The Sisterhood of the Traveling Halter

By Jessica Hein, PHJ News:

Zena Jackson of Logsden, Oregon, knows the bonds of sisterhood go deeper than just familial relationships. It’s about shared experiences, mutual support and making memories that last a lifetime. For Zena and her barn family from Kathy Parker Paints & Quarter Horses in Oregon, that meant saddling up for a Texas adventure, planning a girls-only trip centered around the 2025 APHA/WCHA Halter Million in Fort Worth.

“It started way early in the year as just an idea and just kind of grew from there,” Zena said. “More people joined in, and then we all sat down and had dinner together and said, ‘How do we make this happen?’ ”

But traveling 2,000 miles to just watch a show wasn’t enough—about half of the group decided to bring horses to the Halter Million, too. So with Kathy coordinating the horses, her daughter Ashley running the numbers and Zena keeping the group connected, the girls-only trip came out of the group chat and into reality.

The girls’ group includes Zena and her mom, Eunice; Kathy and her sisters, Karen and Linda; Ashley and her 3-year-old son, Parker; and barnmate Amanda. Away from the show, they’re staying together in an Airbnb and visited the Fort Worth Stockyards, the zoo, and bellied up for some barbecue. They have fun at the show, too, with everyone pitching in to help ensure it runs smoothly.

“The barn family has been huge. There’s definitely camaraderie and that’s really cool—that’s what I needed to keep my confidence up,” Zena said. “It was just me and my mom for years and years. Having a barn family has really been a big deal to me. I’ve taken everything in from everybody else, and I think it’s helped my skill set.”

Zena’s been showing horses for about 20 years, but this is her first time competing at a championship like the Halter Million. She’s showing Luv Addition, a 2022 sorrel overo mare by Cool Addiction and out of Grand Oletta. The mare was bred by Kathy and her husband, Dale.

“Kathy said, ‘This horse will take you to the next level’ ” Zena said. “I think my horse is pretty special; she’s fancy, really sweet and kind. She’s a lot like my very first horse that I ever had: she wrinkles her nose up and has that same really kind eye. She’s like a reincarnation of that mare. It’s really been kind of full circle for me.”

“Vanna” is Zena’s first Paint, and she loves the fun she’s found in the APHA community.

“The Paint shows are just a lot of fun. People are really friendly, and it’s fun with all the color,” she said.

When stepping up to a championship show like the Halter Million, it can be easy to think you don’t belong. But that’s not the case, Zena says.

“You watch it on live stream and you look at the horses and they’re just amazing—you kind of feel like, ‘I don’t belong there,’ ‘I’m not ready’ or ‘Maybe next year.’ Now that I’m here, I feel like everybody belongs here. Everybody’s really welcoming. We’re more alike than we are different. I’m just really excited to be here.”

In her first class, Zena captured a Top Five overall and a trophy buckle as the reserve champion Intermediate exhibitor in 3-Year-Old Mares.

“My goal was just to bring a horse and get my horse shown. I’ve achieved that goal already,” Zena said. “So win, lose or draw, I got my horse shown and I felt really good about it. The rest is just a bonus.”