She was kind of hairy and plain looking when Tali Terlizzi, of Montville, New Jersey, first saw the red yearling named Kruze Control.

Her good friend, Rebecca Smiecinski, sent her a video of the filly raised by Brenda Lindvall of Stauffer Farms. Lindvall has posted the filly on Facebook and Rebecca told Tali “You need to buy this one, she’s going to be a great one,” Terlizzi recalled.

“She’s got a great eye and so I called Brenda and within the hour, she was mine,” Terlizzi said. “I was so excited about her and just wanted to hurry up and buy her before someone else did.”

When the deal was complete, Terlizzi realized she didn’t even know the filly’s barn name. Jewel, she decided, because she was like a diamond in the rough.

“She was one of the fanciest movers I’ve seen to this day,” Terlizzi said. “She was flat legged up front, could trot super lofty, lope strong and slow and her neck naturally just laid where it needed to be.”

When it became time start under saddle, Kruze Control was sent to Whitesboro, Texas trainer Farley McLendon.

“I started Jewel in December of her yearling year,” she said.

Ironically, McLendon saw the 2016 filly by The Krymsun Kruzer and out of How Bout An Asset, at the Stauffer Farm.

“John (Harms) and Tali got her bought before I could,” she said. “Funny how things work out.”

McLendon describes Kruze Control as a step-by-step horse.

“She learned and retained everything I threw at her,” she explained. “She’s a true show horse who loves her job.”

That became crystal clear when Kruze Control won the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle at the 2018 Tom Powers Futurity with Terlizzi in in the irons and was Reserve Champion in the 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle teamed with McLendon. Terlizzi next showed Kruze Control at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show, placing in the top five of the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.

“I then had to hand the reins over to Farley since I was pregnant and due with my daughter in November,” she said.

McLendon finished out the year by claiming a Co-Championship in the 2-Year- Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the Show For Dough and a Reserve 2-Year-Old Open Premier Quarter Sires Championship. Together they earned a Congress Reserve Championship in the 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle and a third place in the Level 1 Hunter Under Saddle. Kruze Control finished 2018 as the NSBA 2- Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Reserve High-Point Champion.

“This year we will be showing her in the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle events and we will try and get her qualified for the AQHA World Show inthe Amateur and Junior events,” Terlizzi said. “She’s a really great loper and can split her hock big so I’d love to see her go on and do the Western Riding.”

McLendon is also a big Kruze Control fan.

“I love her. She tries for everyone! How many 2 and 3-year-olds can you show in a plain snaffle? Still a great trotter and great cadence at the canter,” she said.

Besides Kruze Control, Terlizzi has three other horses in training with McLendon – Congress Champion Sensational Asset, Will Be Sky Walkin and Toddy Makes Ya Sleepy.

“Working with Farley has been great, she’s genuinely one of the few trainers out there that cares about the horse as if they were her own and puts her blood, sweat and tears into a horse,” Terlizzi said. “She’s a hustler, but also kind-hearted, she stresses on the fact that she wants her horses to enjoy being show horses. I love that about her. She keeps a select group of horses and customers and devotes her time equally to make sure we are all happy.”

Terlizzi was born in Florida but her family moved to New Jersey when she was in elementary school. 

Tali says she has always been “obsessed” with horses. She got her start riding hunter horses and did some jumping. Her grandmother competed in Western Pleasure and Halter events and introduced Tali to the American Quarter Horse. Her first AQHA show partner was Shes An Asset, a 1996 bay mare that Tali describes as “absolutely rotten. 

“She taught me how to have a lot of patience,” she explained. “I mean she was so bad, it would literally take me hours to get her on a horse trailer to go to weekend shows.”

Over the years, she has had show partners like Whata Cloudy Sky, Haul It Or Move Over and Only Invest Wisely.

“I kept him at a friend’s place and had some help getting him broke,” Terlizzi said. “I showed him at the 2016 Congress as a 2-year-old in the Level 1 Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and was top 10. That was my first Congress ever. It was such a big accomplishment to me, I felt like I actually won the Congress.”

A few years ago, Terlizzi met her partner, John Harms in one of the restaurants in which his company, Millennium Systems International, invests. MSI is a software company that specializes in Salons, Spas, and Medical Spas. 

“We actually are still waiting to get married, but we have two beautiful babies Knox (16 months) and Trevi (3 months),” Terlizzi said.

This year will be a busy one as she juggles motherhood and four show horses. She will show Sensational Asset (Henry), sired by Pass The Assets and out of A Walk In The Sky, in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and Hunter Under Saddle Non-Pro Maturities.

“I just purchased Henry, Sensational Assets, in January, kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, since I really didn’t need another horse,” Terlizzi explained. “But Farley and I had been looking for two years to find an Amateur/ Maturity horse for me and I always loved that horse and Farley felt the same way, the opportunity to purchase him came up and we jumped! Plus Farley needed a Senior horse for the year, so it all worked out and we couldn’t be happier with him!”

Will Be Sky Walkin, is a 2015 mare by Good I Will Be and out of A Walk In The Sky. She will be shown this year in Green Hunter Under Saddle events.

“She’s a bit of a diva and she knows it, she’s really pretty and a little on the smaller side, trots cute, but man I could watch her lope all day long,” Terlizzi said.

Finally, Tali has a new 2-year-old Hunter Under Saddle contender for this year. Toddy Makes Ya Sleep is a 2017 sorrel mare by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Gorgeous Investment.

“Last year my goal was to win a trophy, which we accomplished,” Tali said. “However, we won a lot of red ribbons, so my goal this year is to win some blue! And Maybe a neck sash or two.”