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You could say that the love of good horses, and each
other, is what brought Ronnie and Vicki Kent together.
The Graceville, Florida couple had been involved
in the horse industry individually for many years
until some eight years ago when they merged their
lives, families, and horses to form RV Quarter Horses.
Ronnie and Vicki first met many years ago while attending
horse shows when their children were showing together
at the Wiregrass Circuit in Dothan, Alabama. Who knew
that this chance meeting would somehow lead to a life
together?
Ronnie Kent grew up on a farm where his father raised
horses and used them for work. It is very close to
where he lives now. Ronnie has two sons, Brad and Brian,
and a daughter, Regina. He has enjoyed riding horses
since 1982 which was the year Regina got her first
horse and began competing at open shows. Three years
later his oldest son, Brad, got involved in the show
scene, so Ronnie decided to start showing with him.
They had two horses they were showing – Miss Pressive
and a stud, Cee James Caan, who they used for raising
foals. Ronnie’s next purchase was a mare named Miss
Good Cookie. He bought this mare from Stanley and Susan
Scott of Ocala, Florida. Miss Good Cookie earned a
Superior in both Amateur and Open Western Pleasure
and she was the first horse Ronnie qualified for the
AQHA World Show. She is now one of the top broodmares
at RV Quarter Horses.
Vicki started her life with horses as a young girl
when she and her brother decided to use their lunch
money to buy, and then board, a horse. When their father
learned about their endeavor, he began to help them
with the board and upkeep. Soon Vicki started showing
at the local shows.
Vicki has three daughters, Christie, Michelle, and
Jamie. They all showed horses, each beginning their
show careers at five years-old competing at open shows.
Vicki enjoyed hauling her daughters to shows and watching
them compete. She even made all of their show clothes.
In 1992, Vicki was lucky enough to get a nice young
stud colt from a cross between the stud Dun Won It
and the mare Zips Poco Pine. Having bred, raised and
shown Quarter Horses for 20 years, she felt she had
a great one. The young colt’s name was Zips Dun Won
It.
By the time this colt reached two years old, he was
16 hands, handsome, and a pleasure to be around. He
was also awesome to ride. Vicki won most of the major
AQHA and NSBA futurities in the Southeast on Zips Dun
Won It. He was headed to the World Show, with a great
chance to do well, when he came down with a terrible
viral infection at a show. He foundered and later had
to be euthanized.
Vicki thought she would never have the chance for
another great one, and then three years later she raised
I’ll Be Dun Won It, a full sister to her young stallion.
At 15.2 hands, she is beautiful and she quickly finished
her superior in Western Pleasure as a three year-old.
However, she was never the great horse that her brother
turned out to be and she was retired as a broodmare.
I’ll Be Dun Won It had her second foal the day Ronnie
and Vicki returned from their honeymoon. This foal’s
name is Wonit Ona RV Version. This horse, with which
Vicki is currently leading the nation in Amateur All
Around, Amateur Perfor-mance Geldings, and Amateur
Trail, will be showing with her at the 2008 Bayer Select
World Show in those events along with Western Pleasure,
Horsemanship, Western Riding, and Equitation.
I’ll Be RV Radical came along two years later. Ronnie
is currently showing her and competing at the 2008
Bayer Select World Show in Performance Mares, Western
Pleasure, and Trail.
The Kent’s love of showing horses has been obvious
this year as they have been seen at all the Florida
winter circuits, Arizona Sun Circuit, March to the
Arch, East Coast Championship, Boystown Circuit, Texas
Classic, Red Bud Circuit, and the Big A Circuit, to
mention a few. Winning at these shows is even more
special when it’s done with someone you love that shares
the same passion.
Ronnie and Vicki feel very fortunate to have Michael
Colvin helping along the way. They now have their sights
set on the Bayer Select World Show, the Congress, and
the AQHA World Show. Everyone in the group contributes
to their success. From Clint Ainsworth making sure
those patterns are laid out properly to Brian Allen
keeping those shoes fresh with all the miles that are
on them this year.
The Kent’s have taken their best broodmares and bred
them to top stallions to produce many wonderful young
horses. They ride together at home every day and they
even start their two year-olds at the farm. Their daughter,
Christie Arrington, has a barn that is only a half
mile away, so when they need help with something or
with a problem she is always there to lend a hand.
Ronnie and Vicki have 16 grandchildren between them.
They range in age from seven months to 12 years old.
Eight year old Justin Clay Arrington is already hitting
the all around shows in the Small Fry division. It
is safe to say that the Kent’s history in the horse
industry has just as long of a future that looks incredibly
bright.
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