Lots of riders look forward to competing at the American Paint Horse Association World Championship Show. But you will be hard-pressed to find someone more determined to get to Fort Worth this month than Samantha Gardner, of Wilmington, North Carolina.

            Last year Gardner missed her futurity class there when Hurricane Florence plowed through her home state, washing away roads and grounding all flights.

            “My flight was cancelled three days in a row and finally was able to get out the night before my Amateur (Hunter Under Saddle) class,” she said.

            Gardner owns EPR Face It Im Fancy, a stunning 2015 black overo gelding with blue eyes, by All Time Fancy and out of Honeys Hot Jazz.

            She purchased “Chrome” when he was just a 2-year-old. At the time, she had an Allocate Your Assets mare in training at Allan and Julie Schmidt’s Dare To Dream Performances in Wilson, North Carolina. Julie had purchased the youngster through Diane Watson, stallion manager at Eagle Point Ranch in Florida.

            “I remember the very first time I saw him loping in the field as a yearling,” Gardner said. “He had such an elegant way of going in the field. I love a horse that naturally carries himself uphill.” 

            Samantha knew then that Chrome was something special.

            “That is when I first called dibs on him when Julie was ready to sell him,” she said. “All my life I always wanted a black horse and with his beautiful white legs, it was a no brainer.”

            Gardner watched as Chrome got started under saddle and her impressions of him only grew stronger.

            “When I was there riding, I would drool over Chrome gliding across the ring,” she said. “Julie is an exceptional hand with a Hunter Under Saddle horse. I love how she starts one slowly, giving them the chance to find their balance and use their natural ability rather than force anything with them. I truly think that is what keeps them happy while doing their job.”

            EPR Face It Im Fancy made his show debut at the 2017 National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show in August. There he placed fifth in the 2-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, a Reserve Championship in the Breeders Championship Futurity (BCF) 2-Year-Old Color Hunter Under Saddle and eighth in the 2-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle. 

            From there it was off to the APHA World Show where Julie piloted EPR Face It Im Fancy to a Reserve Championship in the Gold 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

            Together Julie and Samantha then made the decision to show at the Quarter Horse Congress.

            “This was going to be my first show with Chrome. I sure knew where to pick a first time to show a 2-year-old,” Samantha quipped.

            Gardner and Chrome finished third in the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes and fourth in the open division of that class.

            “But Julie blew it out of the water when she won the 2-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle on the most obvious looking paint, with his bold marking that I fell in love with, at the biggest Quarter Horse show,” Gardner said.

            EPR Face It Im Fancy finished out 2017 by being named the NSBA 2-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Reserve High-Point Champion.

            But with all he accomplished in his 2-year-old year, that was just the start as his show record only improved as a 3-year old.

            At the NSBA World Show Samantha and Chrome placed third in both the BCF 3-6-Year-Old Color Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and the BCF 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. Julie rode Chrome to an eighth-place finish in the BCF 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

            The following month, at the APHA World Show, Chrome was Reserve Champion in the Gold 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Breeders Futurity and third in the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Challenge with Julie in the irons. Then Samantha and Chrome claimed a World Show Championship in the Intermediate Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle and they placed third in the Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle.

            But Samantha says that best day of her show career came when she won the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under saddle at the 2018 Quarter Horse Congress.

            “I vividly remember as I lined up first in front of all the judges, I was crying like a baby,” she recalled. “I was on cloud nine for weeks. One of the best pictures I have from that year is my father beaming with the trophy as we walked out of the ring.”

            Julie also captured a Reserve Congress Championship aboard Chrome in the 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle that year and placed seventh in the Open Division of that same class.

            “Chrome has amazing self-carriage. I could canter him for days,” Gardner said. “He was started slowly and I feel like that is part of the reason he loves his job. His ears are always forward and he seems happy to be ridden.”

            Gardner refers to EPR Face It Im Fancy as her “unicorn” and says his personality is as impressive as his talent.

            “Chrome is really a gentle soul. He will always greet you at the front of the stall (especially if you have a soft peppermint),” Gardner explained. “We are pretty sure he is deaf so he loves a good pat in the ring. In the beginning of his show career, like any other green horse, he would have a moment or two where he was unsure of what to expect. As soon as I would just rub his neck you could almost feel him exhale.”

            Gardner was born in Denville, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Community Services from East Carolina University and a Master’s degree in Psychological Studies and EdS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seton Hall University.  She is the COO of her family’s businesses in Wilmington, North Carolina – Net Recycling, housed in a 195,000-square-foot warehouse, where technology is used to dispose and recycle fiber optic scap and Net Logistics, LLC, a Net Distribution division as well as a full logistical management company.

            This has been a busy year for the businesses so showing has been a bit limited. In February, she enlisted the help of North Carolina trainer Keith Miller and since then Chrome has spent less time on the road. At the Show For Dough Futurity, held at the Big A Circuit, he was unanimous Open Hunter Under Saddle Maturity Champion with Miller in the irons and he and Gardner were unanimous champions of the Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity.

            But nothing could compare to the success they all had at the NSBA World Show last month, where Gardner and Chrome captured a World Championship title in the Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity; a Reserve title in the Amateur Color Hunter Under Saddle and wins in the BCF 4 to 6-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under saddle and the Color BCF 3 to 6-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. Miller also rode Chrome to a World Championship title in Junior Color Hunter Under Saddle; a Reserve championship in the Color BCF 3 to 6-Year-Old Open Hunter Under saddle and a third place in the BCF 4 to 6-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

            Next up is the APHA World Show where Gardner will show Chrome in the Breeders Trust Non-Pro 4-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle as well as the Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle. He will also be shown in the Junior Hunter Under Saddle and 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Sweepstakes with Miller in the irons.

            “Keith had always had an eye on Chrome and thought he was special,” Gardner said. “He was excited when I approached him about his program.” 

            Like he is nearly every time Gardner competes, her father, Tom, will be there to lend his support and encouragement.

            “My father is the reason I am the equestrian I am today,” Gardner said. “From the first riding lesson, to buying our farm in North Carolina, and not to count the endless horses he purchased that I just HAD to have, my father gave me all the tools I would need to be successful in the sport.”

            In fact, family is very important to Gardner. She lives not far from her father and mother, Donna, as well as her brother, Matthew and sister, Courtney. She is also the mother to Brady, 8, and Charlotte, 6, who attend Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington. 

            “I have the only grandchildren so you can imagine how spoiled they are,” Samantha said.

            And, of course, she counts Chrome as family and she is pleased that he is excelling in the Miller program.

            “Chrome really seems to like Keith and I think he has welcomed a change in his training,” Gardner said. “I am excited to see him be pushed to a new level and see what he can do. Sydney and Keith have always been very kind and made sure I feel welcome. They are really family-oriented people and I feel like I have learned some new things. Who said you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks!”