoy Fort Worth, birthplace of AQHA

8 a.m. – Noon Noon – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 – 5 p.m. 6 p.m.

Committee Meetings AQHF Beneﬁt Luncheon Committee Meetings Awards Presentations Banquet

MONDAY, MARCH 9 9 – 11 a.m. 11:30 am. – 3 p.m.

Membership Business Meeting New Board of Directors’ Meeting & Luncheon (Required Attendance – Directors only) AQHA New Directors Brieﬁng (Immediately following New Board of Directors’ Meeting & Luncheon)

To register for Convention and more information on Convention events, visit aqha.com/convention.

OUR HORSE, OUR NIGHT…. AQHA 75TH ANNIVERSARY

COWTOWN SHOWDOWN

Bobby Lewis on Dual Spark

AQHA HAS INVITED ALLIANCE PARTNERS: National Cutting Horse Association National Reining Horse Association National Reined Cow Horse Association

ALONG WITH 75 Year AQHA Ranching Breeders AQHA Professional Horsemen to send their top competitors to

A SHOWDOWN MARCH 7 5:00 PM Will Rogers Coliseum | Fort Worth, Texas

THE FIRST TEAM TO SIGN UP FROM THE NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION INCLUDES Todd Crawford Todd Bergen Jake Telford

THE EVENING INCLUDES PERFORMANCES BY DAN JAMES, WORLD CHAMPION AND CONGRESS CHAMPION FREESTYLE REINER AND ENTERTAINER. More Celebrity Appearances to be announced Announcing additional Showdown competitors at aqha.com and on AQHA’s Facebook page. Box seat tickets are available through the AQHA Convention Package through February 1 at aqha.com or contact Extreme Tickets after January 10 at 1-888-695-0888 for a 75th Anniversary special general admission ticket price of just $7.50 (plus handling). Kids under 12 are FREE.

≤ aqha business

Come to Convention!

By AQHA President

Johnny Trotter

A≤HA’s

convention is in Fort Worth, T

in M ch.

32 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

THE 2015 AQHA CONVENTION IS SAUNTERING

into Cowtown, Fort Worth, Texas, March 6-9 at the Omni Hotel. The convention is a chance for breeders, trainers, owners and horse lovers of all kinds to get together and swap stories, talk about issues affecting the industry and discuss proposed changes to the way AQHA does business. There are a couple of items regarding the convention that you should know: • To have voting rights at the 2015 convention, you must be an AQHA member at least 60 days prior to the first day of the 2015 convention. • As usual, all standing committee meetings are open to the general membership. The only exceptions to this general rule are (1) meetings denoted as being closed in the convention program or (2) portions, if any, of meetings that are conducted in closed session per direction of the committee or chairperson. Per AQHA Bylaws Article III, Section 1(a), the number of elected directors is determined by an annual allocation formula based on the number of active AQHA numbered and appendix horses as of September 30 of the preceding year. On the following page is the list of annually elected directors with changes noted as a result of the allocation and/or elevations for service to either director emeritus or director-at-large. Finally, don’t forget that you are always welcome to share your views and comments regarding issues that effect or pertain to AQHA with AQHA directors. A list of your directors and their contact information can be found at www.aqhamembers.com.

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

The Details The 2015 AQHA Convention will be at the Omni Hotel Fort Worth. Rates are $199 for single or double rooms. To receive these rates, call 800843-6664 and say that you are attending the AQHA Convention at the Omni Hotel Fort Worth. The deadline for room reservations is February 13, 2015. For more details on the convention, go to www.aqha.com/convention.

Here’s the abbreviated tentative convention schedule: Friday, March 6 • President’s Reception • Hall of Fame Inductions Banquet Saturday, March 7 • Membership General Meeting • General Board of Directors Meeting & Luncheon (Required Attendance – directors only) • Committee Meetings • Cowtown Showdown (see Page 31 for details) Sunday, March 8 • Committee Meetings • Awards Banquet Monday, March 9 • Membership Business Meeting • New Board of Directors Meeting & Luncheon (Required Attendance – directors only) • AQHA New Directors Orientation

AQHA Directors Allocation State

2015

2014

current status

Alabama 2 3 Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No vacancy/allocation reduction Steven Osborne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Paris Wixon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director at large, vacancy Arizona 3 3 Carol Whitaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dorn Parkinson . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director emeritus, vacancy Lloyd Yother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Arkansas 3 3 Travis Dobbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Mark Dunham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jerry Fuller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election CA & HI 6 7 John Andreini. . . . . . . . Elevates to director emeritus, no vacancy/ allocation reduction John Bobenreith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Doug Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Vince Genco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Cathy Hanson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Clay MacLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Carol Cooper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Colorado 4 5 Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No vacancy/allocation reduction Margo Ball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jerry Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Shaun Duley-Gloude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election J.D. Yates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election CT, MA, RI 1 1 Gretchen Mathes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election DE, MD, DC 1 1 Angelo Bizzarro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Florida 3 3 Stephen Fisch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Bob Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vacancy Georgia 2 2 Carol Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ron Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Idaho 3 3 Scott Giltner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Darlene Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Clayton Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Illinois 2 2 John Boxell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Mary Hannagan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Indiana 2 2 David Flohr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vacancy Iowa 4 4 Rick Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Wade Ellerbroek Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Curtis Ferguson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Bill Horton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kansas 4 4 Starlet Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Brad Lund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Sherri Tearney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Paul Treadwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kentucky 2 2 Norm Luba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Cheryllee Sargent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Louisiana 3 3 Dr. Larry Findley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Shawn Magee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election James Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election ME, NH, VT 1 1 John Trafton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election

Michigan 2 2 Christa Baldwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kelly Chapman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Minnesota 3 3 Kelvin Childers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Lainie DeBoer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Mary Ebnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Mississippi 2 2 Tom McBeath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election George Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director emeritus, vacancy Missouri 5 5 Sarah Shoemake Doles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Thomas Downing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Michelle Forness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Michael Murphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jim Dudley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Montana 5 5 Rita Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ruth McDonald-Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Gary Lynn Olson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Stan Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ralph Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Nebraska 4 4 Rick Adkins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Debby Brehm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jim Brinkman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Lori Bucholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Nevada 1 1 Laurel Capurro-Wachtel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election New Jersey 1 1 Karl Bauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election New Mexico 3 3 Ruth Dismuke-Blakely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Cal Brandt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Anna Riggs-Eader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election New York 1 1 Laurence Jaynes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election North Carolina 2 2 Gale Little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Randy Ratliff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election North Dakota 3 3 Scott Flach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election John Hovde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Connie Armstrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ohio 2 2 Scott Meyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dan Trein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Oklahoma 9 9 Luke Castle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Rick Chayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Alice Holmes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jackie Krshka . . . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director at large, vacancy Jeff Tebow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jeff Terpstra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director at large, vacancy Calvin White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Butch Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Matt Witman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Oregon 3 3 Sue Hagerty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Heather Mauck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election David Nelson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Pennsylvania 1 1 Richard Shiffler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election South Carolina 1 1 John Kunkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election South Dakota 4 4 Michel Clites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Janet Hansen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Larry Larson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to director at large, vacancy Jim Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Tennessee 2 2 Paul Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Anne Brzezicki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election

Texas 22 22 Laina Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Don Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Tom Bivins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Rob A. Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Nancy Cahill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dr. Eleanor Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Melissa Dukes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jimmy Eller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Chico Flores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Tyler Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dr. Tommy Hays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dr. Jim Heird. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kay Helzer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kate Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Val Clark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Georgianna Renouard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ross Roark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Sam Rose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Joan Schroeder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election James Eakin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Johnny Trotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elevates to past president, vacancy Dickson Varner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Utah 3 3 Michael Jung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Marty Simper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Greg Torgerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Virginia 1 1 Steve Meadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election WA & AK 3 3 Tracy Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Beth Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ralph Seekins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election West Virginia 1 1 Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vacancy Wisconsin 2 2 Larry Lemke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Kathryn Schroeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Wyoming 3 3 Chris Jensen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Judy Horton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election John Sedgwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Alberta 6 6 Kate Bamford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ross Brigden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Wayne Burwash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Dean Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Steve Schiestel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Lorne Winther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election BC 1 1 Haidee Landry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Manitoba 1 1 Larry Clifford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Ontario 1 1 Kathy Patterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Quebec 1 1 Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vacancy Saskatchewan 2 2 Marlene Monvoisin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Unfilled position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vacancy Austria 1 1 Saad-El-Din Hadj-Abdou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Brazil 1 1 Kenny Knowlton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election France 1 1 Michele Pfender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Germany 2 2 Mikie Kayser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Markus Rensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Italy 1 1 Ricky Bordingnon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Mexico 2 2 Anna Barnola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election Jose Arturo Jimenez Mangas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeks re-election

A M E R I C Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

COURTESY OF KAREN EVANS

≤ h o rs e p e o p l e

On November 21, Norma Martin knew that her rides would soon cease for the year with winter weather moving in, but she’s already looking forward to next spring.

