It was Noelle Schmidt’s love for the Appaloosa breed that brought her Chocolatey, but it was her love for Chocolatey that brought her success.

Born in Kinnelon, New Jersey, Schmidt, 45, remembers the call she received from Cecily Zuidema, of Micanopy, Florida in 2005 telling her about a beautiful, strong, weanling colt, by Hot Chocolate Chip and out of Pass In Style, with unlimited potental.

Schmidt’s first horse had been an Arabian, a loving older horse perfect for a beginner. Several years later she purchased a Quarter Horse from Pennsylvania trainer Ray Carmean and kept it with Pierre Briere of Stockton, New Jersey. But she didn’t really start showing herself until she purchased her first 2-year-old Appaloosa from Tim & Cecily Zuidema in 2001. She was hooked on the breed and spent the next few years emersed in ApHC competition. The Zuidemas knew she was on the hunt for a prospect that could not only make a mark in the Appaloosa industry but in National Snaffle Bit Association competition as well.

Schmidt saw a video of Chocolatey and made the decision to purchase him and have him transported to her New Jersey farm.

“It was past midnight and all I wanted to do was to get him and the filly I had shipped up unloaded,” she recalls of the night the youngster arrived. “They were both scared, and frankly so was I, as this was my first weanling! I just wanted to get him settled and safe in his stall.”

As ‘Harry’ started to grow Schmidt would take note of how he loped effortlessly across the pasture.

“I was amazed at how incredible he was. I knew ‘special’ did not cover it,” she says. “He was ‘industry changing’ in my opinion.”

Noelle did everything she could to ensure her promising colt had the future she knew he deserved. She was very careful about everything she did with him and took measures to make sure he was always in the most capable hands, even taking him to a friend’s barn if she was going to be away for more than a couple days.

“In my mind, this colt was going to change the scope of Western Pleasure horses in my breed, and although he was only a weanling, I was never afraid to dream big with him and imagine his future.” Schmidt admits.

Every move to make the youngster what Noelle dreamed he would be was executed very precisely early on in his career. Advance planning from his caretakers to his trainer and from his feed to his farrier are all a part of what would play into Chocolatey’s future as a show horse.

When Chocolatey was ready to be ridden Schmidt says there was only one trainer under consideration — Patrick Heeley, now of Van Meter, Iowa.

“He was a small town boy with tremendous talent,” Schmidt explains. “I first saw him at a show in New Jersey and I think I made sure I was up at the pen every time he took one out just so I could watch this young man from Canada ride. Even though Patrick was probably only 19 back then, I knew I would be sending him a horse one day.”

Schmidt says Heeley’s natural ability and relaxed, easy going personality was what she thought would make him the perfect trainer for Chocolatey.

“When I first sent Chocolatey to him, Pat quickly noted his abilities,” she says. “I would get plenty of video and we began planning together how his career would go down. I never did anything without Pat’s thoughts. He helped make the decisions about what shows to attend and in which classes he would be entered.”

All of the hard work Schmidt and Heeley put into advertising and training paid off when Chocolatey and Heeley easily started to sail to the top of every class they entered.

“The most emotional feeling I had was when Chocolatey and Pat won both the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Appaloosa Horse Club Class and 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Appaloosa Pleasure Horse Association Class at the Appaloosa World Championship Show, because it was to a standing ovation from the crowd. Nothing has ever made my eyes tear as when a crowd rises to their feet to salute a horse and rider.” Schmidt explained.

Schmidt realized it would be a challenge to transition from success in a ring full of the same breed of horses, to success in an organization that had so few Appaloosas that they were basically non-existant, but she remained confident in her colt.

Chocolatey went on to win classes at such prestigious futurities as the  Southern Belle Invitation, Tom Powers, Reichert Celebration, NSBA World Championship Show, Just for Pleasure and Double your Pleasure.

“Everywhere we went we received positive commentary on this colored stallion that was now rocking the top of all of the big futurities,” Schmidt recalls. “Troy Compton of Purcell, Oklahoma, was actually the first trainer to show Chocolatey at a major futurity and Patrick showed him in the Intermediate division. Troy won and so did Patrick, and from there on, it was game on!”

Schmidt is extremely proud of Chocolatey’s accomplishments as an appaloosa in a ‘non-color’ breed world, but more so that he has been accepted within it.

Now, Chocolatey spends most of his time breeding mares carefully selected by Schmidt.

“I don’t need a ton of Chocolateys at every show,” she explains. “I only want the best out there by my stallion.”

Chocolatey stands at BSB-R11 in Sturgis, Michigan, under the management of Shelley Donovan, Kim Rotenberry and Hedy Levin.

“They have been a wealth of knowledge in breeding and stallion management. I searched for a long time, and I interviewed many top stallion facilities,” Schmidt said. “They saw him show and respected him as an individual. They took me in as a newcomer and taught me a lot about the breeding business.”

Schmidt attended Northeastern University of Boston, Massachusetts and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. She lives in Stillwater, New Jersey with her boyfriend, John, and son, Kyle, and has worked at Ledgewood Powersports, a multi-franchised dealership owned by her family, for almost 20 years.

“I learned most of my business experience there, including dealing with multiple franchises, finance, and how to make a customers experience beyond expectation. I learned the dealership business from both my grandfather and my father, and I was lucky to have worked with both of whom are, and were extraordinary businessmen.”