Gene Parker – A Tribute to a Great Horseman
January 16, 2019 Comments Off on Gene Parker – A Tribute to a Great Horseman
On September 29, 2018, the horse world lost one of its best. Gene Parker, 68, owner of Gene Parker Farms in Orrum, North Carolina, passed away at the JP Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.
Continue reading …Leap of Faith – Katelyn Schultz Jumps with No Depth Perception
January 15, 2019 Comments Off on Leap of Faith – Katelyn Schultz Jumps with No Depth Perception
Katelyn Schultz had an exceptional year with her 11-year-old gelding, Dance Somemore (aka Connor). She says her goal for the AQHA Youth World was simply to have solid rounds and have fun. She says, “My biggest thing before every single ride and every single course that I jumped was that I wanted to go in and enjoy my horse. When I went in with that mindset, it obviously worked pretty well for me!”
Continue reading …Assistant Trainer Spotlight – A Look Behind the Curtain
January 10, 2019 Comments Off on Assistant Trainer Spotlight – A Look Behind the Curtain
Behind every great horse trainer is a band of hard-working people, making sure everything stays afloat. You might send your horse to a trainer because of the name and brand they have established; but, in reality, your horse will spend the majority of its time with an assistant. It’s not a glamorous or lucrative job, but it’s a vital part of keeping many programs running smoothly, and these riders deserve recognition.
Continue reading …AZ Fall Championship – More Entries & More Fun!
January 9, 2019 Comments Off on AZ Fall Championship – More Entries & More Fun!
Arizona Quarter Horse Association strives to give exhibitors what they want at all the shows they produce. Delivering towards that goal has been a big component of the upward trajectory of entries at the Arizona Fall Championship. The 2018 show, held September 19-23 in Scottsdale, Arizona, saw 7,603 AQHA class entries, which represents a 17% growth over the previous year.
Continue reading …Planning Your Show Schedule for 2019
January 4, 2019 Comments Off on Planning Your Show Schedule for 2019
As the season of reflection and resolution surrounds us, thoughts turn to charting a course for the coming year. It can be a daunting task with so many competing commitments. Several veterans of the process share their thoughts on planning for the New Year… of horse shows.
Continue reading …NCEA – Team Captains vs. No Team Captains
January 4, 2019 Comments Off on NCEA – Team Captains vs. No Team Captains
“Too many cooks in the kitchen” is a common trope of supervisors and employees alike. I can’t speak for the entire Texas A&M Equestrian Team, but those words were certainly running through my head when Coach Tana McKay announced that we would no longer have a team captain.
Continue reading …Breeding Contract Basics – The Right Essentials
January 2, 2019 Comments Off on Breeding Contract Basics – The Right Essentials
Spring is on the horizon, love is in the air, and so is the promise of breeding season. The excitement of what each new cross may bring is the lure and magic that motivates every mare owner. Choosing a stallion for a mare offers unrivaled anticipation. Amid the fun and frenzy of breeding is that pesky little detail of paperwork, a necessity that protects both the interests of the mare owner and the stallion owner.
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Ask anyone at your local horse show and they will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that showing horses is an addiction. If the horse show bug bites, you will be stuck with a life-long craving for the feel of freshly raked arenas, the scent of Show Sheen, and the sound of an announcer’s booming voice over the loudspeaker. This glorious obsession is often terminal, spanning the decades between Youth and Select, and acts as one of the defining interests of an individual’s life.
Continue reading …Amateur Spotlight – Laina Banks & Strawberri Wine
December 28, 2018 Comments Off on Amateur Spotlight – Laina Banks & Strawberri Wine
Some people are just born with horses in their blood. Such is the case for AQHA Select Amateur competitor Laina McNelis Banks, of Schulenberg, Texas. Originally from Boise, Idaho, Laina was raised on a ranch where her family raised Quarter Horse racehorses and owned a World Champion racing stallion.
Continue reading …EC Amateur Profile – Caroline Bradley
November 15, 2018 Comments Off on EC Amateur Profile – Caroline Bradley
The past three years have been a whirlwind of excitement for 17 year-old Caroline Bradley of Lubbock, Texas. Although she has always loved horses and ridden since the age of five, the daughter of Dr. Jason Bradley and his wife, Anne, was so green to big-time showing that when she won her first significant title, an AQHA Level 1 Championship in Youth Working Hunter with Envy This One in 2015, she didn’t even know what a victory lap was. Since then, she has become quite accustomed to that time-honored tradition and is racking up even more titles.
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