For Non-Pro competitor Merrick Aguero of San Angelo, Texas success in the show pen did not come easily, but she never once gave up and has known most of her life that horses were for her.

Growing up in Texas, Aguero was a horse-crazy girl. At just 9 years old she and a friend decided they wanted to begin taking riding lessons locally so they went through the phone book to try to find a barn that offered a riding program. She then begged her mother to let her start taking lessons where she learned the basics of riding and the way of horses. After a few years her instructor began asking what her future plans might be and she decided she wanted to compete at American Quarter Horse shows. Her first horse was a buckskin mare named Bronze Bombshell, a small all around mare that did both English and Western events.

“My only real interest has been horses, I’ve been involved with horses since I was 9 years old. That’s what I do,” Aguero recalled. “I was always the girl in class that had a horse show to go to over the weekend instead of a party.”

Aguero continued showing through high school and in to college. Last year at the AQHA Novice Championship Show in Las Vegas, Nevada Aguero landed her biggest prize to date, she was named the Amateur Level 1 Champion in Western Riding with her 2003 black mare Midnite Cowgirl by Don’t Skip Zip.

“That was an amazing moment for both of us,” Aguero said. “We had both worked so hard over the years to become the team we were.”

Aguero says Western Riding has quickly become her favorite class thanks in big part to Midnite Cowgirl.

“I just love the faster smooth pace to it, the changes are so fun because sometimes it’s a challenge! It has taken me a year or so to feel 100 percent comfortable doing lead changes,” Aguero said. “My mare changed the lead changing experience for me, she is so automatic and just fantastic while doing them. She is the reason I love the Western Riding event so much.”

This year Aguero is showing, Still Tha One, a 5-year-old gelding by Invitation Only. Together, they will compete in Amateur Western Pleasure, Trail and Showmanship, under the guidance of Joe Blair. She says he has been the biggest influence in her show career.

“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs in the show world and I’ve had lots of confidence issues,” Aguero said. “Joe has pushed me through the toughest times. He has made me into the rider I am today and without him I wouldn’t of accomplished the majority of my trophies and buckles or even have the confidence to get into the arena to show.”

When she’s not busy with horses Aguero takes classes at Howard College in San Angelo, where she is a freshman. She is interested in becoming an x-ray technician and would really like to get a job after graduation doing something horse related, perhaps in veterinary medicine. She also enjoys spending time with her two labradoodles, Bella and Blondie. Aguero keeps a few horses at home so she also spends a good amount of her time riding her pole horse, Rebel. This horse crazy girl knows she’s living her dream.

“My passion for horses and the way they move     is just incredible. It keeps me so happy just preparing and prepping for shows,” Aguero said. “The part I find so amazing is when you take a horse that isn’t world quality and make them one by showing and adding points to their name and qualifying for the world show is just awesome. It gives you the feeling that you accomplished such a great task in your life.”