Every single time 16-year-old Evie Doles steps into the show pen she remembers some important advice that her trainer gave her.

“Ride what you have today and don’t focus on perfection.

Instead, focus on riding your horse, on being a horsewoman.

“Those words of wisdom from Melissa Jones have served Evie well as she works to build a special partnership with her new show horse, If Im Honest. They’ve only been together since late last year, but already they have built an impressive show dossier and Evie has some lofty goals mapped out for the rest of her youth career.

“I would love to be top five in all of my classes at the AQHA Youth World Show and at the Congress this year,” she admitted.

And she has a long-term plan as well.

“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was little to win a Golden Globe in the Level 3 14-18 Equitation at the Youth World, and I would love to fulfill that dream,” she said. “I would also love to win the 15-18 Youth Horsemanship at the Congress. I think that is one of the toughest classes, and it would be amazing to win it one year.”

Evie is the daughter of Troy Doles and Sarah Shoemake Doles and grew up in the St. Louis area. Her grandparents, Jim and Rita Shoemake have been involved in the horse show industry for years, with Jim serving as president of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) before Evie was even born. And now, her other grandparents, Don and Janet Doles, are getting involved too as part of the If Im Honest ownership partnership.

Evie’s introduction to riding was through an equine therapy program when she was just 2 or 3 years old. She and her twin brother, Donovan, were born premature and went through a myriad of therapies, including therapeutic horsemanship.

“I loved it,” Evie said. “When I got stronger, we started going to my grandparents’ farm where the family’s broodmares and babies lived. We borrowed a pony from a family friend, and  it just took off from there.”

Evie started her show career with a little mare her grandpa Shoemake owned by the name of Easter Tillie (Lillie). They competed in Small Fry Western Pleasure at the 2012 American Royal in Kansas City.

“My trainers at the time, Chris Russell and Brendon Mehochko, and my parents were spread around the outside of the arena to help me cluck to get Lillie to trot,” Evie recalled. “I loved it so much that by the next horse show a couple weeks later, I added the Small Fry Hunter Under Saddle.”

By the following year Evie was showing Lillie in Small Fry Showmanship, Horsemanship and Equitation and that year she also made her Quarter Horse Congress debut showing another horse her grandpa Shoemake owned, Dee Golly Goodbar, in Small Fry Western Pleasure.

By 2014 Evie and Lillie had become quite competitive in Small Fry competition and together they placed third in Small Fry Equitation and ninth in Small Fry Showmanship at the Congress.

In 2015 Evie moved out of the Small Fry division and began competing in Novice Youth and Youth classes with Lillie, making their first appearance at an AQHA Youth World Show by competing in Showmanship.

“It was such a great experience to go there and be part of the team and watch all of the other classes,” she recalled.

Later that year, Evie got the opportunity to lease Skipalilassets (Rusty). Together they placed third in 11 & Under Hunter Under Saddle, 10th in Novice Youth Horsemanship 13 & Under at the 2015 Congress. Evie also teamed with Dee Golly Goodbar to make the finals in 11 & Under Youth Western Pleasure.

In 2016 Evie continued to show Skipalilassets, winning a bronze trophy at the NSBA World Show in 18 & Under Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle (as an 11-year-old). At the Congress they were Reserve 11 & Under Hunter Saddle Champions; placed third in 11 & Under Youth Horsemanship and in the top 15 in Showmanship and Equitation.

“After our lease on Rusty ended, I showed Dee Golly Goodbar in all-around events,” Evie explained. “My parents told me that if I maximized her potential, then we would look for a new horse. In 2017, I won the Level 1 Championship (Central) in 13 & Under Showmanship. A few months later, my parents bought HF Krymsun Elegance (Krissy), a finished all-around horse. I spent the summer learning how to show Trail.”

All the hard work paid off when they placed seventh in the Youth 12-14 Trail; 14th in Level 1 13 & Under Trail and 13th in National Youth Activity Team Tournament (NYATT)  Equitation.

