California Non-Pro competitor Erin Boatwright knows what she wants in a show horse. She started riding at the age of 14 and has competed on some of the best. But even Congress champions and futurity winners like Erin were thrown a curveball when the pandemic struck last year.

Erin was already juggling a lot. After nine years of marriage and a move to California three years ago, she and her husband, Scott, were expecting their first child. She had already discussed finding a new show partner with her trainer, Keith Miller, of North Carolina and he was on the hunt.

“When I decided I needed to seek out a more competitive Amateur Hunter Under Saddle horse, I knew I wanted to have it with them (Keith and his wife, Sydney),” she said. “They are organized, communicate well, are pleasant to work with, and ensure we create the best plan for my horses.”

When Keith called from the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show in August to say he found “the one.”  Erin was faced with a dilemma.

Between travel restrictions and a due date just a month away, there was no way she could go see, let alone ride, Im Willy Good Today (Drake), a 2016 brown gelding by Good I Will Be and out of A Walk In The Sky, that Sandra Morgan bred, raised and showed to a Congress Championship, AQHA Select World Show Championship and NSBA World Show Championship.

“I wanted to see him in person before we made the final decision,” Erin said. “Realizing that wasn’t going to happen very quickly with our baby being born in September, we decided to go ahead with the purchase. I still remember Keith saying he couldn’t imagine ANYONE having trouble riding Drake and if I didn’t like him he would take him.”

In the end, Erin trusted Keith’s expertise on this one … Drake is the first horse she’s ever purchased without riding first.

“I was over the moon about purchasing him, but I think Keith was even more excited,” she said. “He was like a kid on Christmas morning. I love seeing the passion in his eyes when it comes to this horse.”Keith showed Drake for the first time at the Tom Powers Christmas Challenge in Ocala just before Christmas, winning the Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle. But Erin didn’t get to ride her new horse until the following month at the Gulf Coast AQHA Circuit in Tampa, Florida and then at Fun In The Sun Futurity in Venice.

“The first time I rode him, was also my first ride on a horse in almost a year,” she explained. “I had no doubt I could figure him out but thought it would take me a few rides, especially since I had just had a baby and my body wasn’t as prepared to ride.”

Erin and Im Willy Good Today won both the Limited and Open divisions of the Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity at the Fun In The Sun Futurity and were Circuit Champions in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle at the Gulf Coast Circuit. They are currently leading the Nation in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle in AQHA standings.

“After riding so many young horses it’s so fun to have a horse that is low maintenance outside the show ring and shows so honestly in the show ring,” she said.

Keith says he enjoys coaching Erin because she is so mentally strong and can handle pressure.

“As a rider, she has great feel and timing,” he said. “As a competitor, she can really ‘go with the flow’ and make the best of any situation.  She does a great job getting her horse shown, navigating the traffic.”

Erin and Keith have plans to show Drake at the Southern Ohio Quarter Horse Association’s Madness Circuit, the NSBA World Show, The Fall Championship Show in Ocala and the AQHA World Show.

“With a horse like Drake, we have decided it’s important to show enough to stay relevant, but not show so much that he doesn’t have time to go on vacation throughout the year,” Erin said. “He has a very healthy figure he needs to maintain.”

Of all the shows on the schedule for this year Erin is most excited about the AQHA World Show.

“The only major show I haven’t won is a World Championship.  I was fourth in 2019 with Me and My Assets, which I was so proud of because of the challenges he had getting there. That horse has the biggest heart of any I’ve owned!”

Keith says Drake is a huge, beautiful horse with a kind disposition and willingness to learn.

“He’s so impressive in size and mass.  And he trots great through his shoulders and canters so well,” he explained. “He’s easy. His raw talent and good mind make him so much fun.”

Although Im Willy Good Today is big, pretty mover with a long list of accolades, he’s equally known for his disposition.

“He’s is the type of horse that you explain by saying, ‘He has a lot of personality.’” Erin admitted. “He loves attention.”

Keith agrees.

“He’s like a puppy,” he said. “He loves attention, is quite spoiled and is quite fond of his jolly ball.”

It’s only been a few short months since Erin purchased Im Willy Good Today but already she knows she made the right decision for this time in her life.

“Our house (in Newport Beach, California) is a busy one,” Erin said. “My husband, Scott, the Chief Restaurant Officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill, spends a lot of time traveling around the country making sure the restaurant operations are at peak performance.”

Erin is currently doing contract work for Marino Wellness, a company that provides wellness programming to corporate clients.

“Mostly I do remote nutrition presentations and one-on-one coaching,” she said. “I was working at Disneyland as a Registered Dietitian before the pandemic, but have been furloughed since May 2020.  As California and Disneyland begin to open back up, I hope to be asked to come back. I worked right in the park, in an office building behind Space Mountain. I have to say it has been one of the coolest jobs I’ve had.”

In September Erin and Scott welcomed their son, Graham Thomas Boatwright to the family, which also includes their labradoodle, Hazel.

“Graham is truly one of the happiest babies I’ve been around and reminds me every day that even in the toughest times, there is something we can smile about,” Erin said. “He’s just started eating foods, and as a dietitian this is really something I’m getting into.  We went straight into solid food, and he’s having so much fun learning how to feed himself and playing around with beets, yogurt, salmon, strawberries, all the foods that make the biggest mess!”

Erin knew she would be pulled in many directions this year. That’s why it was so important for her to find a seasoned show horse that she could just jump on and show.

“I honestly don’t know how moms do what they do,” she admitted. “This stuff is hard!  Not working this year has been a blessing, as it allows me to spend more time with Graham. For most of the shows I will have a wonderful nanny, Nina, who will travel with us.”

And she’s counting on Keith and Sydney Miller.

“They care very much about the success of their horses and clients,” Erin said. “I also appreciate how they prioritize the care of their horses, as that’s a very important aspect to me as well.”

Erin also owns  a 3-year-old doubled registered (AQHA/APHA) gelding by Give Me The Goods out of Skys Rockstar, one of Nancy Sue Ryan’s mares.

“He has a really cool look to him, he’s a great trotter and can canter,” Erin said. “We’ve brought him along slowly and I look forward to showing him at the futurities and Paint World.” 

He too is in training at Miller Quarter Horses in Reidsville, North Carolina.

“Not only is Keith a talented trainer and coach, but he and Sydney are wonderful people,” Erin said. “As my life has changed this past year with Graham, they have shown me an amazing amount of grace and support personally. They understand the challenges of juggling showing and family and have provided me with really valuable feedback from their experiences.”