Getitia
Well-Known Member
I’ve had a number of individuals who have written and asked us to share our Nationals experience with one of our fillies that we showed and I’m humbled to do so -
The background
We attended our first AMHR National show back in 1997 and I can remember just how in awe I was of the horses that were exhibited and those that ended up in the winner’s circle. The show so inspired me as a breeder that I realized I really needed to focus if I was going to be fortunate enough to find one of our homebred horses in the Nationals winner’s circle someday. It was a major dream to someday breed a horse that would win supreme futurity halter horse but the horse also needed to be produced by/out of horses that we had personally bred – I felt that as a breeder this would be one of the ultimate show ring honors
Over the years we added horses to the breeding program with “parts” that I thought would be necessary to be competitive in both halter and driving without having other traits/parts that if inherited would be detrimental. I’d add a horse to the program and say – I love this neck – the length, the shape, the placement on the body – if only I could “put” this neck on the foals that we produce – and then doing the same for every other aspect of a horse (hip, shoulder, head, bone substance etc.) and also focusing on those traits that are not easily seen – intelligence, show ring attitude, athleticism, personality. I loved pintos – and considered color the icing on the cake. Thus, the breeding program continued, year after year - we continued to make some progress and we also experienced a number of highs and lows (like those shared almost daily by others on this valuable forum).
In the spring of 2010 a little silver bay minimal pinto filly was born. Her dam was a daughter of Papo (who we had just lost very untimely in 2009 and was a devastating loss for us) and out of a Van Lo mare. The dam was bred by us, sold and then we repurchased her back as a yearling. This filly’s sire was Todd, whose dam is also a Van Lo mare and his sire is Lee. I was present at this filly’s birth and from the time she took her first wobbly step and nickered, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking, this filly appears to have inherited the best traits of both her sire and dam – could she be the one. She was named Buckeye WCF 1 Hot Unbelievable.
Fast forward to the 2010 US AMHR Nationals.
I very seldom ever enter weanlings in the amateur division at the Nationals as I don’t want them to become overtired plus it is so difficult for a foal to compete against the older horses anyway, but I thought it would be helpful to enter her in at least one class before her futurity class to see how she would behave – so I entered her in the amateur mare incentive class – I was shocked when she was awarded national champion - and even more shocked that it was unanimous. The next morning – in her weanling futurity class with me handling her, I was again more shocked that in a class of 37 stunning fillies she won her class. It was a long all day wait until she returned to compete for Supreme and then I saw the incredible line up of 1st place class winners walk into the ring …………and if I was shocked before – I was more than stunned when they called her name as the Supreme Futurity winner……………and I actually just stood there holding the lead rope for a few moments not believing what I had heard.
Year after year I’ve read or heard comments about show ring politics…and that winning big at the Nationals is political. I beg to differ – It is possible (even if it seems “unbelievable” ) for a nonprofessional to breed, train, condition, and exhibit a top winning horse at the National level……don’t ever give up on your dream or let anyone tell you something is not possible. Many people over the years told me my dream was not possible. I just didn't believe them.
It has truly for us, been a year to remember. Thank you for letting me share our story.
The background
We attended our first AMHR National show back in 1997 and I can remember just how in awe I was of the horses that were exhibited and those that ended up in the winner’s circle. The show so inspired me as a breeder that I realized I really needed to focus if I was going to be fortunate enough to find one of our homebred horses in the Nationals winner’s circle someday. It was a major dream to someday breed a horse that would win supreme futurity halter horse but the horse also needed to be produced by/out of horses that we had personally bred – I felt that as a breeder this would be one of the ultimate show ring honors
Over the years we added horses to the breeding program with “parts” that I thought would be necessary to be competitive in both halter and driving without having other traits/parts that if inherited would be detrimental. I’d add a horse to the program and say – I love this neck – the length, the shape, the placement on the body – if only I could “put” this neck on the foals that we produce – and then doing the same for every other aspect of a horse (hip, shoulder, head, bone substance etc.) and also focusing on those traits that are not easily seen – intelligence, show ring attitude, athleticism, personality. I loved pintos – and considered color the icing on the cake. Thus, the breeding program continued, year after year - we continued to make some progress and we also experienced a number of highs and lows (like those shared almost daily by others on this valuable forum).
In the spring of 2010 a little silver bay minimal pinto filly was born. Her dam was a daughter of Papo (who we had just lost very untimely in 2009 and was a devastating loss for us) and out of a Van Lo mare. The dam was bred by us, sold and then we repurchased her back as a yearling. This filly’s sire was Todd, whose dam is also a Van Lo mare and his sire is Lee. I was present at this filly’s birth and from the time she took her first wobbly step and nickered, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking, this filly appears to have inherited the best traits of both her sire and dam – could she be the one. She was named Buckeye WCF 1 Hot Unbelievable.
Fast forward to the 2010 US AMHR Nationals.
I very seldom ever enter weanlings in the amateur division at the Nationals as I don’t want them to become overtired plus it is so difficult for a foal to compete against the older horses anyway, but I thought it would be helpful to enter her in at least one class before her futurity class to see how she would behave – so I entered her in the amateur mare incentive class – I was shocked when she was awarded national champion - and even more shocked that it was unanimous. The next morning – in her weanling futurity class with me handling her, I was again more shocked that in a class of 37 stunning fillies she won her class. It was a long all day wait until she returned to compete for Supreme and then I saw the incredible line up of 1st place class winners walk into the ring …………and if I was shocked before – I was more than stunned when they called her name as the Supreme Futurity winner……………and I actually just stood there holding the lead rope for a few moments not believing what I had heard.
Year after year I’ve read or heard comments about show ring politics…and that winning big at the Nationals is political. I beg to differ – It is possible (even if it seems “unbelievable” ) for a nonprofessional to breed, train, condition, and exhibit a top winning horse at the National level……don’t ever give up on your dream or let anyone tell you something is not possible. Many people over the years told me my dream was not possible. I just didn't believe them.
It has truly for us, been a year to remember. Thank you for letting me share our story.