Despite a disease that steals many of

her abilities, this woman’s continued involvement with horses is restorative. By Holly Clanahan

34 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

THIS STORY, MUCH LIKE NORMA MARTIN’S HORSEBACK RIDING excursions, is the result of a group effort. Her longtime friend, Karla May, provided notes and background material. Her sister, Karen Evans, provided the photos. Her husband, Conrad, provided help during an interview, since Norma’s speech has been affected by primary lateral sclerosis. But, most importantly, Norma provided the heart. Progressive lateral sclerosis is a progressive neuromuscular disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), but PLS affects voluntary muscles instead of the involuntary ones weakened by ALS. The disease has taken a lot of things from Norma, but one thing it couldn’t touch was her love of horses – and more specifically, the special bond she shares with a 31-year-old homebred American Quarter Horse named Marholly Also. “She’s A-1,” Norma says of her mare, whose history with the Martins dates back two generations.

“Her grandmother (named Marholly) was the first horse that we bought together before we were married,” Conrad says. That was in 1972. Now, Norma and Conrad, who live in Cadiz, Kentucky, are AQHA life members and have received an award from AQHA for breeding American Quarter Horses for a cumulative 20 years. In an email, Norma, 66, expands on that: “Horses have been an important part of my life for 50-plus years. I started riding when I was 7 when we lived in Pennsylvania and got my first horse after we moved to Florida.” In 1958, her parents gave her a green-broke 3-year-old Arab-Quarter Horse cross named Nito. He lived to be 33, and Norma says, “If it was something that could be done on a horse, we probably tried it.” Norma and Conrad began breeding American Quarter Horses in 1975, and many horses crossed their barn doors over the years, “but ‘Holly’ is the one that has been with me for 31 years,” Norma writes. With that history with horses, that long of a love affair, would you be able to give up riding? Norma, a two-time breast cancer survivor, wasn’t about to. “I just enjoy it,” she says. “I have ridden for more than 50 years, and it’s hard to give it up.” In 2013, she began therapeutic riding sessions at HORSES Inc. (Helping Others Reach Success using Equine Services) in Paducah, Kentucky. She gives that group a lot of credit for helping her get going, but in her email, she writes, “Because of the distance and time it took to go, and since I had a perfectly good horse at home, I decided to ride at home. It took some modifying and changes, but we have managed to come up with a system that has worked so far. Between Conrad, my sister and my nephew Michael, they manage to get me on, and then Holly takes over.” Her first assisted ride on Holly was on June 18, 2014, and by August 13, she had progressed to riding by herself – on her own mare and on her own farm. And now, Karla says, “she is progressing to more and longer rides on her own, despite the fact that her physical condition has deteriorated.” “She has to babysit me,” Norma says, giving credit to Holly. But it’s a job that the well-preserved old mare seems to relish. And for Conrad, it has been wonderful to see his wife regain some of her old self in the saddle. “She gets on that horse and the muscles don’t forget. It’s kind of like riding a bicycle,” he says. For Norma herself, what does it mean to be back astride her beloved mare? “Pretty much everything,” she says, her voice heavy with emphasis. “I feel comfortable on her, and I feel more secure on her than I do on my walker.” By early December, Norma knew there wouldn’t be many

COURTESY OF KAREN EVANS

MARHOLLY ALSO 1984 sorrel mare Bred and owned by Conrad and Norma Martin

more rides left in the season before the Kentucky winter sends them on hiatus. That’s OK, though. Norma must be a glass-half-full kind of person. “Spring will be here,” she says optimistically. And it’s important to have that to look forward to. Her continued involvement with horses is important. Karla, an AQHA member who keeps up with Norma’s story from her home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, understands that. “It is difficult to destroy the bond between people and their horses, even in the face of adversity,” she says. “If you could meet Norma and observe the obstacles she faces every day, you would realize how extraordinary it is for her to be riding again. This is just one example of how our Quarter Horses enrich our lives.” Norma would agree completely about the enrichment. “It makes a lot of difference,” she says of having horses in her life.

PRIVATE BLEND s 74 PEPPY MOTORSCOOTER s 76 MISS DRY DOC s 72 By Dry Doc PRIVATE BLEND s 74 EXPENSIVE BLEND ch 77 Bred by the Martins MARHOLLY ch 72 Owned by the Martins

A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

≤ the journal

Find It in the

that the staff of The American Quarter Horse Journal gets to do at the AQHA World Championship Show is to interview every AQHA world champion. As we like to say, we’re there to tell their stories first (or more appropriately with our new video interviews, we let our exhibitors tell their stories). And the one thing we find that keeps everyone from the exhibitors to the show staff going for 16 days … is the animal that the show is centered around. This year’s World Show saw an impressive “first.” For the first time in the history of the Farnam AQHA Superhorse Award, an owner-breeder-exhibitor won the title. Read about AQHA Professional Horseman C.R. Bradley and Twisters Enola Rey (son of famous roping mare Twisters Enola Gay) and watch the Journal’s exclusive interview with C.R. Remember, your subscription to the Journal also includes access to the digital magazine, where you can find these video interviews and other great extras. Learn more at www.aqha.com/journal. GI CLOSTRIDIUM DISEASE CAN BE A SILENT KILLER OF NEWBORN

foals. By the time an owner notices that his or her foal has diarrhea, fever and other symptoms, it can be too late. Foals’

36 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

KRISTY GOODALL’S DAD BOUGHT HIS

horse-crazy daughter a $100 pony when she was 6, thinking she’d soon outgrow the phase. “I got bucked off a lot,” she says, laughing. “But I got back on.” And she never lost interest. Now Kristy, an eighth-grade math teacher who does most of her own training at home, has found a place in AQHA competition where she feels comfortable: the Rookie classes. Let Editor-in-Chief Becky Newell introduce you to Kristy and the obstacles she has overcome in the “Journal Family” feature in the January Journal. DON’T LET YOUR NEW YEAR’S “better fitness” resolution taper off in January! The Journal will help you make it last all year long, with a 12-part Q-Fit series geared specifically toward equestrians. Certified personal trainer Emily J. Harrington is a two-time AQHA world champion and All American Quarter Horse Congress champion, and she can attest that better fitness means better riding!

ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT

TARA MATSLER

ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS

undeveloped GI tracts are susceptible to infection by clostridium spores, which are found in the soil in all parts of the country. Learn more about how to prevent the disease and about a new vaccine on the horizon.

BECKY NEWELL

SINCE THE EARLY 1940S, THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL has been talking about the things that matter to you – breeding decisions, horse health and management issues, and training tips. The magazine’s also great about sharing profiles of horses and humans who are making a difference in the industry. So, it’s no surprise that 70 years later, the Journal is able to speak with authority on just about anything that relates to the American Quarter Horse. To subscribe, visit www.aqha.com/journal or call 800-2817323. It’s just $25 a year! If you’re not a subscriber, here’s what you’re missing in the January Journal:

LINDSAY KELLER

Journal

≤ b i t s & s p u rs

2014 A≤HA World Show Horse

NAMES WE LOVE

L AU R A C L A R K E

• Edgar Allen Poo (Peptoboonsmal-Capoo by CD Olena) • Rubiesscoobiedoobie (Smart Chic Olena-Playin With Rubies by Lectric Playboy) • Snap Krackle Pop (RL Best Of Sudden-Brandys Silver Sheik by Zippos Sheik) • A Tattle Tail (Coats N Tails-Refreshing (TB) by Perforce) • Kupcakz (Grand Slam Touchdown-Gold Temptation by Sierras Black Gold) • One Hot Drama Mama (One Hot Krymsun-Delitas Good Version by Good Version) • Eye Speak French (Frenchmans Guy-Eye Count Money by Mr Eye Opener) • ATM (Artful Move-Only Money Honey (TB) by Rollin On Over)

Snap Krackle Pop, the gray horse on the left, was the reserve world champion in junior trail at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show.

