When you have a show partner with a personality as big as his show record, there is never a dull moment and you have no choice but to enjoy the ride.

            That’s how Meaghan DePalma, of South Carolina, describes Hotroddin Ona Harley, the 2006 brown gelding by Radical Rodder and out of Diamonds And Denim, she has been paired with since 2014.

            “He can be the one that whirls and runs when somethings grabs his attention or he will put you in the dirt if you kick him with unwrapped spurs,” DePalma explained. “Yet he will drink your water out of the bottle, steal food from your pockets and stand at attention for hours to get peppermints. We always joke and ask him what he wants to do. ‘Are you feeling like participating today, Harley?’” 

            Simply stated, Hotroddin Ona Harley is the consummate show horse. A peek at his lifetime record reveals he has earned over 1,000 AQHA points and has logged over $12,000 in AQHA and NSBA earnings. That requires a high level of talent.

            “I would say his greatest strength is his consistency,” DePalma said. “He always shows. Now he might not always give it too much effort but he never chumps you. Somedays he’s all about it and other days he just shows up but would prefer to be sleeping.”

            But he’s always been there for her. DePalma started showing horses at the age of 12, working her way through the 4-H program and on to competition at AQHA sanctioned events. Over the years, she has had many successful show partners including Good Doll, Zip Back N Yak, Good Mercedes, My Dream Remembered and Sleepin.

            In 2014 DePalma decided she wanted to branch out into some different classes. So she and trainer Michael Colvin took a red eye flight to Washington to try out Harley, who, at the time, was in Mike and May Edwards’ program.

            “Harley was a seasoned show horse that had knowledge in classes I’d never shown,” she explained. “I wanted to show the Trail and Western Riding and he was showing those classes. He was also big and black.”

            By then, Harley had already captured a Reserve Quarter Horse Congress Championship in Green Trail with Brynne Bassler and several AQHYA World Show Top 10 placings in all-around events with his previous youth owners.

            With the help of Georgia trainer Clint Ainsworth, DePalma got right to work learning to ride Harley and the new pair made their show debut together in Florida the following December.

            By the end of the Gold and Gulf Coast circuits, DePalma and Harley were winning classes in Showmanship and Trail and placing in Horsemanship and Performance Halter Geldings. The more they showed the more they learned about each other and just a few months later they began claiming circuit All-Around and Reserve All-Around championships.

            Since forming a partnership, DePalma and Harley have added Western Riding and Equitation to their repertoire and to date have recorded 233 Amateur points in Showmanship; 128 in Trail; 41 in Horsemanship; 135 in Performance Halter Geldings; 25 points in Western Riding; five in Western Pleasure and one in Equitation.

            “Showmanship is my favorite class, it always has been,” DePalma said. “I enjoy the different styles of exhibitors and watching the partnership. Even though I love it, Harley doesn’t, which can be disappointing. He participates some days and others it’s like moving a bus.”

            But it’s clear Meaghan is proud of her partner.

            “Harley is a Youth, Amateur and Open AQHA Champion. He has multiple superiors in Showmanship, Trail, Western Riding and Performance Halter,” she said. “He was Reserve Congress Champion in Green Trail, NSBA World Champion in Novice Amateur Western Riding, NSBA World, Congress and AQHA World Show top five placings in Showmanship, Trail, Western Riding and Performance Halter. His most memorable placings were fourth and eighth place in the Senior Trail at the Congress, NSBA World Champion and Bronze Champion in Western Riding and Top 10 at the AQHA World Show in Showmanship. The wild thing, hes been Top 10 at the AQHA World Show in the Performance Halter for the past four years and he’s 13 years old. Old man still has it.”

            DePalma is looking forward to showing Harley at the AQHA World Championship Show this month in Amateur Showmanship, Trail, Western Riding and Performance Geldings. Ainsworth will show him in Open Performance Geldings, Senior Trail and Senior Western Riding.”

            “My strongest class is Trail,” she said. “Even though I’ve only been showing that event for the last five to six years, Harley is very strong in it and has taught me a lot. He likes the tricky, high courses where he has to think. I still make novice errors sometimes, but he helps me out of trouble as much as he can.”

            They still have work to do to master Western Riding.

            “I would love to be more successful in that event,” DePalma said. “The great ones have excellent timing and rhythm. I pointed out of novice last year (big mistake) but here we are in the Amateur learning as we go. I was a finalist at the (2018) World show last year and at this year’s Congress, I placed 14th. It’s like I won and I’m super pumped!” 

            After the AQHA World Show Harley will get a much-deserved rest before their next big run to Vegas and Scottsdale in the spring of 2020. And Whelan will also be busy with her latest acquisition, No Doubt Iem Cool, a 2016 bay gelding by No Doubt Im Lazy and out of Cool Lookin Lady Too, that Whelan calls Liam.

            “He and I will start to show the all-around next year and Clint will show him in Trail and Western Riding,” she said. “I’m excited for the journey with Liam, baby green horse mistakes and triumphs. Harley is thrilled to have someone to share the work load.”

            DePalma’s journey with horses has been long and enjoyable, and one she has made with her family by her side. Her mother, Sue Hawley DePalma, showed Quarter Horses and got Meaghan started at the family’s farm in Albion, New York, at an early age. 

            “I first learned to ride with jumping lessons and only showed English, which is ironic because all these years later, 

I still can’t feel my diagonals,” she admitted. “I had my mom helping me and family friends that showed as well. After mom could no longer ‘coach me’ we became clients of Danny and Jill Bergstresser of JD Performance Horses.”

             DePalma earned Bachelor of Science degrees in corporate finance and speech communication from Clarion University in Pennsylvania, and landed a position as Regional Vice President for Prudential Financial, covering the states of Georgia, Western Carolina and North Florida. 

            “I help financial advisors create retirement solutions for their clients,” she explained. “I have been with Prudential for 12 years, they hired me right out of college. It’s a wonderful company and I’m very blessed.” 

            Once DePalma was out on her own she sought assistance from trainers Amy Whitmore, TR Potts and, most recently, she has had horses with Keith Miller for the last 12 years and Clint Ainsworth for six years. 

            “I’ve had the good fortune to show some great horses in my years,” she said. “I was a Youth Champion and Congress top five with Good Doll; a NSBA and Congress top five in Showmanship with Zip Back N Yak; a NSBA World Champion in Hunter Under Saddle with Good Marecedes; a Reserve Congress Champion in Hunter Under Saddle with Al Bet Cha; an AQHA World and Congress top five with My Dream Remembered; and earned multiple NSBA World Championships and Congress Championships in Hunter Under Saddle with Sleepin.”