Jennifer Sheriff – The Industry All-Arounder
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156 – July/August, 2017
by Alison Foster
In the horse show world, the term “all-around” is used to describe horses and competitors who excel across many disciplines. These multi-talented individuals can Halter in the morning, hand-gallop an Equitation pattern in the afternoon, and ace Trail obstacles in the evening. It’s a prestigious designation, one that distinguishes a person who is driven to shine in all aspects of competition.
There are those among us, though, who transcend the typical ideals of an “all-arounder,” and infuse the term with new meaning. Jennifer Sheriff is one such person. Not only is she a talented competitor who has achieved success across disciplines in the arena, but she also runs major events such as the new Solid Gold Futurity Maiden Series and the Congress Elite Halter Futurity, as well as heading up the renowned breeding program at Sheriff Stock Farm. Jennifer isn’t limited by a single specialty; instead, she has taught us all that a true all-arounder excels, not just in competition, but also in many aspects of life.
THE COMPETITOR
Jennifer’s passion for showing horses began in 1980 when she was just three years old and attended her first APHA World Show. She was instantly hooked and has been to every APHA World Show since, a grand total of 36 consecutive World Show competitions. As a youth, Jennifer was an insatiable competitor, immersing herself in both APHA and AQHA shows and riding the gamut of all-around classes including Halter, Showmanship, Equitation, Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, and Trail. One of her favorite horses was Fleet Impression. Together, they won multiple National and World titles in both youth and open geldings. She also won a 1991 Reserve World Champion title in Western Horsemanship aboard Fleet Frisky.
The highlight of Jennifer’s youth career occurred in 1995, when her love of competition drove her to enter the Non-Pro Pleasure Sweepstakes with her prospect, Rocky Conclusion, at the APHA World Show. Jennifer was just sixteen years old and her stallion “Rocky” was two. They were the youngest horse and rider pair in the class. Despite their age, the dynamic
duo defeated all the older, more experienced teams to win the sweepstakes. “It is the accomplishment from my show career that I am most proud of. It was such a dream come true.
156 – July/August, 2017