LEARN HOW YOUR FAVORITE AQHA CLASSES ARE JUDGED AT

the AQHA Educational Judging Seminar January 8-10 in Nashville. If you would like to learn more about how to judge a variety of AQHA-approved classes or just want to hear how judges are instructed to judge your favorite class, make reservations to attend the AQHA Educational Judging Seminar January 8-10 at the Holiday Inn Opryland/Airport in Nashville. The seminar will be conducted by AQHA Senior Director of Judges Alex Ross and other leading industry professionals. “Regardless of the class, after attending this seminar you will make adjustments in how you exhibit your horse and/ or yourself,” Alex says. “And in today’s competitive classes, minor changes that make you think like a judge can make a significant difference in your final placing.” Learn more about this and other upcoming judging seminars at www.aqha.com/seminars.

38 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5 A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E

H O L LY C L A N A H A N

Think Like a Judge

You can find full coverage of the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show at www.aqha.com/worldshow and in the January issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal.

THE ≤UEEN’S ≤UARTERS ANNUALLY, A PARADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ON NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATES

All the Queen’s Horses. For 2015, that 75-horse parade will include 12 American Quarter Horses who will be bearing the AQHA banner as they march through the streets of London. It’s the first time Quarter Horses have been included in the parade, and for the 12 horses to be allowed to walk as a block was a special dispensation, according to Lindsay Doel, one of the organizers. The riders and horses are: Annabelle Russell and Matts Golden Star Linda Courtney and Fantastic Mr Fox Fiona Powley and Zippin N Chippin Henrietta Campbell and Bat Aviv Jolie Cooper and HBK Vanilla Fudge Karen Coleman and Bit Ofa Dark Horse Lindsay Robinson and LJ Classic Luke Lucy Adams and CS Texas Cat Mary Larcom and Iced Tee Mike Austin and Sandis Interest Rebecca Holt and Jack Te Higgins Samuel Magdaleno Ruiz and Southearn Comfort, owned by Sue Forrest.

Not Just Western Anymore JUSTIN BOOTS, AN AQHA CORPORATE PARTNER SINCE 1985, HAS LAUNCHED JUSTIN

COURTESY OF JUSTIN BOOTS

English, a collection of women’s traditional English riding boots, with the support of the equestrian experts at AQHA. “At AQHA, we continually strive to align with companies who bring quality products to the marketplace for our horses and owners,” says Leman Wall, AQHA director of corporate partnerships and business development. “We are proud to partner with Justin Boots, a brand that shares values, heritage and history with AQHA, as they debut Justin English to the riding industry. Whether riders are looking for field or paddock styles, Justin English offers the protection and comfort they require.” The Justin English collection features paddock boots, half chaps and field boots with innovative technology combined with great performance, fit, comfort and style. The field boots and half chaps feature 3M™ patented micro-replication technology that provides extra durability and effortless grip while reducing fatigue and improving both performance and control. Get details at http://justineq.com.

A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

≤ b i t s & s p u rs

FAMOUS GET THE

TEXAS

COWBOYS

JIM JENNINGS

AQHA PRESIDENT JOHNNY TROTTER OF HEREFORD, TEXAS, will be inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2015. Inclusion in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (www.texascowboyhalloffame.org) is the highest honor bestowed on individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas. Johnny, who has served as an AQHA director for 11 years, is the CEO of Livestock Investors LLT and owns Bar G Feedyard. His involvement in the American Quarter Horse industry is focused on racing, roping and horses used for ranch work and breeding. He is an avid team roper and participates in numerous ropings, including the World Series of Team Roping. Johnny is very involved in his local community, having served on the West Texas A&M University Foundation, West Texas A&M University Alumni Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He is a former member of the Texas Cattle Feeders board of directors and was the 2006 recipient of the Tri-State Fair Western Heritage Award. Other 2015 inductees include these AQHA life members: country singer Clay Walker, world champion bull rider Larry Mahan and horse trainer and clinician Chris Cox, as well as world-famous rodeo clown Leon Coffee.

AQHA President Johnny Trotter

DIGITAL! AQHA WANTS TO OFFER ITS MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY

to get information faster and more conveniently, and, these days, that means going digital. AQHA members can check out the digital version of America’s Horse, and there are two handy ways to do it.

The Digital Edition Designed for desktop and laptop computers, this Web-based version allows you to flip through the entire magazine quickly or download it as a PDF. You can even print off any particular pages you’d like to keep. 1. Go to www.aqha.com/americashorse and click “Read the Digital Online.” 2. Select the issue you want to read, then log in with your membership ID and PIN. If you don’t have a personal identification number or have forgotten it, call AQHA Customer Service at 806-376-4811.

The App Useful for smartphones and tablets (both iOS and Android), the America’s Horse app truly lets you take your magazine wherever you go. 1. Go to the “app store” for your device and search for “America’s Horse.” 2. Download the free app. 3. Open the app and log in with your membership ID and PIN. 4. You’ll have access to the last year of magazines and will be notified as current issues come out. You can get more information about the America’s Horse app at www.aqha.com/americashorse.

Exclusives You Don’t Want to Miss in the January-February Digital: • Ride along with Rex Buchman as he takes America’s Horse readers on a trail ride tracing the footsteps of Billy the Kid, and as he hosts a cowgirl cattle drive. • Watch as the Road to the Horse remuda is selected at the famous Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. • Sage Remarks: A bonus page of catchy horse-related quotes.

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Hall of Fame Spotlight:

Peter McCue

PETER MCCUE’S NAME RINGS A BELL WITH ANYONE SLIGHTLY KNOWLEDGEABLE

AQHA FILE PHOTO

about Quarter Horse history. Though controversy surrounded the sire of Peter McCue, the dark bay stallion left no doubt that he was one of AQHA’s founding sires. The stallion was foaled February 23, 1895, on the Little Grove Stock Farm, in Petersburg, Illinois. Peter McCue was by Dan Tucker and out of Nona M (TB). However, Sam Watkins, the bay’s owner, listed Duke Of The Highlands (TB) as Peter McCue’s sire so the colt could run in recognized races. When Peter McCue turned 2, Sam leased the stallion to a nephew, Charles Watkins, who placed the horse in race training. In 1897, the stallion made it to the track, recording eight wins at distances ranging from a half mile to 4 1/2 furlongs. Milo Burlingame rode Peter McCue during a meet in St. Louis. In an interview in the late 1940s, Milo said, “I never saw him raced with horses that could make him straighten his neck out,” and later, “I was just a kid then, but I swore I would own that horse someday.” Sam stood Peter McCue until 1907 when John Wilkins of San Antonio, Texas, purchased him. Two owners later, Milo bought the stallion in 1911, but sold Peter McCue in 1916 to Si Dawson and Coke Roberds of Colorado, who owned the stallion until his death in 1923 at age 28. All of these men owed the success of their breeding programs to Peter McCue. Though only 44 of his get were registered with AQHA, they represent some of the greatest foundation sires in the breed. Among his sons were Harmon Baker, Buck Thomas, A D Reed, Badger, Old Red Buck, Chief, Jack McCue, John Wilkins and Hickory Bill. The list becomes even more impressive with his grandsons: Old Sorrel, Joe Hancock, Nick, Midnight and Barney Owens. Peter McCue was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1991.

Peter McCue

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Test Out the New Ranch Division JIM JENNINGS

BEGINNING JANUARY 1, THE NEW AQHA RANCH COMPE-

tition division will officially be in place. Exhibitors had requested the option to show in just one of the six classes that make up Versatility Ranch Horse, and the new ranch division will give them that option, as well as opportunities to compete in open, amateur, youth and cowboy classes in ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch reining, ranch cow work, ranch cutting and ranch conformation. AQHA ranch shows will be stand-alone events that can be run within other similar events, such as Stock Horse of Texas events. The six classes will be divided among four categories. Shows that choose to put on a ranch event must offer one class from each category, and to be considered for an all-around award, exhibitors must show in three categories, including ranch conformation and one cattle class, either cutting or ranch cow work. Thomas Hicks and Greyt Socks negotiate a bridge in March on their way to becomSome of the features of the new division: • A cowboy class limited to riders who are working ing amateur world champions in Versatility Ranch Horse. Changes are in store for the Versatility Ranch Horse division. ranch cowboys, ranch owners or their family members who have earned less than $5,000 in horse competition. • Shows being able to break the event into two days of competition. • Shows being able to offer just one of the two cattle classes. • Exhibitors being able to qualify for a chance to win a world title in each of the classes in 2016. • No glitz, no glitter, no tail extensions, no bands and no braids: The attire for horse and rider should be that of a working outfit. • A fun, supportive atmosphere. BY LARRI JO STARKEY IN THE DECEMBER AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL

A 20th Gold Buckle TREVOR BRAZILE LEFT NO DOUBT WHO THE PROFESSIONAL

Rodeo Cowboys Association’s best steer roper was in 2014. The legendary cowboy won one round and placed second in five others to capture his record 20th gold buckle November 7-8 at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping at the Kansas Star Arena. Trevor won $43,858 at the NFSR to win the season title with a single-season steer roping record of $112,692. He eclipsed the old record of $101,685 set by Rocky Patterson in 2010. Trevor has now won five gold buckles in steer roping (2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014). That puts him third alltime on the steer roping gold-buckle list, behind only Guy

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Allen (18) and Everett Shaw (6). For good measure, Trevor also took home the average crown with a record time of 114.1 seconds on 10 head. Rocky set the previous average record at 114.5 seconds on 10 head in 2001. J.P. Wickett was second in the average at 126.3 seconds, and was the only roper besides Trevor to stop the clock 10 times. “Every one of those things you said is awesome,” Trevor said when told the list of new records he set. “Roy Cooper is always on me to win an average title, and I’ve kind of overlooked those along the way. Who knows, it may not last a year (his average record), but records are there to be broken.” FROM PRCA

AAEP ≤&A The American Association of Equine Practitioners is an AQHA alliance partner. Visit www.aaep.org for more “Ask the Vet” questions and answers. Q: What

makes a horse yawn? Is he really yawning, or is it something else?

