Becky George talks about her horses with the easy confidence of a woman who knows her job well and loves what she does. This lifelong rider and competitor holds multiple World Championships going back to her youth, where she grew up surrounded by horses at her parent’s active show and boarding stable in Indiana. Today, she is at the helm of Becky George Show Horses where she oversees a busy operation including breeding, sales, training and coaching. She and her clients compete at the top levels of Quarter Horse, Pinto and Paint competition. She says, “Horses have been a big part of my life ever since I can remember. I have competed since I was a kid. When I got out of Youth competition, I took over my parents’ facility in Indiana and ran it for a while.” She laughs and continues, “But the truth is, I really don’t like the cold and all that snow so when an opportunity came for me to move south, I took it.”
Today, along with her partner Brent Husky, she runs Becky George Show Horses out of Tomball, Texas, turning out some of the top Western Pleasure and All Around Quarter Horses and Paints in the country. It’s a busy operation but Becky thrives on the challenges that come with running a successful breeding, training and show stable. She says, “I started out with the Quarters, then got more into Paints. But it’s come around so today I have more Quarters than Paints in my barn, but we still show both. The horses are my life and I have a wonderful group of clients. Even after so many years in this business, I still get excited about competing and helping my horses and clients reach their full potential in the show pen.”
Along the way, Becky has earned some impressive titles including World Champion in Junior Western Riding in the APHA, Multiple World Championship titles at the 2007 Pinto World Show, World Champion in Western Riding at the 2009 Pinto World Show, Reserve World Champion in SPB Western Pleasure at the 2008 Paint Worlds and a slew of Honor Roll awards. Her clients consistently place at the top in the best competition and in 2010 Becky took multiple top five and top ten places at the Reichert Celebration, Pinto World Championship Show, and the APHA Fall World Championship Show.
George is modest about her accomplishments, and she is quick to share credit for her success with the horses, clients and her partner, Brent. She says, “I’ve been blessed with some great horses and I am lucky to work with amazing clients. I couldn’t do all I’ve done without Brent. Our interests and strengths really complement each other. He handles a lot of the breeding and working with the young horses so I can focus on training, teaching and a show schedule that keeps me on the road almost every weekend. It’s hectic, but I get up every morning loving what I do.”
Her recipe for success is rooted in a simple, straightforward philosophy, “We sell a lot of our horses as all-around horses. My basis for that is to start them out as a good pleasure horse. I look for a really strong-legged horse with a real good hock and, most importantly, a good mind. You really need that good mind when you go to teach the All-Around. If it’s a really good horse that is easy to prepare, those are the ones that are going to make good all-around horses because they have to handle competing in a variety of classes.” When asked if she believes certain bloodlines are more desirable, she responds, “Well, I think everyone gets along with and has preferences for different bloodlines. It depends on the person’s program. We’ve had a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I’ve had a couple by Hot Roddin’s Zippo that I was successful with and I also really like the Huntin’ For Chocolates. We have our own stud now that we’re very excited about.”
‘Only In Hollywood’ is Becky and Brent’s magnificent 2006 APHA/AQHA stallion by Investment Option out of Maid Bit A Star. This handsome sorrel stallion with graceful movement and a sweet personality is the whole package. According to Becky, “Like most people in the business, we’re a big fan of the Investor breeding, and he’s a real big, real pretty horse. I’ve been so busy with my clients that I haven’t put a lot of time into showing him yet, but last year he won the circuit championship in Junior Western Pleasure at the Denver National Stock Show where he was first under all six judges in Paint competition. Our goal this year is to show him in Green Western Riding and Green Trail at both Quarter Horse and Paint shows. He’s well put together conformationally and he’s a very good looking horse with a great disposition and he throws those qualities. We’ve been really happy with the babies we got from him in 2010. They all have beautiful movement and are built really well. They have a nice, big hock, flat knees and they are very pretty with a couple of them being double-registered. It’s going to be fun to bring them along. We’ve also put together a quality band of broodmares and we have fifteen Only In Hollywood foals expected in 2011. I can’t wait to see what we’ll get from him this coming spring.” Only In Hollywood will be standing to outside mares at David Riddle’s World Class Horses in 2011 and all foals are eligible for Breeder’s Trust, Incentive Fund, and NSBA.
With such a rigorous schedule juggling horses, clients, sales, breeding, training and a non-stop show season on the road, Becky still greets each day with enthusiasm. She says, “I wake up every morning and can’t really believe I am able to make a living doing something I love to do. I just really, really enjoy being around the horses and I take a great deal of pride in my clients’ succes.” She is thoughtful for a moment before continuing, “Even on the occasional day when the thought of riding fifteen horses in the heat can seem a little overwhelming, the minute I get to the barn or swing into the saddle, that all goes away and at the end of the day it all seems to have gone by so fast. It is incredibly satisfying to bring a horse along or work with a client to get them to the point where they achieve success in the show ring.”
Becky admits that the pressure of show season can be daunting, “The hardest part is learning to balance the schedule, keeping all your horses maintained and trained at home while keeping up with the demands of a show season on the road. Brent and I have worked it out really well in the eight years we’ve been together, and we can depend on each other. He handles the breeding, sales and starting the babies. He has even started showing which is great because he is so good with the horses and we have quite a few youngsters to get out there in the show pen this year. We work well together because he allows me to completely focus on the horses and our clients. It’s a real team effort and our partnership has allowed me to develop a very strong program.”
The couple is able to add balance to the rigors of a life immersed in horses by mastering the art of the stay-cation. “We love afternoon trips to the lake,” says Becky. “Here in the Houston area, the heat can be pretty tough so I try to get the horses ridden early in the day before the heat makes it impossible. We bought a boat, and I love wakeboarding. It’s my fun thing to do! We try to get to the lake every chance we get, and on those hot afternoons when the horses are all set, we take off to relax or go water skiing or wakeboarding and it’s like we’ve taken a small vacation. We come back completely refreshed and ready for the next day.”
The couple also tries to fit in mini-trips around their demanding schedule. Becky smiles when she says, “The horses really are our whole life and that’s the way we want it. I’m riding all day and we’re working with them all day, then we’re on the road almost every weekend to all the big shows so we don’t have much time to take long vacations. When I’m on the road, though, I try to take in some of the attractions in each city away from the horse show and that’s fun.” The couple’s big escape is an occasional trip to Las Vegas. Becky says, “Once in a while, we’ll just take a getaway to Vegas. There’s so much to do there, I just love it. We’ll take four days there and when we come back, I’m ready to get back into our routine here with the horses. It’s important to take a little break now and then to refocus and keep a good perspective on the horses and the business.” She laughs and says, “It’s great to get away, but after a few days, we’re both thinking about the horses and wondering how they’re doing and it’s always good to get back. It’s all about balance. This is the life I’ve known since I was a kid and I wouldn’t change it.”
Becky is looking forward to another successful year with her Youth and Amateur competitors and the Becky George string of show horses. “We’ll be putting some serious miles on the road getting to all the shows, but we have a lot of talent in our clients and horses and it will be fun to get out there and show what we can do,” she says. The lessons her clients learn about hard work and perseverance can be related to other aspects of life. “I tell anyone who’s interested in this that it’s all about getting out there, taking the first step to try it and then sticking with it. It’s about practice, patience and constantly looking to improve your performance. If you have a setback, learn from it, ask for help and keep going. Set your goals, work hard and eventually you’ll get it right. That kind of success is a tremendous feeling and I am blessed to have a job where I can do that with my horses and clients.”
