The first time that trainer Amber Hanson Pickard laid eyes on Enticed she knew she wanted to be a part of his inevitable success.

She saw a picture of the 2018 bay stallion by Its A Southern Thing and out of Pretty Assets when his breeder, Amy Gumz posted it on social media.

He was just a yearling then but Amber knew she needed to act quickly.

“I immediately requested a video,” she recalled. “When we contacted Amy to get more information on Enticed she had already talked to a few fellow horsemen and horsewomen about their thoughts on his training. She had a short list and we (Amber and husband Dwayne Pickard) happened to be on it. Next thing you know we were driving through Kentucky to pick him up.”

Amber and Dwayne have two different training facilities. From November through April they operate from the farm they call home in Byron, Michigan. During the winter months, they operate out of their South Ranch in Hempstead, Texas, on 35 acres of “horse heaven” at Husky Pasture.

That’s where Enticed and the rest of their 2-year-olds, get their first rides.

“We started riding Enticed in January of his 2-year-old year and by March, Amber said, they could have been showing him due to his natural ability.

“Picking just one quality to call his strength is difficult but I have to say that his cadence certainly makes his ability so versatile,” she said.

Enticed was purchased by Megan Tierney, of Hutto, Texas, last May and the new team made their show debut by winning a 30-entry Amateur Hunter Under Saddle class in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania before taking on the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity in Tulsa the following August.

There Enticed and Tierney won both the Limited and Open divisions of the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and Amber rode him to victory in the BCF 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

Since then, Amber has shown Enticed to Circuit Championships in Green Hunter Under Saddle at the Falling Leaves Classic in North Carolina and at the Florida Gold Coast. They also placed in the Top 5 of the Level 1 Hunter Under Saddle Stakes Class at the 2020 AQHA World Championship Show.

Amber and Enticed claimed a Circuit Championship in Level 3 Junior Hunter Under Saddle at the Gulf Coast and Reserve Championship in the 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the Tom Powers Christmas Challenge.

“He has such an outgoing personality and loves his job he is a true show horse,” Amber said.

In September, right after Enticed’s success at the NSBA World Show, he was purchased by the Deeds family, of Lowell, Michigan.

Amber and Dwayne have been helping Lauren Deeds with her AQHA 13 & Under show partner Good Luck Charley since 2018.

At the AQHA Youth World Show last July, Lauren and Charley captured a Reserve Championship in Level 1 Showmanship 13 & Under; and placed eighth in Level 1Equitation 13 & Under; fourth in Level 1 Trail 13 & Under; and seventh in Level 1 Horsemanship 13 & Under.

This is their final year in 13 & under competition.

The Deeds family was actively searching for a new show partner to help Lauren transition into 14-18 competition.

“We looked at some horses and we had thought we had found a potentially great fit,” explained Lauren’s mother, Gretchen. “But as we were trying to arrange an opportunity for Lauren to ride him, he was unexpectedly pulled off the market so we set off looking again.  Feeling a little frustrated after not finding a great fit, Amber and Dwayne posed to us the possibility of Enticed. Since he was already at the barn, arranging a test ride was easy and Lauren fell in love.”

Amber says the young competitor’s willingness to learn serves her well in the show pen.

“Lauren is extremely talented and focused on showing to her full potential,” she explained.

Although tempted to start breeding Enticed this year the team decided to focus on the young stallion’s show career first and stand him to the public in 2022 at Gumz Farms, alongside his sire.

“We are overwhelmed with the response we received about breeding to Enticed in 2021, however since he didn’t get a real ‘show year’ in 2020 due to shows being shut down we decided to let him have another year in the show pen,” Amber said. “We hope he continues to be just as strong as a 3-year-old and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this talented young stallion.”

Enticed will be shown by Amber in 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle classes while Lauren will get her chance to compete on her new show partner in 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle classes at all the major shows and futurities.

“He is beautiful and great legged, with huge try,” Gretchen said. “Plus, he is so easy-going, especially considering he is a young stud, and although his young mind shows through sometimes, his amazing work ethic and personality shines over it.”

Amber is also looking forward to showing him at the NSBA World Show and in the Level 3 Junior Hunter Under Saddle at the AQHA World Show this year.

“He has such an outgoing personality and loves his job,” she said. “I think his quality and presence draws in everyone’s eye in the show pen even spectators. We have had so many of our peers in the industry already fall in love with him.”

Although they have only been working together since 2018, the Deeds family has a lot in common with Amber and Dwayne. And that understanding helps make the partnership work.

Gretchen and her husband, Cory, also work together, on a daily basis, in their own engineering firm and the successful partnership they have is mirrored in Amber and Dwayne’s training operation, making them just as successful.

“Amber and Dwayne have their own individual specialties and strengths and together they make an unbelievable team,” Gretchen explained. “Lauren loves the way they explain techniques to help her and her horses to be the best they can be.  She also thrives on their dedication to a positive learning environment.”  

After boarding their horses for many years, the Deeds family moved to Lowell, Michigan four years ago and built their own horse barn. Last fall they added an indoor riding arena and brought Good Luck Charley home so that Lauren can practice every day. Gretchen also keeps Cant Be Duplicated, her own “unicorn” at home, along with Lauren’s first show horse, JCH Booyah and Sleepy Margarita, a new 3-year-old “project” horse for Lauren.

When he is not working, or supporting Lauren at shows. Cory is into a different kind of horsepower and enjoys racing cars with his racing company, 5.2 Motorsports.  He builds custom Ford Mustang race cars for road track racing. 

Lauren’s brother, Evan, tried horse riding at about the age of 8 on his pony, Captain. But shortly thereafter realized horse riding was not really his thing.  He enjoys working with his dad, playing video games, like most 11-year-old boys, and enjoys his dog and playing the piano as well.