Strictly Show Horses is the name of Adrienne Cober’s training operation, located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. And, according to the Pennsylvania native, her life right now is “strictly business.”

“I used to do some modeling and enjoying fishing but my situation is unique because I work full time for the Department of Corrections and train full time so there is not so much time for other hobbies besides horses,” she says.

Cober grew up in Muncy, a very small town just outside Williamsport Pennsylvania.

“Horses have always been part of my life since I was a small child and I grew up doing 4H and such,” she explains. “Around the age of 13 I was introduced to George Martin and Meadowood Farm which was only 15 minutes from my house; that is where it all started. I was hooked on show horses; I was one of George’s youth kids growing up and did pretty well under his guidance with a horse named, Meadowoods Cody.”

Cober put the horses on hold a few years while she attended college at Penn State University, where she earned a degree in Business Management. Soon after graduation she moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and purchased another Paint horse right away.

“Sockettes Gon Zippin put me on the map as Non-Pro in my early 20s,” says Cober. “‘Cash’ was bought as yearling and I showed him in Longe Line and I was pretty much undefeated with him. I did well with him as a 2-year-old, doing all the training on him myself. I sold ‘Cash’ to Carrie Nickerson of New Orleans, Massachusetts, who took me into the next venture of my life. Carrie and Kevin Keyser, introduced me to John Yarnelle and in 2006 I moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana and went to work for Yarnelle Farms Inc., full time, under  John’s guidance. I learned a lot there.”

In 2007 Cober moved back to Pennsylvania and decided to start her own business. Nickerson, who owns multiple world champions and the American Paint Horse Association unanimous World Champion stallion, Hesa Cool Hotrod, was one of her clients.

“Having Carrie as a client opened up a lot of doors for me,”Cober says, “giving me the opportunity to ride with Ty and Karen Hornick, which lead to having the chance to attend the bigger AQHA and NSBA shows.”

Cober’s 15-stall facility includes eight individual PVC fenced pastures, a 70-by-190 indoor arena, 190-by-135 outdoor arena, round pen, heated tack room, two wash stalls with heat lamps, automatic fly sprayers and waterers, a  large heated observation area with bath, kitchen and fireplace and a stocked pond.

“We strive to assist the needs of each horse owner on all levels of the equine business and take pride in understanding the importance of setting and reaching goals, along with pairing the right horse with the right rider,” she says.

Cober says since 2007, Strictly Show Horses has been a growing business. The training operation has had multiple APHA year-end top 20 riders/horses; numerous Top 10 finishes at the APHA Youth and Fall World Shows. Most recently Hands Off My Hotrod won the 2010 APHA World show in SPB Trail in Hand and was Top 5 in SPB Longe Line. Cober has also had numerous APHA futurity winners.

“While I am primarily known in the Paint horse industry, I am now making my way into the Quarter Horse scene,” she says.

At this year’s Tom Powers Futurity in Berrien Springs, Michigan, Sudenly Sophisticated, owned by Jeff and Carol Staub, of York, Pennsylvania, and in training with Strictly Show Horses, placed fourth in the Sale Stakes Class.

Cober was recently introduced to Donna Snyder, also of Pennsylvania, and has been coaching her in Non-Pro events and ridding her 3-year-old AQHA mare, Good Molly B Golly in Western Pleasure and Halter events.

A member of the APHA, AQHA, Appaloosa Horse Club and the National Snaffle Bit Association, Cober says her business is centered around the Western Pleasure class and starting 2-year-olds.

“Seeing the progression from the ground up on a 2-year-old is one of the most rewarding things to me,” she says. “But, I do the All-Around events as well – from Showmanship, Horsemanship and Trail to Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation – but western pleasure is my true passion along with Longe Line. Love my longe liners.”

You can visit Strictly Show Horses on the web at www.sshorses.com. You can call Cober at (717) 587-4241 or email her at aphahorse@hotmail.com.