During 2018, her final year of 13 & Under competition, Evie and Krissy competed at some new and bigger show circuits, like the Big A in Georgia.  They won the Performance Halter Mares and claimed a Reserve Championship in 13 & Under Equitation and a fourth in 13 & Under Horsemanship at the AQHA Level 1 Central Championships. They followed that up with top 10 placings in Performance Mares, 13 & Under Horsemanship, Equitation, Showmanship, and Hunter Under Saddle at the AQHA Youth World Show. At the NSBA World Show the following month, they won the 13 & Under Equitation; were Reserve in 18 & Under Novice Youth Trail and collected a bronze trophy in 13 & Under Trail. They wrapped up the year by placing fifth in 12-14 Youth Trail and in the top 15 in 12-14 Youth Showmanship and Horsemanship at the Quarter Horse Congress.

But following the Congress, Krissy underwent surgery and while she was in rehab, Evie joined the Chris and Melissa Jones team. They returned to competition in 2019 and placed sixth in 12-14 Equitation; ninth in NYATT Equitation, 12th in NYATT Horsemanship, and 13th in 12-14 Showmanship at the 2019 Congress.

“Sadly, that was the last time I showed Krissy,” Evie explained. “She suffered another injury after the Congress and, while recovering in 2020, she died suddenly unrelated to her injury.”

Evie took the loss hard and there were times she thought she’d never find a replacement.

“Chris and Melissa kept assuring me we’d find the perfect horse,” she said. “The more horses we tried (and we tried some really nice ones), the more convinced I became we were not going to find the one.”

That’s when If Im Honest came into her life.

Chris Jones spotted Sunni Duke showing the 2016 bay gelding by How Bout This Cowboy and out of Who Could Be Certain, in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation at the Madness AQHA Circuit last July and asked about him but he wasn’t really for sale.

While Duke didn’t agree to let Moose go right away, she did agree to “give it some thought.” When Quarter Horse Congress management announced plans to cancel last year’s event due to Covid-19 restrictions, Duke agreed that if she could show Moose at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show in August, she would let him go after that.

“It was absolute love at first sight for all of us,” Evie insists. “He’s much bigger than Krissy, but when I got on him, he just felt so good. And so calm. My first lead change on him felt fantastic. Chris rode him first, then I rode him, and then Melissa rode him. I think my parents felt like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They had been updating my Grandma and Grandpa Doles all along the horse hunt. When we found Moose, my grandparents jumped at the opportunity to partner with my parents, and the Shoemake-Doles Partnership was born. It is so cool that both sets of grandparents have been so involved in my horse showing career.”

Evie and Moose hit the ground running.

They were Circuit Champions in 14-18 Youth Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation at the Indiana Fall Fling and Melissa Jones won the Circuit Championship in All-Age Hunter Under Saddle. They finished out 2020 with Circuit and/or Reserve Circuit Championships in Hunter Under Saddle at the Arizona Fall Classic and Arizona Fall Championship. This year they have already collected Championships and Reserves in Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation and Horsemanship at the Florida Gulf Coast, Shamrock Shuffle, NSBA Sudden Impulse Futurity, The Madness and the Big A Circuit while Melissa has also earned several Circuit Championships and Reserves in Level 3 Junior Hunter Under Saddle. They are currently leading the Nation in Youth Hunter Under Saddle.

“Moose is a goofball and a total cuddle bug,” Evie said. “He’s adorable, and always tries his best. Sometimes, I think there’s a person inside of him; he has very kind eyes and a great mind.”

According to Melissa, Evie is smart, dedicated, has a great attitude and is willing to do whatever it takes to continue to improve.

“Together they have a wow factor,” she said. “They are perfectly suited for each other. We couldn’t have found a better partner for Evie.”

Evie and Moose compete in Youth Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation, Horsemanship and have recently added Showmanship. Chris Jones shows Moose in the Green Western Riding, and the Junior Western Riding, and Melissa shows in the Junior Hunter Under Saddle.

“We are the strongest in the Equitation,” Evie said. “He is finished in it, and covers a lot of ground, so we can show off our speed and pivots. He has a smooth sitting trot, and a great rhythmic canter that is really fun to sit. Horsemanship is really fun too. Moose was pretty green in it when we bought him and he has come really far really quickly.”

Evie is looking forward to the future. They will compete at the AQHA Youth World Show, the NSBA World Show, The Championship Show at the World Equestrian Show in Ocala and at the Congress.

And Sunni Duke has been the new team’s biggest fan.

“Having owned and loved Moose, it is a thrill to me to see the bond that he and Evie have,” she said. “I think that bond and their presence in the show pen has made them one of the most exciting teams to watch.  I am proud of all they have already accomplished and eager to celebrate all that is yet to come for them.”