A: Unfortunately,

there is no simple answer that explains why a horse yawns. There are some veterinary medical professionals who firmly believe that the behavior we attribute to yawning in the horse is actually a manifestation of pain or discomfort. Some believe that so strongly that they propose that a horse only yawns when he is uncomfortable. Certainly, many horses will yawn when experiencing colic pain, but no one knows precisely why the horse responds this way or what the yawn might do to make him feel better. Horses also might yawn if they have oral pain, and some horses yawn just after removing the bridle, presumably to stretch jaw muscles. At one time, many hypothesized that the horse might be trying to equalize pressure inside the inner ear, much like humans often do when driving in the mountains or riding in airplanes. This has not been proven. We have all seen our horses yawning while seemingly happy and quiet in their stalls or pens. And sometimes horses will yawn close to meal times, as if they are anxiously anticipating their hay or grain. With so many seemingly contradicting triggers, it is very hard to imagine a single cause for yawning. About the only thing we’re fairly sure of is that the trigger is not the same as that of a yawn in humans, which is in response to transient drops in blood oxygen levels. That big intake of fresh air increases oxygen in the lungs and therefore in the vascular system. However, horses do not appear to be inhaling when they yawn. The most important thing to keep in mind if your horse seems to be yawning inappropriately is that it can often be a sign of abdominal pain. Take quick stock of the situation and make sure there are no other signs of colic. If you have doubts, observe your horse closely for a few minutes, and if you still have questions, call your veterinarian. Most times when your horse yawns, however, he is likely to be just fine and doing what horses do.

Welcome in the New Year

The 2015 AQHA wall calendar celebrates 75 years of AQHA with a great look at past and present American Quarter Horses and the people who love them. Not only will the folks on your shopping list enjoy the beautiful photography submitted by AQHA members worldwide, but they’ll also appreciate the friendly reminders for upcoming shows, events and deadlines. Get yours for $13.99 at www.aqhastore.com/2015-AQHA-CALENDAR-2015/. A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

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AS THE AMATEUR CLASSES CONCLUDED AT THE 2014 AQHA

World Championship Show, Morgan Parisek of Murray, Kentucky, summed it up: “It has been a crazy week.” She and her horse, Better Buy The Minit, earned the world championship title in hunter hack; reserve world championship titles in hunt seat equitation and equitation over fences; placed third in working hunter; and eighth in jumping. “He hasn’t let me down yet,” Morgan said of her horse, after being crowned the Farnam All-Around Amateur. Better Buy The Minit is a 2005 bay gelding by Do You Have A Minute and out of Tickle My Asset, bred by Kramer/Davis of Bradenton, Florida. For her all-around award, Morgan received a prize package that included $15,000, plus $1,000 in Farnam products, an original Lisa Perry Bronze, an embroidered WeatherBeeta horse blanket and a rose bouquet. The 2014 Farnam Reserve All-Around Amateur is Lincoln Figueiredo of Presidente, Brazil, who showed his American Quarter Horse Mr Fritz Wood. The 2008 buckskin stallion, who is by Mr Junewood and out of Fritz Lovelady, was bred by Sam Shoultz and Ken Matzner of Fort Collins, Colorado. Figueiredo and Mr Fritz Wood earned world championships in tie-down roping and heeling and were the first-ever South American amateur world champions. The pair won a prize package that included $5,000, plus $500 in Farnam products and a silver bowl.

K .C. MONTGOMERY

TOPPING THE AMATEUR RANKS

2014 Farnam AQHA All-Around Amateur Morgan Parisek and Better Buy The Minit

At this year’s World Show, more than 3,610 entries from the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland competed for 100 world championships. You can find full coverage of the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show at www.aqha.com/worldshow and in the January issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal.

TEAMING UP WITH USTRC AQHA TEAMED UP WITH THE UNITED STATES TEAM ROPING

Championship at the Cinch National Finals of Team Roping to award five top-performing American Quarter Horses. The finals, which were at Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City from October 25 to November 2, awarded more than $5.5 million and featured nearly 8,000 teams during the nine-day event. Five horses, however, stood out from the throng, helping ropers in three different categories earn the most money. The three categories were Professional (Open and #15 divisions), Amateur (#13, #12 and #11 divisions) and Novice (#10, #9 and #8 divisions). Registered American Quarter Horses were tracked in each of those categories, and an additional $1,500 was presented to the owners of the high-money-winning horse in each category. Professional – Header Manny Cunde of Madison, Georgia, rode Play Lena For Me, a 12-year-old gray gelding, for owner Morgan Holmes of Sarasota, Florida. Amateur – Nine-year-old head horse Twist With Poco helped his rider-owner, Steve Taylor of Gonzales, Texas, win a total of $35,600.

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Novice – There was a tie for the winner of the novice category: Mary Bunker of Sharon Springs, Kansas, had successful rides on the 10-year-old buckskin gelding Bright Buck Go that she co-owns with Joel Bunker, as did Clay Keller of Fort Collins, Colorado, on his own Olena Vandy, a 16-year-old sorrel gelding. The Bunkers and Clay split the $1,500 AQHA bonus. AQHA offered a special $500 bonus to the owner of the horse earning the most money in the October 29 Cruel Girl (All-Girl) Championships, a #11 roping, with a #9 incentive, limited to female ropers only. It was header Barrie Smith of Stephenville, Texas, riding Rosies Blue Ike, a 13-year-old gray gelding. In addition to the cash bonus for owners, USTRC earnings will now be kept on AQHA’s official records. AQHA members will now be able to track their horse’s earnings at the USTRC National Finals and in 2015 at the USTRC Regional Finals Ropings. And as soon as possible, earnings will be tracked at many, if not all, USTRC-sanctioned ropings, with more than $25 million offered through USTRC events.

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A Novel Idea

Y NAME IS LAUREN

Ducharme, and I am 11 years old. My neighbor recently published a novel, “Chasing the Strawberry Moon,” which featured my American Quarter Horse Simply Joker, or “Baldy.” Judith A. Grout wrote the novel based on her mother-in-law’s memoirs. As a young adult, her mother-in-law went hitchhiking across the West with her girlfriend. One challenging event the women encountered was horseback riding. To gain a better understanding of horses to write her book, Judith needed a horse to learn from for her story. She asked me if she could use Baldy. SIMPLY DOC s 81 By Doc’s Lynx by Doc Bar Willingly, my MISS EXPLOSIVE BAR s 79 mom and I invited her to our TROUBLE’S JOKER ch 62 barn. Judith observed very JUNE BUG TAYLOR s 66 closely how Baldy acted and moved. She also observed his physical features. We encouraged her to ride Baldy. This was her first horseback riding experience. She had a wonderful time and thanked us

PEDIGREE SIMPLY MOORE DOC s 85

SIMPLY JOKER 1993 sorrel

JOKERS DARLING ch 80

very much. Several weeks later, Judith shared a draft of her book with us. We started to read it. It was entertaining. Judith published the book several months ago, and my mom, Julie Ducharme, wanted me to write an article about my Quarter Horse being featured in the book. I was very excited to do so. It is sometimes surreal to think that my horse might be famous. Baldy has been in our family since birth. My grandpa first owned him, then my mom and now me. Baldy is a great-great-grandson of Doc Bar (1956). Although Baldy is 22 years old, he sometimes acts like he is 5 because he is in great shape. He was the first horse I learned to ride. I run barrels on him. I like to go fast. I have also enjoyed jumping at a very casual level. We have had a great journey together. Baldy is very big and powerful but very calm and gentle. He watches out for me. I have 733 hours on him in the AQHA Horseback Riding Program, which I started entering hours for when I was very little. Thank you AQHA for making riding more enjoyable! I am AQHA Proud to have my American Quarter Horse, Simply Joker, featured in my neighbor’s novel, “Chasing the Strawberry Moon.” We hope Judith Grout’s book becomes a New York Times best-seller and she writes more books featuring American Quarter Horses!

