Eric Mendrysa, 25, was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan, Mendrysa got his show career started in the local 4-H club with his mother, Donna Mendrysa.

“My mother was the one who got me involved in horses, and I don’t think she ever expected it to go this far,” Mendrysa said. She grew up with Quarter Horses showing on local circuits and got me into 4-H at an early age. It wasn’t long before one horse turned into five and we were hauling all over the country showing on the AQHA/NSBA circuit.”

Mendrysa’s love for horses is not just limited to Quarter Horses, he also shows Half-Arabians in the English and Country Pleasure. In 2012 he went to his first Scottsdale Arabian Show, and was able to walk away with a Championship and Reserve Championship in a division of very talented horses and riders.

“Most people look at me like I’m crazy when they see the extreme differences between the two breeds, Mendrysa explained, but I must say I appreciate and enjoy both breeds for their differences that make them both unique,”.
This year Mendrysa is showing Only By Moonlight, a 2002 bay mare by Invitation Only out of the great mare Zippo By Moonlight in Amateur and Novice Amateur All-Around events. He will show under the watchful eyes of the newly formed partnership of Reid Thomas, Dave Miller, and Scott Jones of Showstring Performance Horses located in Boerne, Texas.

“I watched Only By Moonlight for a few years in the Western Pleasure pen and always loved her movement along with her amazing attitude. When I sold my gelding that I won the Congress with, I knew a replacement was not going to be an easy task, Mendrysa said. “I was actually on Youtube browsing horses for sale and found Only By Moonlight. A week later I was out at Justin Billing’s farm trying out “Moonie” and she was a perfect fit. I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to purchase her and I am beyond excited about her future as an all-around horse and a broodmare.”

In addition to Only By Moonlight, Mendrysa has a 2-year-old futurity horse in training with Ashley and Kenny Lakins of Waynesville, Ohio. Maliboo Barbie is by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Zip X Cierras. Mendrysa is looking forward to seeing how she turns out.

When he’s not busy with his horses, Mendrysa is busy with his Emajes Design & Photography business. He specializes in advertising and logo design as well as equine photography. Mendrysa hopes to grow and promote his design company and always push himself to raise the bar by exceeding his clients’ expectations. Within the horse business Mendrysa has already accomplished one goal, winning a Congress Championship, but says he would like to win an Amateur World Championship one day and continue to raise, promote and show great horses.

“Winning the Novice Amateur Showmanship and NSBA Novice Amateur Horsemanship at the 2012 Congress felt amazing because I had only been riding and working with my horse, Zips Dandy Sensation, since July of 2012 and he hadn’t been to the Congress since 2005,” Mendrysa said. “Zips Dandy Sensation had extensive hock surgery in 2006 and we weren’t sure that he could ever return to the pen, but he did, and he did it with a bang. It will definitely be a Congress I will never forget.”