PREMIER - August 2024 by PremierSires

Jessica Wolf Hart Chases Her Passion with Western Pleasure Mare Cherry Lime Made

Jessica Wolf Hart is a self-proclaimed mare person. “Mares make you work for it,” says Hart. “When you need them to step up for big moments, they will. In my experience, mares have so much try.”

Hart’s current partner, Cherry Lime Made or Pippy, has proven that since the start of her show career. The fiveyear-old mare is by Machine Made and out of Shes Only Pleasure, a daughter of RL Best of Sudden. In 2022, Cherry Lime Made stepped up in a big way for her first outing, winning the March To The Arch Maiden Western Pleasure slot class and bringing home $14,000 with trainer Brian Ale aboard.

Later that year, Hart and Cherry Lime Made debuted in the non-pro events at The Premier. “I was very happy with our first three-year-old non-pro ride,” says Hart. The team left The Premier in 2022 earning $1500. At the 2022 NSBA World Show, Hart placed third in the Three-Year-Old NonPro Western Pleasure. “We were thrilled to be top five at our second show together,” says Hart. “Being able to hold our own in that class of competition is something to be proud of. There were a lot of really nice horses showing and I’m proud of how well we did.”

Later that year at The All-American Quarter Horse Congress, Ale and Cherry Lime Made were finalists in the Open Three-Year-Old Western Pleasure and placed Top 15 in the Limited Three-Year-Old Western Pleasure. “They had two really solid rides at her first Congress,” Hart says. “We were all very happy with how well she did.”

Hart’s journey with Cherry Lime Made has been a long time in the making. After losing her longtime show partner, Skips Sudden Rewards or Diva, Hart took a break from showing to regroup. “Diva was the first futurity horse I had with my trainer Brian Ale. She was a good pleasure

horse and was, without a doubt, my heart horse. She wasn’t easy. But I’ve found that sometimes the toughest horses are the best ones,” says Hart. Hart and Diva had much success together under Ale’s guidance. “When you lose a horse like that, part of you hurts. I couldn’t bring myself to go to the barn for some time after that.”

Hart shares, “I didn’t think that next horse was out there. It took us a long time to find Pippy. I told Brian, it has to be a mare, and it has to be red.” During the Covid pandemic, Hart saw videos of a young Pippy and shared them with Ale. “Brian and I both really liked her. I think you just know when a horse is special.”

Hart laughs, “I told my husband, who asked how we would have time for another horse given that we both have demanding careers.” Despite the challenges of the pandemic and purchasing a horse across the country, Hart purchased the yearling Pippy in June of 2020 from breeder Tracy Plummer but didn’t have an opportunity to meet her in person until December. “Pippy left Oregon

and went to Oklahoma with Brian. We got a lot of pictures and facetimed,” says Hart.

Hart first swung a leg across the mare in the fall of her two-year-old year at the AQHA World Show. “In the fall of 2021, when Pippy was two, I flew out to ride her at the World Show. She packed me around the practice pen. At that point, Brian and I began talking about our plans for her three-year-old year.”

Hart points out that being on the same page with your trainer is one of the keys to success in planning a young horse’s career. “At the World Show that year, Brian and I began talking about her debut. That’s when he told me he felt the March To The Arch slot class would be a good fit for her. And he was right. I think strong communication with your trainer is incredibly important to having a successful futurity horse.”

Hailing from New York, Hart grew up showing in New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. One of her first amateur horses was a

western pleasure drop out by Don’t Skip Zip named Slow Skippin Eddie. Hart says he was a super fun horse, and they competed together in the all-around.

Like many competitors do, Hart took a break from showing after college to start her career and get married. Though, it didn’t take her long to get back into the arena. “In 2010, when I came back to showing, I bought my first really competitive amateur horse from Brian shortly after he started training. We bought her at the Congress that year. Her name was Miss Potential To Do. She was a great amateur pleasure horse, and

we competed in both the all-around and western pleasure. After her, I realized that western pleasure is really my passion. I just don’t have a desire to count poles,” laughs Hart.

Last year, Hart and her husband relocated to North Carolina to pursue professional opportunities. “I didn’t show as much last year,” she says. We only did The Premier, NSBA World Show, and Congress.” 2024 has proven to be a great year for the pair. “This year we really clicked,” says Hart. “We had two phenomenal shows earlier in the spring where we earned two circuit championships in amateur western pleasure.” She adds, “It can take time to figure each other out, but we are clicking hard core this year.”

At the upcoming NSBA World Show, Hart will be showing Cherry Lime Made in the Amateur Western Pleasure, Limited BCF Non-Pro and BCF Non-Pro Western

Pleasure. Brian will show her in the Junior Western Pleasure and $25K Limited Horse Western Pleasure. Later in the year they will compete at the Congress and AQHA World Show.

I’m excited that this year we will be doing the World Show. I’ve never done the World Show before and last year we made a plan to do it. It’s been important to me to plan for what we’re going after. I don’t believe in winging it. I think that’s true in every area of life, but especially in horse showing,” says Hart.

Developing a long-standing relationship with a trainer you know, and trust makes the planning process that much smoother. Hart and Ale grew up together showing as youth on the East Coast. “Brian and I started showing together as youth kids. I’ve known him for a long time. When I wanted to come back to showing after taking a break for college and to start my career, I called Brian. I’ve been working with him for more than fifteen years, going back to when we were both still in New Jersey.”

Of their long-term partnership and staying together through Ale’s move to Oklahoma and her own move south to North Carolina, Hart shares, “When you find the program and trainer that works for you, you make it work.” Angie Cannizarro has also played a pivotal role in Hart’s success with Pippy. She says, “Angie has helped me a lot this year. She’s been instrumental in getting me where I need to be. Brian has Pippy locked in, and Angie has done a lot to bring me to my best. At CAC, there is definitely a team approach to winning.”

As many in the industry know, there are pros and cons to having your horse

far from home. But Hart and the CAC team have developed a program that works for them and for Pippy.

“With a busy corporate career, I don’t have the option of running to the barn on the weekends. My Saturdays and Sundays are spent doing life things and then I’m out again traveling on Monday or Tuesday.” Because of that busy schedule, Hart says that horse shows allow her an opportunity to disconnect. I usually fly to shows, so when I’m at a horse show, I’m there. It’s a time when I’m disconnected from work. It’s nice because I’m not trying to be two places at once,” she says.

Hart adds, “It’s worked out well for me. Again, it comes back to making a plan for where I’m going to be and when. I think people get burned out trying to do it all at once and balancing working and showing. I think that my approach to planning has allowed me to enjoy this for so long. It’s just really hard to do it all at the same time, if not impossible.”

When she’s not showing, Hart works as a Regional Sales Manager for Hills Pet Nutrition and manages a field sales team. Her territory covers North Carolina, most of South Carolina and into West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois. Despite a demanding career and busy showing schedule, Hart also runs a successful side business rooted in the horse industry—East Coast Show Apparel. Her business specializes in day shirts and custom saddle pads. “Right now, people are looking for show clothing they can get quickly. I carry an assortment of tastes and styles in both ready to wear and custom options, and sell almost exclusively online,” says Hart. “I love the day shirts because they are cost effective and allow shoppers to stretch their budget.”

Her husband Erik is a chef and recently opened a food truck called Wildflour, specializing in New York Pizza. The growing business regularly sets up at local breweries and wineries in the region and has traveled to some horse shows, including the Virginia Maiden.

When the couple isn’t working, they enjoy traveling and spending time with their two crazy cattle dogs Lola and Wyatt.

Article Written by: Elizabeth Arnold

Photography by Lexi Ale and Miranda Taylor Photography