A tiny miniature pony Blakely Abbott received as a Christmas gift from her grandfather when she was just 4 years old sparked the Georgia youth competitor’s passion for showing horses, even though there were a few detours along the way.

Bakely first expressed an interest in showing horses in 2013 but ultimately opted to pursue swimming instead. Two years later she changed her mind. It was right around the same time her mother, Patti Abbott, was returning to showing, after taking a break to raise her family. Patti had just purchased Made Just Right, a 2013 chestnut mare by Machine Made and out of Miss Trophy Chip. Flo was entered in the Congress Masters Western Pleasure but Patti purchased her to ride as a 3-year-old in non-pro events.

Blakely was teamed with Hobby Man (Boo), a 1995 brown gelding by Red Dee Hobby out of Staccaro, for Walk-Trot events.

“The first time I ever showed with Boo I was the unanimous champion in the Walk-Trot Western Pleasure,” Blakely explained. “We were only leasing Boo at that time but after that class my dad decided to buy him and he has a forever home at our house.”

Blakely and Boo started out in Western Pleasure but soon they added Showmanship, Horsemanship and Trail.

“In 2016 we ventured into Walk-Trot Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation but we weren’t very good at it since he was mainly a Western horse.”

In 2017 Blakely started sharing Flo with her mother and by the end of the show year they were really clicking as a team.

They won their first Circuit Championship in 13 & Under Youth Western Pleasure at the Big A Circuit. A month later they made their very first appearance at an American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Show by placing ninth in the L2 Youth Western Pleasure and finishing as Reserve Champion of the 13 & Under category. Then Blakely capped off the year by riding Made Just Right to a Congress Championship in L1 Youth Western Pleasure 13 & Under and placing third in the 12-14 Youth Western Pleasure and fourth in the NYATT Western Pleasure.

In 2018 Blakely and Flo placed third in the 13 & Under Western Pleasure at the AQHYA World Show and placed fourth in the 12-14 Youth Western Pleasure and fifth in the NYATT Western Pleasure at the Congress.

“She just progressively seems to get better with age and has brought me to points in my career that I never would have thought I could reach when I was that little Small Fry who barely knew how to jog a horse let along lope one,” Blakely said.

This year, under the guidance of Jason and Jamie English, Blakely has continued to compete in Youth Western Pleasure events and has been branching out into Non-Pro Western Pleasure events at some futurities. She was Reserve Champion in the Non-Pro Maturity at the Fun In The Sun Futurity and Top 5 in the Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity at the Tom Powers Futurity.

She credits Jason and Jamie with helping her become a better rider.

“They have taught me so much in the small amount of time they have had Flo and I in the barn,” she said.

Blakely’s favorite class to ride is Western Pleasure.

“I like it the most because it’s slow and there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than what meets the eye,” she said.

But her favorite class to watch lately is Horsemanship – a class she hopes to add in future.

“I like to watch how the girls ride so I can teach myself how to do it when I start showing in it,” she explained.

These days, Blakely can’t imagine not showing horses. She loves the fact that it’s something she can share with her mom and she especially loves it when her grandmother can attend.

“My grandmother is one of my biggest supporters besides my mom,” she said. “She’s been having trouble getting around the shows the past few years because she’s been having trouble with pain in her lower back and leg. She tries to come to as many shows as she can just to support me in something I’m passionate about even though she’s never shown horses. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the support of my mom and especially my grandmother.”

When Blakely is not practicing, or showing she is busy with her academic work at EBLA Academy High School in Milledgeville, Georgia. She is a straight A student, a member of the National Honors Society and has competed in oratorical presentations since the first grade. She hopes to attend Auburn University and compete on the Equestrian Team.

“I’ve always said I wanted to be a veterinarian but lately I’ve changed it to being something in the medical field such as a surgeon,” Blakely said. “I want to be in the medical field because I’ve always loved science and learning the human and animal anatomy. I’ve also got to make some good money to keep my horse habit going.”