Generations Of Excellence – Inside Pickard Hanson Show Horses
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204 – January/February, 2026
By Jessica O’Connor
A Wish That Sparked a Passion
A childhood cancer diagnosis is tragic, but for some, aspects of the journey help shape their adult lives.
Diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor at around age three, Amber (Hanson) Pickard asked for a horse of her own from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Though she had something a little larger in mind than “Finnigan Begin-Again,” the miniature horse she was gifted by the organization served as an “official” starting point, of sorts, for a life she has created around her love of all things equine.
The Fremont, Michigan, native spent some time as a youth showing 4-H and at open shows, but cites her family’s yearly trips to Congress as one of the driving forces behind her desire to be part of the Quarter Horse industry.
“I didn’t show youth a lot,” she recalls. “I actually kind of went right into working for other horse trainers when I was 15 or 16.”
Amber went on to work for Joe Goodenow and Heather Pelon at Lightning Bar Equine Services, which set the stage for her transition into working as an independent trainer. “Working at Lightning Bar molded me in many ways,” she says, “from breaking and finishing, to preparing sale horses.”
In true full-circle fashion, her yearly trip to Congress in 2010 resulted in a chance meeting that would change the trajectory of her career––and her life.
Born to Ride – Dwayne’s Early Influences
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204 – January/February, 2026