COURTESY OF THE DUCHARME FAMILY

AQHYA member Lauren Ducharme of Glendale, Arizona, with Simply Joker and Judith Grout.

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A Leg of My Journey Through the Horse-Racing Industry

N 2013, I EMBARKED ON AN

incredible adventure when I was selected to attend the AQHYA National Racing Experience. Held at Los Alamitos Race Course in California, the event took place in November 2013 in conjunction with the AQHA Bank of America Challenge Championships. As one of the 10 competitors, I spent five days learning about American Quarter Horse racing while working with a well-known trainer, touring Vessels Stallion Farm, visiting Hollywood Park and watching Quarter Horse racing at its finest. I fell in love with horse racing when I was 12 years old. From the moment I became hooked on the sport, there was never a doubt in my mind that I would one day pursue a career in the racing industry. Attending the National Racing Experience solidified my desire to work in horse racing and inspired me to encourage others to do the same. For the past three summers, I have worked at the North Dakota Horse Park, a small racetrack near my home, gaining experience through various jobs and positions. These included pony riding (escorting racehorses to the starting gates), grooming, cleaning stalls and assisting the director of media relations. Every year, I made it a goal to gain as much experience as possible so I could work my way up the employment ladder at the track. My hard work paid off when I was hired as the North Dakota Horse Park’s director of communications in 2014, a posi-

tion I was honored to accept. While many students my age spent their summer hanging out at the lake or attending concerts, I was working 12-hour days at the racetrack. As horrid as that may sound to some people, I loved every minute of it. My position entailed sending numerous emails and making business calls as necessary, coordinating and carrying out track tours and assisting media outlets that wanted to cover the races. I also conducted interviews of horsemen and wrote articles for the track website. A perk of my job was the flexibility. My supervisor encouraged me to take advantage of my time at the track and learn everything and anything I could. In addition to my communication duties, I was the official clocker (individual who times morning workouts), assisted in taking entries and learned how to exercise-ride racehorses. Each of these unique positions gave me the opportunity to broaden my horse-racing horizons. If there is one thing the horse-racing industry is lacking in, it is the participation of youth. The few youth who do have an interest in horse racing were born into a family of racing enthusiasts. I rarely encounter other youth who have acquired an interest in the sport without pre-existing family ties in the game. Getting your foot in the door of the racing industry, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the sport, can be a daunting task. Who should you talk to? How do you get started? What

Annise Montplaisir of Moorhead, Minnesota, was the first-place scholarship winner at the 2013 AQHYA National Racing Experience. ANDREA CAUDIL

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ANDREA CAUDIL

The AQHYA National Racing Experience (the 2013 class is shown here), as well as regional racing experiences, are great places for youth to learn more about the racing industry and see where they might find a career in it.

types of career areas are there? The National Racing Experience gave me the opportunity to network with industry professionals and determine the facets of the sport I am interested in. I wanted to grant this opportunity to other youth, so I researched what it would take to hold a regional racing experience. My supervisor was thrilled with the idea and delegated me to make the event happen. With the help of AQHYA Manager of Youth Development Robin Alden, the youth racing experience guide book and the support of the staff and trainers at the North Dakota Horse Park, we hosted a racing experience August 2. The Youth Day at the Races event was open to youth ages 14 through 18. I coordinated with various professionals around the horse park to make presentations to participants, including the track vet, a trainer, a jockey, the announcer and numerous others. I also organized sponsors for the prizes and wrote an exam for youth to take at the end of the day to determine a scholarship winner. Thirteen youth attended the event, which ran very smoothly. Beginning at 8 a.m. on the second to last day of the horse park race meet, Youth Day at the Races culminated in the winners circle at 3:30 p.m. where the winners were announced. Erin Halla of Chaska, Minnesota, won the top award, receiving a $500 scholarship from the North Dakota Horse Park.

Organizing a youth racing experience gave me the chance to share my love of horse racing and inspire other youth to get involved in the industry. My summer at the North Dakota Horse Park was the best I can remember. I learned, grew and cultivated my passion for horse racing. However, the excitement did not end at the closing of the race meet. After the 2013 National Racing Experience, the other participants and I were paired with mentors in the racing industry – professionals who could give us advice and guide us in finding an area of interest within the sport. My mentor assisted me in coordinating a job-shadow position at Canterbury Park, a racetrack in Shakopee, Minnesota. I recently finished my work there, which spanned the month of August, shadowing the director of media relations, Jeff Maday, writing for the Canterbury Live blog, and galloping horses for a trainer in the mornings. If I could give advice to someone interested in becoming involved in the horse racing industry, it would be this: 1. Keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to try numerous things before selecting a particular position or area of the industry. For example, I never envisioned myself taking entries for races, but I found the experience fascinating. 2. Take advice from others and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Horse racing is a complicated sport with many different aspects, and keeping an open mind to various views and

perspectives can only help you. 3. Be assertive. If you want something, you must pursue it. My example for this is exercise riding. I had dreamed of galloping racehorses since I was 12. I did not learn until I was 18, and it was simply a matter of asking someone to teach me. You may get turned down every now and then, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. 4. Persistence is key. The reality of life is that not everyone will want to help you, and not every opportunity will pan out. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. Never giving up will take you miles; not trying will take you nowhere. 5. Do your research. Having a base knowledge can help you when searching for a job because it shows you care. If you want to be a groom, buy a book or just ask a lot of questions about grooming racehorses. 6. Finally, whatever you do, do it with passion. I think about horse racing every day. It gets my heart thumping and nothing makes me happier. My passion for the sport drives me to learn more, try harder and eventually succeed. The same goes for any other youth seeking a place in the industry. BY ANNISE MONTPLAISIR Editor’s Note: Annise is joining AQHA as our spring online communications and publications intern. Learn more about the Youth Racing Experiences at www.aqha.com/ youth and the internship program at www .aqha.com/internships.

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Transcending a Transplant

KIM KUEHNE

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QHA MEMBER GINA ROLLIN OF

Green Bay, Wisconsin, is very excited about her recently acquired American Quarter

Horse, White Tie N Tails. Her new companion is a 7-year-old gelding and seems to be the perfect fit for the special role he plays in her life. Gina, who began riding at the age of 9, was diagnosed with diabetes at 10. She has continued riding ever since, but the disease has caused Gina great grief along the way. Now 34 years old, Gina is legally blind, and four years ago, she received a kidney and pancreas transplant. It took many months of recovering from the transplant surgery to get back into the saddle, and she has enjoyed riding again for the past several years. But then in March, Gina went into chronic rejection of her transplanted organs. She is again on the transplant list and awaits a new kidney and pancreas – a wait that often takes from two to five years, she says. “Riding is what got me through my first transplant and is what I hope will get me through again,” Gina says. “I was diabetic for 20 years before the first transplant, and that basically destroyed my retinas. I’ve had close to 20 eye surgeries just to maintain the vision I have in the one eye. So, I have to be able to have that horse tell me what obstacles are in my way.” At the time of her transplant surgery, Gina was riding a Lipizzan who has since been retired. “My real goal just through everything was to get back on his back and ride him,” she says. “But I also found that a lot of just grooming him related to the physical therapy exercises they had me doing. I think I got back stronger because of riding him.” But Gina’s Lipizzan was “high strung” and “flighty,” she says, which wasn’t the best fit for the challenges of her blindness and posttransplant recovery. “In general, it’s safer for me to ride something that’s not going to all of a sudden blow up because a leaf blew in front of him,” Gina says. She purchased My Rusty Version, an American Quarter Horse gelding. That fit wasn’t quite right, so she sold him earlier this year and found a horse

that she is confident is an incredible match for her: White Tie N Tales, a son of world champion hunter under saddle horse Coats N Tails whom she calls “Winston.” “He has got a lot of energy,” Gina admits. “So, I just let him free lunge for awhile until he settles down. He has been mostly trained for hunter under saddle and equitation. I’m teaching him some of the basics of dressage – a little different bending and different movements and getting him more supple. I usually work with him five or six days a week, as long as I have a ride to the stables.” Gina says Winston is definitely proving to be an excellent match in many ways. One particular benefit to Gina is how Winston is marked. A wide blaze, front stockings and socks on his hind legs stand out with her greatly diminished vision and help her tell him apart from the other horses at the barn, which are bays and solid chestnuts. Plus, “I like his movements because

