FAPPANI INTERVIEW

BY TRACY WAGER

Q - You competed on Teton Ridge’s YAKETYYAKDONTALKBAK at the NRCHA Cow Horse Derby in Scottsdale. How does it feel to compete at a higher level in Cow Horse on such a nice horse?

A - I had a really big sense of accomplishment. You know, my first Cow Horse show ever was a year ago at the same show. Basically, last year in the Cow Horse with him, we did not make it past the first go-around. We had some trouble and I realized how much I still have to learn. So that’s why I bought that horse. I bought him as a four-yearold to kind of get some experience, and you know, there was a lot of work to do on the horse and on myself. So, we put our heads down and I never really went to any other horse shows with him until this year. Because I knew that until I felt good at home and felt that I made some big improvements on myself and on him, that there was no point of going and showing. This year definitely felt a lot better, but still there was that question, “Am I going to be able to feel what I’m doing at home in the show pen, since I haven’t shown since a year ago?” So, to be able to go there and make the Open Finals with such great guys was really great! I know how hard it could be to even make it to the finals, it was definitely a great feeling. I mean there’s a lot of work and I have a lot of admiration for those guys. It’s not an easy thing to do, to be good at three different events. It’s definitely hard on the horse and the rider.

Q - You have just returned from the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City showing Starjac Vintage in the finals, also owned by Teton Ridge. Two big shows, two different disciplines what motivates you to take on that challenge?

A - I just want to always better myself as a Horseman, and to me over the last twenty plus years in the Reining, I have always studied my videos and try to perfect myself and try to stay on top of the Reining. I keep modernizing my type of Reining to what the judges want to see and maybe even present something that the judges haven’t seen yet. But it gets kind of tiring to do it over and over and over. So, I wanted to challenge myself with something new. I wanted to see if bringing in a different discipline would be something that motivated me and that maybe even helped my Reining. And it sure did! It opened my mind to different things. Cow Horse gave me a whole new perspective of coming to work in the morning and trying new things and to see if it works or not. This has basically brought back some of the feelings that I had twentyfive years ago in the Reining. I think it freshened up my Reining also because it broadened my horizon a little bit more about how a horse can think on his own a little bit more and not try to control it all as much. For me, it was definitely a challenge to myself, to spur me into doing more and to stay sharp. And it definitely did that. You know, I’m walking into the show pen in the Cow Horse event and having those jitters that I used to have 25 years ago walking into a Reining pen. Not knowing what that cow was going to be like and all those uncertainties. You know it brings your adrenaline up, and I love that feeling! So, it definitely helped that way.

Q - The upcoming event, Taylor Sheridan’s The Run for a Million, promises intense competition, a sold-out arena, television filming, and the glamorous setting of Las Vegas. How do you maintain focus on such a grand stage?

A - Well, I’m kind of fortunate to where the bigger the event, the easier it is for me to focus. Meaning that I’m not the type of person that has to force myself into focusing. I am almost the other way, where I’ve got to try to relax a little bit more. Sometimes I’m almost over thinking it, so for me I always look forward to either the Reining Futurity finals or the Run for the Million. For me, in the Cow Horse finals, it was a big deal because it was the first time that I had ever made it. Whenever I am on a bigger stage, it seems like I tend to perform a little bit better and it’s a good feeling for me. So, I’m looking forward to it. You know, I’ve been second twice a that event, and it’s one that definitely I would love to have off my bucket list before the time comes that I retire from showing. I would love to say that I am, “The Run for A Million Champion”. I got close, with only a half a point behind two times. I know that I’ve got what it takes to be there. It’s just putting it together for that run, on that night. Last year I was at 234 and ended up second, you know? I mean, to mark a 234 and not win, it’s unheard of! But that’s what this stage brings, it brings the best of the best. I am looking forward to it for sure!

Q - Growing up on your family’s dairy farm in Italy, where cattle work has been a tradition in your mother’s family for five generations, did those experiences provide you with valuable insights for competing in cow horse events?

A - Well, yes and no. I have been around cows in the first part of my life for a long-time, so it does help in the fact that it’s not something completely new. So, pressure points, how to move cows around, and where to be at all times definitely helps. But as far as the showing experience, which is what I’m lacking right now, that does not come with just being around cows, you’ve got to put yourself in that show pen. That’s where it’s always going to be a little bit of a challenge for me. The guys that show at the top level in the Cow Horse where they are in the arena and going down the fence pretty much day in and day out, or every other day. For me,

Platinum Vintage

Andrea with Taylor Sheridan at The Run for a Million

when I only have a horse or two and I can only go to a couple of shows a year, it’s definitely going to be a little bit of a challenge and I realize that. So, it’s not like I expect to be right up there with those guys all the time. But I think that there’s a lot to learn. So yes and no. It definitely helped as far as the training part of it, but as far as showing, it’s definitely something that I still have to learn about.

Q - You recently competed in The American Performance Horse in Arlington Texas in a stadium setting, set-up for a serious television production. What is one key you can share for those aspiring to compete on the big stage?

A -I think, it’s a mental game, no matter what kind of discipline you do, it’s always about the mental. Mental for the horse, mental for the rider. So, you have to be prepared mentally. For me that’s been my strength throughout my career, I never show up at an event where I feel unprepared. So, I’m confident going into the show pen.

Even if I know there’s going to be some variables, I am confident that I know a hundred percent that I gave it all my best.

I think that a lot of people maybe work hard the last couple of weeks before the show, but they realize in the back of their mind that maybe six months ago when the time really mattered and there was the time to put in, maybe they slacked off a little bit. So, for me, I’m looking at the week after the Futurity. That’s when I’m putting my head down and I’m going to work on my coming next year Futurity horses. Because I know that pretty quick in August, I’m going to be on the road a lot. A lot of guys stress out leading up to a Pre-Futurity in September. They are thinking, “Oh my gosh, we’re on the road a lot!” But myself, I’m just laughing, because I worked seven days a week for the last six months! And even if I lose a little bit of time now, it’s not that big of a deal. So, for me, being prepared and putting in the hard work when people are not watching, not just on the big stage, that’s when it really matters. And preparation is everything! If you feel prepared, that gives you confidence, and then on the big stage, it doesn’t really matter anymore.