For 28 years Chereé Kirkbride was a successful hunter/jumper rider. In 1992 she decided to give Reining a try. Over the course of her riding career she collected a National Reining Horse Association Limited Non-Pro title, three World Championship titles, countless trophy buckles and saddles.

“It got to the point where it was just hard getting out of bed in the morning,” she admits.

Though she was ready to hang up her spurs, it wasn’t time to leave the show pen behind. Instead it was the perfect opportunity to focus on campaigning her pure bred Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

“I decided I was closer to the tomb than the womb and if I was going to do it (show dogs) I’d better get on with it,” she says.

It comes as no surprise that her success in the horse show arena has followed her into the dog show ring. Recent successes include the 2013 CWCCA Nationals Best Puppy In Show and Reserve Winner’s Bitch with CH Show N Tail Turning Tricks, “Tawny,” a pup bred by Chereé, which she co-owns with Paula

This year has proven to be fruitful as well. At less than 11 months old, CH Barmar’s Private Dancer of McLea, “Anna Mae”‘ also bred and co-owned by Chereé claimed four major wins including Best In Sweeps and two Best of Breed before summer even started. While competing at the 2014 National Specialty she

agreed to show GCH Riverside Telltail Gold Digger, nicknamed, Anna Nicole, for friend and owner, Cindy Bossy. With Chereé’s expert handling the dog took Top Honors showing.

“I was just fortunate enough to stand in the limelight with her,” Chereé says.

Long before Chereé took an interest in dog shows, her first Cardigan Welsh Corgi,Traveling Man, known as “Trav,” accompanied her on trips totaling thousands of miles to horse shows.

“When I was still running for world titles I had a red Honda Prelude,” she recalls. “I’d swing by the

house after work, pick up Trav and he’d jump in the back, put all four of his legs in the air and go to sleep.”

Trav quickly learned the trips included a routine pit stop at a service area in Virginia.

“The first time we stopped I ran in and got an Oreo Cookie Blizzard from Dairy Queen. I put it in the car and then pumped gas,” she says, “when I got back in the car he had that blizzard cup stuck on his nose.” From then on he got his own vanilla blizzard.

Trav’s antics soon became widely known among reining competitors. After arriving at the show destination, Chereé would saddle up and head out to school her horse. When she returned, Trav had disappeared.

“I would come back from working or showing my horse and Trav would be gone,” she says. She quickly learned the first place to look was outside her now husband’s stall.

“I’d find him tied up at Jeff’s (Kirkbride)!” she exclaims. In addition to campaigning reining horses, Jeff Kirkbride was a budding photographer at the time who also bred and sold Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppies.

At least once or twice a show she’d have to retrieve Trav from Jeff’s stall. A few years of “stealing” and “retrieving”, Jeff finally invited Chereé to dinner during a reining event in Florida.

“I said fine, but I have a horse to body clip,” she says. “We went to Wendy’s for take out and went back to the fairgrounds to eat dinner on the tailgate of the pick-up truck.”

Friends on the horse show circuit claim Chereé kept chasing Jeff until he stopped running, though she insists not, it was merely a mission to reclaim her dog. According to Jeff, in order to get his best dog back he had to marry Chereé. Regardless of how the story goes, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks to Trav, she met her now husband and business partner and was introduced into the Cardigan Corgi breed.

A breed with personality  

While most people are more familiar with the Cardigan’s cousin, the Pembroke Corgi, they know much less about the Cardigan. Originating in the Shire of Wales, Cardigans were originally bred as a herding and working breed.

“The Crown lands were not fenced off until the late 1800s,” she explains, “when a herdsman found a nice patch of grass to graze the cattle, it was the Cardigan’s responsibility to drive off cattle not part of the herd.”

The dogs were also expected to keep the farm free of varmints and serve as companions to the cattle.

It’s easy to distinguish between Cardigans and Pembrokes.

“I tell people, the Pembroke Corgi “broke its tail” so it has no tail. But the Cardigan has a long tail,” she explains.

The two breeds also have differing personalities.

“Pembrokes are like ‘hey lets go have a beer’ whereas the Cardigans are likely to say ‘it’s nice to meet you, let’s get to know one another,’ Chereé explains. “It has been a fascinating exploration. I would have missed out on getting to know my breed and other breeds if I had just quit showing horses and simply ‘lived’ with my dog.”

Being a successful competitor in the dog world, like the horse world requires the owners and handlers to appreciate the importance of conformation and structure. Like the horse community, the dog world is a close knit family.

“Our shows are done by 5 or 5:30 p.m. so there’s always time for socialization,” she says.

Though much smaller in stature, preparing a dog for national competition takes no less time or effort than prepping a horse for the show ring.

“When other people sit down in front of the television or to use their iPad, I’m out training and grooming,” she says. Bathing, clipping, packing and traveling are all apart of the experience. However, the pace is more laid back and she is able to show more animals on her own. She can prep and show five to six dogs on her own in a multi-day circuit, a feat not so accomplishable with horses.

Much to her surprise Chereé has met several individuals who have transitioned from horse showing to dog showing. Others, especially Northerners, show horses in the summer and dogs throughout the winter.

“Training for rallying and obedience events with your dog gives you a whole different level of relationship and closeness with your dog,” she says.

Chereé is confident that once you get to know the Cardigan Corgi there is no going back.

“Once I get you to the dark side (of this breed) there’s no going back,” she laughs.

Though Chereé is no longer herself showing horses, she and Jeff breed and raise Reining horses at their 18-acre ranch in Ocala, Florida. Their most well-known homebred, KR Lil Conquistador is currently the Number Two NRHA All Time Leading Money Earner.