I’m interested in dressage,” Gina says. “He has got a very nice, large trot. I’m able to show in the (AQHA Equestrians With Disabilities classes) because I’m legally blind. That way, I don’t have to be in the ring with 20 other people, which would be dangerous for both me and them. Especially being in different circumstances, like I know the length of our arena at home by the number of strides, but at a different arena, it takes a little longer to figure that out, especially if you don’t get to school much.” Gina hopes to take Winston to compete this year but says that will depend on her health and the timing of the shows. “I rode before I lost the majority of my vision, and it’s one of the few things I still can do,” she says. “I feel a lot freer (on a horse). Actually, I feel a lot safer on the horse’s back than I do walking on my own two feet. I trust him to be my eyes. You can tell (what is going on) from how they tense the muscles in their neck, how they work

the bit, how they tense their back – he has even started leading me to the mounting block. The mounting block floats around in the arena, and he will take over and lead me to it. (His former owners) said he was highly intelligent ... well, he is!” Recovering from the first transplant surgery was torture, Gina says, because she had to stay away from the barn for three months as her body healed. With anti-rejection medications after a transplant, it is doubly important to avoid any potential source of infection or disease, so dust, manure, horse hair and the like were no-go’s. “And I had complications,” she adds, “so I couldn’t get on the horse for six months. (The first ride) was painful with no abdominal muscles left, but it is so good to just get on and walk him!” BY TOM MOATES To learn more about AQHA’s Equestrians With Disabilities competitions, go to www.aqha.com/ewd.

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Learning About Horse Care – and Then Applying the Knowledge

Y NAME IS SHAYNAH SEAMES. I’M

Rio Wolf Creek is the horse that Shaynah Seames of Bethel, Maine, used for her Junior Master Horseman projects, and although she hasn’t registered “Adara” yet, she hopes to name her Shaynahs Little Star.

17 years old, and I have had horses for 11 years. I have been an AQHYA member for the past few years, and I enjoy doing anything with my horses, from trail riding to barrel racing to pleasure shows. That’s how I met AQHA Professional Horsewoman Wanda Lounder. She was offering a showing scholarship for youth in Maine, and I applied. After winning the scholarship Double L Stable was offering, I noticed that Wanda hosted many different types of events at her barn. In April of 2014, I decided I was going to give the Junior Master Horseman competition a try. I traveled almost five hours to Double L just to try the event. I didn’t have the book prior to competing; I just knew the test was going to be on basic knowledge. After the competition, I bought the Level 2 book because I wanted to continue the series. The JMH series focuses equally on knowledge and riding. Riding lessons mostly just teach you how to ride a horse; the JMH books teach you how to care for your horse, about the history of horses and riding types, and how to tell if your horse is sick. As a horse owner, those are all things that are important to know.

The levels start out with basic care and knowledge and move to very advanced, such as naming the parts of the hoof. The halter judging portion of the competition builds knowledge about things to look at when purchasing a horse. You want to buy a horse with great conformation and avoid flaws that cause lameness. Another bonus: I got to know other horse-crazy youth outside of the show setting, which built friendships. I hope the skill series will become a new type of event all over the place. It promotes learning, not only about how to ride but how to care for horses so they can have long, happy lives. Seeing the younger children learn and progress throughout the summer was amazing. The tests are always changing, so participants have to study the whole book and remember as much as they can. There are also fun activities throughout the book that are hands-on and engaging. After the series was complete, I was selected to compete in the AQHA young horse development program. The nearest farm to me that donated a foal was 13 hours away, in Pennsylvania. My dad and I traveled the long journey to Clark Farms to pick up my filly. I named her “Adara,” meaning “fire” in Hebrew. I chose this name because I’m a junior firefighter and my name is Hebrew. I can spend a lot of time working with her because I’m homeschooled, so I can choose when I do schoolwork and when I work with my horses. AQHA offers many programs for youth that put an emphasis on horse care and not so much on riding. Everyone should learn how to care for a horse before and during learning how to ride. Proper horse care is essential for the longevity of a healthy horse and the relationship with its owner.

DAWN GRONDIN

Learn more about Junior Master Horseman and the AQHA Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program, as well as other offerings that appeal to the horsemen and -women of tomorrow, at www.aqha.com/youth.

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≤ mane events

Mark Your Calendar! JANUARY 15 AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Fort Worth, Texas www.fwssr.com 16-17 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse show (First show with the new format. See Page 42 for details.) Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Fort Worth, Texas www.fwssr.com 22 AQHA Racing Champions announcement Heritage Place Oklahoma City www.aqharacing.com 31 Extended deadline for AQHA Incentive Fund stallion nominations www.aqha.com/incentivefund FEBRUARY 13-21 National Reined Cow Horse Association Celebration of Champions and World’s Greatest Horseman competition Fort Worth, Texas www.nrcha.com MARCH 6-8 Timed-Event Championship of the World Guthrie, Oklahoma http://lazye.com

These partners provide members-only discounts: AQHA Medical – Special pricing on medical coverage Double J Saddlery - Save 10% on tack, accessories and saddles Ford - $500 AQHA incentive John Deere – Save up to 28% on select equipment

6-8 Legacy of Legends Fort Worth, Texas www.alegacyoflegends.com

Liberty Mutual – Save on home and auto insurance

6-9 AQHA Convention Fort Worth, Texas www.aqha.com/convention

Markel – Save 10% on certain plans

19-21 2014 Zoetis AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse and John Deere AQHA Cowboy Mounted Shooting world championships Houston www.aqha.com/versatility

OfficeMax – Receive preferred pricing

22 AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo www.rodeohouston.com

SmartPak – Receive a 5% discount on all orders

26-29 Road to the Horse Lexington, Kentucky www.roadtothehorse.com

For more information on trail rides and Trail Challenges, go to www.aqha.com/riding. Refer to The American Quarter Horse Journal for a listing every month of AQHA shows, all-Level 1 shows, alliance events (such as those offered by the National Cutting Horse or the National Reining Horse associations), Versatility Ranch Horse events, AQHA-approved dressage shows and special events. Go to www.aqha.com/journal to subscribe.

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Sherwin Williams – Save up to 40% on paint supplies

Welcome your 2015 Team Wrangler Members Watch for these A≤HA Professional Horsemen and women at various A≤HA and industry events conducting clinics and competing.

For more information on Team Wrangler, visit www.aqha.com

≤ s a g e re m a r k s The digital edition of America’s Horse features a bonus page of fun quips and quotations. See Page 40 for instructions on how to access the digital magazine from your smartphone, tablet or computer.

“I’m standing outside Jen Romero’s neatly landscaped manufactured home. I’m leaning on a pipe corral that encloses a little green barn and its occupant, a pretty sorrel mare. Jen joins me and we watch the mare sort through a pile of hay for the tasty seed heads. We’re talking quietly, tranquilized by the meditative calm that emanates from a grazing horse. … Telling me how she came to buy Sassy Poco Lena, her voice takes on a lilt and her eyes sparkle; she sounds like a newly engaged woman describing meeting The One. “ ‘…. I was in love with her the moment I saw her. There wasn’t any question about whether it was the right horse for me; I was going to buy her regardless. I just felt this connection between us.’ ” Author Susan Erlandson Washburn in “My Horse, My Self: Life lessons from Taos horsewomen”

“Training horses is like doing math. You can’t skip doing steps.” Theresa “Tess” Andreozzi of Spring Creek, Nevada, telling the Elko Daily News about her plans to show in ranch horse pleasure at the AQHA World Championship Show in November in Oklahoma City. Check out www.aqha.com/worldshow for news and results from our flagship show.

