Breeding Confidence Through
HORSEMANSHIP Story by Katlyn Sanden Traveling around the United States together is just what the Hochstatter family of Wyanet does. Usually with a horse trailer in tow, the trio consisting of Travis, Heather, and their daughter, Quincy, can be found following the Jr. High Rodeo Circuit. As challenging as it can get working with unpredictable animals and teenagers, the trio agrees there’s nothing better than the memories made together in the show barn. “Honestly, we weren’t sure if Quincy was ever going to get involved with horses,” Heather said. “I think she didn’t show any interest because when horses are there all the time, it’s not really that exciting.” She’s referring to the days Quincy was young and when
“I really just wanted to start riding to see what it would be like. I saw my cousin riding horses and thought it was amazing. I really wanted to do it.” Quincy Hochstatter they started their own business breeding horses. It wasn’t just a hobby. It was, and still is, their livelihood. The young family lived in Texas for a bit, but it wasn’t until they moved back to Illinois that Quincy started to get excited about what was right in front of her. “That’s when Quincy said, ‘I want to show at the 4-H fair,’” Heather said. “She was
eight, and we were both like, ‘Awesome, let’s do it!’ At that point, we literally spent more time saddling the horse and getting the horse ready, and she’d ride for five minutes. It was a ton of work at that time, but anytime she wanted to ride, we’d let her ride. We didn’t push her. It was fun for us to get back into it at that See HOCHSTATTER page 11
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Parent | July 2022 9
