Thirteen-year-old Anika Hendrickson has had horses her entire life. Her mother, Cindy Ingels, had them from the day she was born so it was no surprise when Anika jumped in right along with her. Anika got her show career started in lead line aboard a miniature horse named ‘Goliath’ when she was just two.

After getting more experience Anika moved up to a Welsh pony where she showed in the short stirrup hunter divisions at Virginia Horse Shows Association and United States Equestrian Federation shows. In 2007 Anika attended her first AQHA show and when she saw kids riding in western saddles with silver and rail jackets with “lots of bling” she decided right then and there that was what she wanted to do.

“I found a little mare, Zippos Mustang Sally, at a Professional Auction Services auction and had to twist my mom’s arm to look at her,” Anika explained. “We were not there to buy, but to help sell a few. Well, we bought her and she was my first show horse for walk/jog at the AQHA shows.”

With the help of their trainer, Wade Black, The Ingels purchased Mac Of All Trades, a 2007 sorrel gelding by Macs Good N Plenty out of Sonnys Contender, for Anika to show in Novice Youth and 13 & Under Western Pleasure in 2013. They are hoping to add showmanship, halter and horsemanship by the end of the year.

“Wade looked for an entire year for the right horse for us and we found Mac Of All Trades at this past Congress,” Anika said. “A big thank you to Mackenzie Fallis for selling him to me.”

Anika will tell you that even though ‘Wilson’, as he is affectionately called, is new to her, she really enjoyed spending some fun time with him for the two months they had him home before he had to go back to Black’s North Carolina facility.

“He is such a cool horse, but very lazy,” Anika said. “His stall is easy to clean, because he poops along the back wall so he doesn’t have to lay down in it.”

So far Anika has won several awards in the state’s Small Fry division as well as a belt buckle for a Virginia State High Point award. Anika’s first horse goal after having a year off is to get in show shape and try to qualify for Youth World.  Outside of showing she wants to keep getting good grades in school so she can get a scholarship to attend a good college. Anika is currently in the 8^th grade at Blue Ridge Middle School. She hopes to attend a college where she can compete on an equestrian team and possibly study to become a veterinarian.

When she’s not at the barn or in class Anika enjoys spending time with her sisters, Kaia, Millie and Ashley, and watching television shows like The X Factor and The Big Bang Theory.

“Two of our foals are named Sheldon and Cooper because we love Sheldon on that show so much,” Anika said.

In addition to Mac Of All Trades the Ingels family has six other horses; and three dogs, a corgi named Indy and two border collies named Zeus and Apollo.

Anika really enjoys vacationing in Myrtle Beach with her family at the condo they rent and likes going to Disney World too, but said she would give up any vacation to go to a horse show.