“In the course of writing ‘Hollywood Hoofbeats,’ I watched scores of movies. Certain horses stood out from film to film, and I developed favorites … (including ) Steel, a handsome blaze-faced chestnut gelding who supported a galaxy of Hollywood stars. One of these was my father, Robert Mitchum, who lied to the producers of his first Western, ‘Hoppy Serves a Writ’ (1943), and told them he could ride. He learned on the job – barely – and when he won his first starring role as Jim Lacy in ‘Nevada’ (1944), the producers were smart enough to pair him with a seasoned equine actor, Steel. They made two movies together.” Petrine Day Mitchum, who wrote “Hollywood Hoofbeats: The fascinating story of

“My goal in life has been to document the West and to document it as it is in the period of time that I lived. I’ve found over the years that I really don’t like doing this sort of formal portrait where the lighting is very controlled and the person is posed. Some of those portraits are just spectacular, but for me it doesn’t give the real mood, the feeling, the personality and all of the things that I like to capture in my portraits. … I wanted to show them in the dirt, and the grit, and what they really do, and the weather that they’re really in, not some lit-up thing with strobes and everything. I don’t want to knock the guys that do that, because that’s a real art to be able to do that, I’m just saying it’s not my style.”

horses in movies and television” with Audrey Pavia

“ ‘But it’s just a horse …’ “If I had a pound for each time I have heard this phrase, I would be a very rich woman. Actually, the truth is that I am rich due to horses. Not in the monetary sense that most people would think in terms of wealth. Rather, in terms of knowledge, love, compassion, life lessons and experiences that I have been privileged to have been gifted by numerous horses.” Author Holly Davis in the introduction to “From Their Heart to Yours: Inspirational horses and the people who love them”

Photographer David Stoecklein in an interview with Outdoor Photographer. David, whose work has been featured on the cover of America’s

Horse and countless other publications, calendars and books, died in November at age 65.

“We watched the wonder of the newborn foal repeatedly trying to stand on its spindly legs until finally succeeding, only to fall again seconds later. It’s no act of futility. It’s an equine Pilates class. With each attempt, a foal’s coordination increases, as does its strength. … Soon the sun was rising, baby tucked up against mare, and it was clear to every one of us, exhausted and exhilarated, that at that moment, all truly was right with the world.” From “Saving Baby: How one woman’s love for a racehorse led to her redemption,” by Jo Anne Normile and Lawrence Lindner

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Shop .com today for commemorative 75th anniversary merchandise!

≤ t ra i l h o rs e

These stories originally appeared in the April 2008 issue of America’s Horse.

Editor’s Note:

This ride combines endurance, camaraderie and history. Story and photos

by Holly Clanahan

ADRENALINE PUMPING, TWO DEAD BODIES IN THE STREET AND the chain from his shackles spooking his horse, William Bonney – better known as Billy the Kid – was running for his life. Billy had been jailed in Lincoln, New Mexico, for the shooting of a sheriff (stories vary as to how culpable he actually was), and he had a death sentence hanging over his head. There was only one way to save his skin, and that was with a jail break. So when Billy saw an opportunity, he seized it. He reluctantly shot a deputy who had befriended him (some say he apologized to the body before he galloped out of town), and when a second deputy heard the commotion and came running, Billy shot him, too. He mounted up and began making his way to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, 125 miles away – calling on ranchers along the way to help him out. One even cut off the shackles that were dangling from one of Billy’s legs. As the story goes, once Billy was in Fort Sumner, Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked him down there and sent the celebrated outlaw to meet his maker. What remains is a story that reverberates 127 years later – a romantic synopsis of the Old West and the men who made it legendary.

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After a hearty breakfast – and saddling up in the dark – riders on the Billy the Kid ride were mounted by sunrise. Long days in the saddle were tiring, but provided a sense of accomplishment.

Billy’s last ride was a grueling one – over rock-strewn mountains and desert plains. Without seeing the beautiful but rugged country of southern New Mexico firsthand, you can hardly imagine how welcome the ranchers’ hospitality must have been. It’s one of those you-had-to-have-been there experiences. And actually, you can be. Thanks to the efforts of a former county extension agent, riders can retrace what was roughly Billy’s route in 1881. Rex Buchman – who now ranches, trains horses and gives clinics in his hometown of Elmdale, Kansas – was trying to develop ag tourism around Fort Sumner when the owner of a historic hotel in Lincoln approached him about riding from Lincoln to Fort Sumner. “We were trying to connect (the two towns) because we both share Billy the Kid,” Rex says. And in 2002, he began taking customers on the route, which goes across more than 20 parcels of privately owned land and takes a week to complete. The efforts have been noticed and appreciated by tourism bigwigs. “It is incredible how everyone has come together to create this living monument to Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett and the wild West of southern New Mexico,” says Mike Cerletti, secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. And it is quite an undertaking by the time you coordinate food (catered by a dutch-oven cook), sleeping arrangements (which usually consist of cowboy bedrolls, with a night or two in an actual bed, with showers) and horses (which can be brought in by owners or rented), but all involved say it’s well worthwhile. “This ride has just been unbelievable,” says Tony Redmond, who traveled to New Mexico from Denmark. He’s a cowboy aficionado and motorcycle shop owner who often wears 1880’s-style clothes at home, and he splurged on this trip as an early birthday present to himself. “Where I come from, if you look out, you can see a house. You can never, ever not see a house or two or three. You get out on these plains, and you can’t see anything,” he says, extolling the sheer vastness of the scenery. “I find it fascinating to think that somebody walked here a couple hundred years ago, not knowing what was on the other side and not knowing what

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was coming.” It’s also interesting for these riders to consider how hardened riders must’ve been in the 1800s. After all, those cowboys were used to spending all day, every day in the saddle. “About three hours is the absolute maximum that I’ve ever sat” in the saddle, Tony says. “It has been hard.” One day on the 2007 ride takes riders 45 miles, and by week’s end, they had traveled 140 miles. “Yeah, we’re all sore,” Tony admits on the morning of the last day, “You’ve got the pain when you get off the horse or when you saddle the horse, but you walk around for two or three minutes and a lot of the pain goes away. And then you start thinking about what you’ve seen, and then the pain doesn’t matter.” Rex knows this ride isn’t for the faint of heart. “I like to say it’s not a trail ride. We have to use that word for expediency, but it’s not a trail ride,” he says. “It’s a historic ride. We’re trying to travel across the country like they would have traveled (in 1881). You know, a modern-day trail ride is not how people traveled from Lincoln to Fort Sumner. I like to tell people that there’s an element of endurance that goes with it.” Organizers do try to make it as comfortable as possible, with hearty, delicious meals and campfire camaraderie of the first order. It was the evenings around the fire, cradling a tin cup of coffee and trading stories, that made the ride memorable for 76-year-old Gordon Schieman of Parker, Colorado. This retired Air Force lawyer (who rode horses while stationed in Turkey and Alaska) is an avid skier who loves the challenge of taking Tony Redmond of Denmark enjoyed the 2007 Billy the Kid ride so much that he was planning a return trip this month.

Ride coordinator Rex Buchman, riding Cowboy Moonglo, makes everyone feel like he or she is instantly among friends.

long rides on his good Quarter Horse, Tru Quick Twist. “It’s the same when you go skiing, when you get together in the evening and you talk about the day and you laugh. That adds a lot to it.” The riders talked horses, and they talked history, aided by Brett McInnes, the son of a Lincoln historian who rode along in character, expertly playing the role of Billy the Kid. He couldn’t be stumped. And Gordon enjoyed the days on horseback, too, serving as a role model for younger riders who admired his toughness. His advice to them? Just stay active. “Don’t quit, because it’s hard to get restarted again once you quit.” Rex was among his admirers. “We’ve had some amazing people come on this ride,” he says. In previous years, a man who had lost both legs in an electrical accident was among the riders. Rex’s admiration was clear – for both these men and all of the other riders who are now considered friends. “Because of the way this ride’s designed, you start out strangers, and you’re almost family by the time you get done,” he says. “This ride can be a healing experience for people. It’s long enough and far enough and lonesome enough that it has all of the ingredients. We didn’t set out to do it like that, but it has all the ingredients that someone who’s going through a rough time in their life needs. “The outside of the horse is good for the inside of the man,” Rex says, and the people on the ride absolutely “are the best part of the deal.” But, of course, horses, too, are of utmost importance. For those who are bringing their own mounts, “we spent a lot of time talking about and thinking about how to leg your horse up for this ride,” Rex says. Rex and the other organizers are always on the lookout for any tack that might rub or gall a horse, because after all, most riders never keep their gear on their horses for that long and might not know what a daylong ride with dirty gear, for example, will do.

Gordon Schieman and Tru Quick Twist often take long trail rides together.

