Marlee White, of Seneca, South Carolina, grew up riding horses, roping with her grandfather and trail riding with her dad. But when she turned 12, her mother thought she’d give Marlee the opportunity to show. They connected with Georgia trainer Terri Layer to go shopping and ended up with a $6,500 package deal including a horse, show saddle, bridle and most importantly, silver breast collar.

“The horse’s name was Sams Angel Priest, and he was a perfect starter horse, safe and sound,” Marlee said. “I had an absolute ball with him, showing under Terri’s guidance.”

Before long, Marlee was hooked on the competition, working her way up to showing horses at the highest level. She won multiple circuit championships with Kiss Me In The Dark, a 1995 black gelding by Devine Conclusion and out of Classy Teepee. She also competed with his maternal half-sister, Huntin Milk N Cookie, a 2005 bay mare by Huntin For Chocolate, also out of Classy Teepee. Together they earned a Reserve Congress Championship in Novice Amateur Equitation and placed third at the Congress in Novice Amateur Trail.

Next came Shes Back, a 2006 bay mare by Dont Skip Zip and out of Shes Back to Back. They earned a third place at the Quarter Horse Congress in Novice Amateur Western Riding and were Top 20 in Amateur Showmanship.

After Shes Back, Marlee showed Draped In Assets, a 2011 bay gelding by Protect Your Assets and out of Potential Party Maid. They earned a National Snaffle Bit Association World Championship title in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure in 2015 and ended the year as the NSBA High-Point champions in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure. They also placed fourth at the Congress in Novice Amateur Western Riding, sixth in Novice Amateur Trail and were Top 15 in Amateur Horsemanship.

Most recently, Marlee has been showing Baby Im Comin For U (Annie), a 2012 red roan mare by Its a Zippo Goodbar and out of Lopen for Ransom. Together they captured the 2015 NSBA Reserve High Point Championship in the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure and earned multiple circuit championships in Novice Amateur Trail. Last year, Baby Im Comin For U, and trainer Martin Doustou were Reserve Champions in Green Senior Trail at the NSBA World Show.

Annie was sold at the Quarter Horse Congress last year and the search began for a new show partner for Marlee.

For the past 11 years and five different show partners, Marlee has been competing under the guidance of Georgia trainer Jason English. He was charged with heading the search for a new horse.

“We had been looking with no luck and then, in early December, Amy Gumz told Jason about Sure Am Southern (Calvin), a 2016 sorrel gelding by Its A Southern Thing and out of Surely Sheza Zippo, who was only about three hours from them in training with Josh Brown.  Jason and (wife) Jamie drove over and tried him out just a couple of days later and loved him.”

Marlee will show Calvin this year in 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and Jason and Jamie will show him in 3-Year-Old Novice Horse classes.

“I’d love to see us have a good year in the futurities, and then get him started in the Trail near the end of the year,” she said.

They are off to a great start since English just placed third in the Maiden Horse Western Pleasure Slot at the Madness in Ohio last month.

When she is not at a horse show, Marlee is busy at her job as Manager, Business Health Programming and Screening Services. Prisma Health Upstate Affiliate located in Greenville, South Carolina.  Prisma Health is the largest not-for-profit health organization in South Carolina comprised of 30,000 team members and serving 1.2 million patients annually.

“My department is part of the system’s population health strategy to improve the health and well-being of South Carolina,” she said. “We contract with South Carolina companies to provide health and wellness services on-site at their place of business including nurse practitioner clinics, registered dietitian services, occupational health services, health screenings, health coaching and group programming.  I manage the on-site health screenings and group programming on topics such as lifestyle/weight management, smoking cessation, nutrition, exercise and emotional well-being.”

Marlee grew up in the upper corner of South Carolina just under the Blue Ridge mountains, in a town called Westminister. She attended West Oak High School then earned her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and her Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Georgia.

In 2014 Marlee married Shawn White and two years ago they purchased her grandparents’ farm.

“This was my childhood dream to be able to live here because I was so close with my grandparents, particularly my grandmother,” Marlee said. “It’s 100-plus acres with a four-stall barn, two turn-out lots and two large pastures adjacent to a small watershed lake. My heaven.”

These days, when she’s not at a show or at work, Marlee keeps busy doing projects around their place or doing embroidery.

“Last year I started LilyBelz, an Etsy embroidery business,” she said. “I started with doing luggage tags, luggage straps and make-up bags, but have started branching out and working on horse items like barn blankets and garment bags.”