For most people who take a hiatus from showing horses, there’s a bit of a learning curve. A period of adjustment is often needed for the changes that may have occurred in each discipline. But that’s not the case for amateur competitor Tom Clopp, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Clopp, who enjoyed a successful youth and […]
The Berrien Springs Fairgrounds will once again be the backdrop for National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) classes when a brand-new futurity welcomes competitors to the southwestern corner of Michigan in June.The facility was home to the Tom Powers Futurity from 1985 until 2020 when it was announced that the futurity would be moved to Wilmington, […]
Family is not an important thing, it’s everything. – Michael J. Fox Family is at the center of the Cook family’s approach to showing horses. JR Cook grew up showing Cutting and Halter horses with his parents and grandparents by his side. His wife, Melissa, and her family were deeply involved in the American Paint […]
Ask anyone who operates even the most modest of breeding operations and they will tell you that there’s nothing that quite compares to the thrill you get riding and competing on a horse you raised yourself. Kathryne Zachrich-Yemc, of Delaware, Ohio, knows the feeling firsthand. This year she is showing Only A Dream Machine in 3-Year-Old […]
He was born in Oregon and grew up on a ranch where ponies then horses were a way of life. She was born in Connecticut and took her first riding lesson at age 7. But in 2017 Duke Williams and Alyssa Casa met through mutual friends at a horse show (of course) and hit if […]
Keith Whistle, renowned Western Pleasure horse showman, died Aug. 3, at the age of 67. Born in Hayti, Missouri, Whistle was the first person to be inducted into the National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame. He won both the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity and the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Derby at the All-American Quarter Horse […]
Tanya Relander’s mom had to beg her parents to ride. So as soon as Tanya and her sisters could sit up her mom had them on the back of a horse. “She made sure we had horses to ride and show,” Tanya said. “We rode before we did our school work each day.” Tanya got […]
Nothing is cuter in the spring than Facebook feeds filled by foals. They’re just simply adorable and they carry the hope and promise of a bright future. From the moment a foal arrives, every experience contributes to their outlook on life and eventual trainability. Every breeder has a different approach, one works for their program […]
Horses in Ryan Cottingham’s Indiana training barn follow the same dental routine as most people – the horses receive an oral exam twice a year. That allows Cottingham and the equine dentist to enable horses to be comfortable so they can perform their best without the distraction of a problem in their mouth. The preventative […]
For some horse owners, giving peppermints and cookies, scratches and attention are the largest time-consuming part of their horse’s daily catering routine. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting the special and close attachment with a horse, their manners and behaviors can turn pushy and rude instead of being respectful and considerate to the people whom […]
He didn’t know it at the time but when Mike Hershberger sent A Certain Illusion to South Carolina trainers Jay and Kristy Starnes 11 years ago, he was making a move that would have a lasting impact on both families for years to come. Hershberger and the 2006 sorrel mare by Certain Potential out of […]
A total purse of $37,982 will be up for grabs today as 14 unshown Western Pleasure contenders compete for the first time in the Hylton Maiden 3-Year-Old & Over Open Western Pleasure Class at the Spring Breakout AQHA Show in Lexington, Virginia. The winner of the Hylton Maiden take home a check for $10,000 and […]