For those who don’t want to bring their own horse, Kim Chesser of the Burnt Well Guest Ranch in Roswell, New Mexico, supplies rental horses. (This family owned and oriented guest ranch was featured in the September 2008 issue of America’s Horse.) And last year, Rex brought a few of his own horses, including Docs Heart Bracre, Hollywood San Doll, Shy 101 and Cowboy Moonglo. They were all cowy, athletic horses who made the trip with no problems and with satisfied riders, leaving Rex glowing. “You know how it is, everybody likes to have somebody brag on their kids and their horses,” he says, grinning. So whether you’re a horse buff or a history buff – or maybe a little of both – you’ll be intrigued by this ride, which actually follows Billy’s route backwards, from Fort Sumner to Lincoln. In 2007, riders arrived in Lincoln on April 28, the exact anniversary of Billy’s escape from the Lincoln County Jail. And this quaint, historic town planned a “fandango” that coincided with their arrival. There was dancing, food and talks by local historians who made the evening one to remember. Riding toward the Capitan Mountains and watching them grow slowly larger, riders can see their destination for days. Billy the Kid is a constant theme, as landowners tell stories that have been handed down through the generations. The ride even goes by the remains of a rock house that, according to some sources, is where Billy had his shackles cut off. And back in the cook shack is someone who takes more than a passing interest in the “Billy” stories bouncing around the campfire. Candy Ditto of Hobbs, New Mexico, who helps with the cooking, is a relative of James Bell, the first deputy shot by Billy the Kid during his escape. “Billy always said he was a really nice man, and he hated to do what he did, but he had to. It was necessary, I guess,” Candy says. Her husband, Dr. Vaughn Ditto, is a chiropractor, who also went along on the 2007 ride and gave adjustments to those who needed it. “I think he kept everybody going,” Candy says. It was just another perk that made the ride doable for the 21st century cowboys and girls. “I want to make it so people can achieve their goals,” Rex says, “but I don’t want to take too much of the degree of difficulty out of it, because part of the essence of this ride is when they get done, they can say, ‘I did it.’ ” For Tony, it was an accomplishment worth remembering. During the 2007 ride, he wrote his impressions down in a journal, so that when he went back to “the normal world,” he could read his musings and transport himself back in time. “It’s a special deal,” he says, “maybe once in a lifetime.” Except that he’s coming back for the 2008 ride – along with Gordon and several other repeat customers. A M E R I C A’ S H O R S E J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Cowgirl Day-Camp BECKY NEWELL

AQHA MEMBER REX BUCHMAN IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS

BECKY NEWELL

to weave together horses, history and people. A few months after the Billy the Kid ride in New Mexico, Rex hosted a little more than a dozen women and their horses on his own turf – his family’s ranch in the historic, rolling Flint Hills of east central Kansas. A nearly 200-mile-long stretch of tallgrass prairie, the Flint Hills extend from near the Nebraska border south into Oklahoma. Explorer Zebulon Pike named the Flint Hills in 1806 for the cobbles of flint-like chert that glinted through the tall prairie grasses, according to an article on www.travelks.com. Big bluestem grass nourished by minerals in the limestone grows so tall that early explorers wrote of having to stand up in the saddle to get their bearings, according to the article. Since the deeply seated limestone prevented any kind of farming, the settlers built farm and ranch houses, buildings and barns, fence posts and sign posts with the chalk- and rust-colored rock, and then they brought in cattle. The women attending Rex’s clinic that day last fall were familiar enough with the Flint Hills because they were from Topeka, which sits on the eastern edge of the Flint Hills, about 70 miles from the ranch. But most of the women and their horses weren’t accustomed to ranch work, and that includes gathering and sorting cows off the range, which is what Rex had planned for them. “I wanted to help Rex get his horse business going, so I suggested an all-ladies ride as I knew my group of ‘extreme friends’ – we’d like to compete in an extreme cowboy contest sometime in the future – would love to go ride in the Flint Hills,” says Jo Turner of Topeka, who brought her 2-year-old colt, Chicafire, to ride at the clinic. “My personal attraction was: 1. the Flint Hills – they are ‘spiritual’ to me – so relaxing and peaceful, plus the beauty of the land is breathtaking; 2. the opportunity to work with cattle and learn how

Water, trees and rocks were just some of the obstacles negotiated on the trail.

the old-time ranchers sorted off the fattest beef to go to market – all on horseback in an open pasture; and 3. anytime I can ride with someone else, I learn something.” After the cows were gathered in a small meadow, each rider got to cut a cow from the herd, while the rest of the riders served as herd holders, keeping the cows confined to a particular area of the meadow. “The assignments gave everyone a chance to experience a historic Flint Hills event – like what it was like in the 1800s when fat steers were sorted off and sent by rail to Kansas City, Chicago or other distant markets,” Rex says. “In this case, though, the cows were gentle in order to facilitate the kind of slow work it takes to teach horses and humans the subtleties of proper ‘cow work.’ ” Most of the horses – some Quarter Horses, a few paints and a Thoroughbred-Clydesdale cross named William – hadn’t ever seen a cow. Despite some snorts and sidesteps from a few of the horses, the gathering and sorting turned out to be a good exercise. After lunch, the crew departed on a two-hour trail ride on the ranch, where the ladies and their horses navigated long hills, tiny trails through thick growths of trees, water, rocks, fallen trees and a few more cows. “This was my colt’s first overnight trip away from home and group ride,” says Jo. “Plus, it was my third ride on him – I had just gotten him home from the trainer two weeks prior to the event. I identified some skills we need to work on, and he matured a little from the experience. I was very pleased at the way he liked working cattle. I was also pleased that we were able to lope quite a bit and negotiate so many different obstacles in the woods, creeks and ravines. Overall, my confidence increased both in him as a horse and in my riding abilities, as it has been a long time since I have ridden a 2-year-old. It was a bonding experience for both of us.” BY BECKY NEWELL Contact Rex Buchman at brbuch man@gmail.com for details on future clinics.

Moving and sorting cattle was a whole new experience for most of the horses at the clinic.

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BREEDING A LEGACY 75 YEARS OF AMERICAN ≤UARTER HORSES at the American ≤uarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum January – July 2015

Learn more about this exhibit at

quarterhorsemuseum.com Funded in part by Dr. Kent Roberts and Ilene Roberts Balliett Foundation and Haythorn Land & Cattle Co.

≤ s a g e re m a r k s

“I reckon just about every human in the world that was raised on a cow ranch, worked as a cowboy, or just plain rode for pleasure knew and loved a horse like Old Snip. In the memory of us all, there is one old pony that comes to mind more often than all the others. A horse to do a little braggin’ about. That’s the kind of horse Old Snip was.”

“When we were filming (the 1969 Western) ‘100 Rifles,’ there was a moment when we were shooting sort of a charge … I think maybe a hundred horses and riders. And we had a stunt coordinator who … well, stunt guys often think they’re very tough, and I can’t stand that macho attitude. This stunt coordinator gave me a horse, and I sat on the damn thing for about two minutes, and I said, ‘I don’t like this horse. This is a dangerous horse.’ And (the stunt coordinator) said, ‘C’mon, what’s the matter with you?’ I said, ‘Give me another horse.’ So he rode that horse … and the damn thing bucked him off about 10 minutes later. I loved it.” Actor Eric Braeden (Victor Newman from “The Young and the Restless”), talking about his love of the West with Cowboys & Indians magazine.

“At her stabling area on Sunday, (Hillary Dobbs, daughter of Fox Business Network anchor Lou Dobbs) swiftly readied herself for her first competition of the week, placing a net over her long, thick hair, polishing her boots and pulling on spurs. Her right sock was inside out. She accidentally put it on that way once and won her biggest competition as a junior, the Prix des States. ‘After that, I wasn’t going to change anything,’ she said.” From a New York Times story on show jumping

Author and cowboy Max Evans in “For the Love of a Horse”

referring to TR Dashing Badger’s sprint in Round 1

“Her horse ambled up to the red, white and blue beach ball that served as the beginners’ game ball and stopped. His ears drooped slightly, his eyes half closed, and he gave a huge horse sigh. The animal obviously had other places he’d rather be. “ ‘Listen up, horse,’ Billie said. ‘I’m paying forty bucks for a morning of polo. Forty bucks, you got that? That would pay for a pedicure. The least you could do is pretend to enjoy this.’ “The horse snorted “ ‘My sentiments exactly,’ she muttered. “Billie aimed carefully at her beach ball, swung the mallet in a loop over her head and completely missed her target. The mallet slipped from her grasp and hurtled halfway across the field.”

of the 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

Author Janet Evanovich in “Full House”

“Well, it was a typical ‘Dolly’ run. When my eyes are about as big as saucers, and I have no idea where we’re going is usually when she clocks pretty well. I was going across to the second barrel, thinking, ‘Uh oh, which side are we going to go on?’ and she got a little tight on the third, but luckily we got by.” Barrel racer Jill Moody of Letcher, South Dakota,

“Training a horse is like an artist painting a picture. It’s hard to keep from painting too much or training too much.” Buster Welch in “Buster Says …” compiled by Tommy Houston

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