I have SO many friends I have been pulling for this past weekend in the American Horsewomans Challenge. I do not mean to downplay any of the others by focusing on these 5 - but I feel led to share with you my connection to each of these particular ladies ... Kathy DeHass - I first met Kathy at the 2011 audition for Americas Fav. Trail Horse. I saw her from afar and knew she was a super nice rider - one of those that you know can - and will - win. I got to know her better at the filming and fell in love with her kind heart from that day forward. She and her sweet horse Blue were the clear leaders of that competition and because of my relationship with Kathy, I featured them in the childrens book I wrote about Lindsays Faith. I spend some time at her beautiful farm this summer and felt like a kid in a candy store. Her wonderful husband even gifted us a sweet mini-Jenny when we left! Kathy is one of the most TALENTED, most DRIVEN, most KIND and most GENUINE people I know. Such a multi-talented Brilliant horse she has developed in Christian, her Friesian cross black gelding. He lays down for countless kids to take pictures with him, he sits on a couch, he drives a cart, he has the most beautiful, uphill canter that Kathy has worked very hard to develop. He is a fabulous mascot of their Windy Hill Farm and I know they must be so proud of him. I am proud of him and SO proud of Kathy and so proud of her husband, Ted - a very talented equestrian himself who supports his wifes adventurous heart 100%. I know he must be SO PROUD right now. To see how far she has taken that leggy 3 year old and packaged him into a fine Combined Driving & Riding mount .. her dedication and heart is an inspiration to everyone that knows her. HORSEMANSHIP at its finest - THAT is what they represent - with some fun on top :-) I wanted Kathy to win. Tricia Hambrick - I first got to know Tricia just this year when needing a layover spot near Fort Worth, Texas. In response to a fb post from my dear friend Ann Souders she kindly opened up her home and barn to us and made us feel so at home. She even let FKs dog, Ingrid, sleep in the bed :-) She showed a super cute palomino Mustang, Blondie, that she developed and trained. This duo also recently won the Pattern division (and a big shiny buckle) at the Mustang Million Futurity. They did SO awesome this weekend and were THIRD in the Cowboy Dressage! There were so many upper level Cowboy Dressage professionals there - I am just busting at the seems with excitement for Tricia over that score!!! Tricia has a wonderful partner in the blond bombshell Mustang of hers - no telling what is next for them - but whatever it is I want to see it! Tricia is as generous and honest as they come. I feel like Ive known her forever and its hardly been a year. I wanted Tricia to win. Marsha Hartford Sapp .. ohhh Marsha. I first met Marsha after stalking her in 2010 when she adopted the little sorrel Mustang I had my eye on for the EMM (the yr I got Lindsays Faith) .. Ive gotten to be closer and closer to her ever since. Ive gone to her farm countless times and ridden with her. She is the ONLY person I have EVER known that can have a HUGE barn full of training horses and never treat a single one like a number. She is the HARDEST worker I think Ive ever met too. I am exhausted when I go to her farm - just from watching her! lol I have recommended lots of folks to her and every one is forever in love with her abilities and dedication to THEIR horse. I am convinced 10 people live in her body. That is the ONLY way she can do what she does. Just this year she gentled a wild Mustang for the EMM in Texas and made finals with him (and he was TOUGH) and also developed this gorgeous Stallion for the AHC and made finals on him too - tying for 3rd overall in the Freestyle. .. Plus giving lessons, coaching the College Eq team and developing countless other training horses... and talk about an Eye for equitation. She is a HUGE factor in the performance Silver gifted me with in 2012 - I had some major chicken wings at the tack-less trot before she fixed me up with water bottles ;-) .. oh oh oh AND Marsha will be a Clinician at the 2014 Mustang Family Reunion Ride - along with Julie Goodnight, Kenn Mcnabb, Dan James and more!!.. NOT just for Mustangs BTW! I wanted Marsha to win. Equine Foundations ByMirka - I am a bit embarrassed to admit how I first met Mirka. Talk about STALKER. Not her - ME! .. It was not long before the 2012 EMM auction .. I had this vision of doing a tackless ride, no neck rope - just me and the horse .. I had not even adopted the horse yet and was playing this vision in my Mind. Well there I was on FB and I see this GORGEOUS picture of this small lady cantering in a open grass pasture on a stunning black horse totally tackless. .. And then I see her name listed for the competition I was about to do. I must admit, I was intimidated!... I SO wanted to do what she was already doing. As I read more about her style I felt SO connected to her. Like we were mirrored protons, on the same wavelengths even though we did not know one another. I sent her a private message telling her I thought we were aligned in our paths and I think I freaked her out at first - but we ended up becoming friends and the more I get to know her the more I am confirmed in my thought that we are aligned as she has morals closer to mine than just about anyone I know. .. and LET ME TELL YOU what this talented little lady did for the AHC. ... While many of the horses selected were already tame, gentled - many even handled extensively before the competition... She goes to the closest BLM WILD HORSE auction and picks out a WILD Mustang ;-) .... Now lots of folks used Mustangs, as did I .. but I do not think anyone else went and picked one up one month before the challenge out of a BLM pen ;-) .. and that only scratches the surface of the unique condition she has been in while developing this super talented Mustang mare! She was super strong all the way through the challenge - REALLY strong in Liberty, REALLY strong in Cowboy Dressage and did well in the Cowboy Race - but the obstacles were just a wee bit extra scary for a horse plucked from the wild just over 6 months prior - and understandably so I would say! Mirka did a phenomenal job helping her through - and if we are as aligned as I KNOW we are I just have to say .. Girl you better hold on tight! Life is about to EXPLODE with GOOD STUFF coming your way! The last time I trained a wild horse preggo all sorts of opportunities were soon to chase me down the following year! .. Oh and Mirka has an entire video series of her development of this wild horse - from first touches, to liberty, to spins and lead changes to bridleless .. in 6 months! If you appreciate a soft, yet talented touch you MUST check out her series! Hannah Catalino .. oh Hannah ... I first met her in 2012 after everything was over at the SEMM and we were packing for home. I watched a video clip of her performances from the Youth and was floored. I continued to stay in touch with her on fb and just feel in love with her more and more .. While I was still struggling to figure out how to teach Colors to roll over on her back like a dog .. there was Hannah -- already doing it with her Mustang .. (She is only 18 btw and mostly SELF TAUGHT!) Tricks only begin to scratch the surface of her talents .. You do not get a horse to do highly difficult things - like jumping over a SINGLE barrel - by getting mad and forcing them to. That kind of alignment takes Clean focus. Clear intent. Sincere thought. all things the horses craves and knows. All things I strive to be better at every day. All things this young lady does NATURALLY. There are some that crave something and get better at it because they crave it. There are some that are good at something and get better because - well Why not? Its easy.... and then they are some that are GOOD at it .. AND Crave it with everything in them. Those break the mold. Those are the ones that competitions can not box in. I remember telling Hannah after Mustang Million that there had not yet been a competition designed to truly embrace what SHE is .. yet ... Little did I know Jim Hutchins was creating it as we spoke. I can not imagine how exhausted he (the producer of AHC) must be - I am sure its been a whirl wind. I am sure a lot has been learned and a lot has been gained ... but I AM SURE that God guided this kind man to create JUST THE COMPETITION this brilliant young lady needed to prepare her to FLY. HANNAH and her Mustang Ace won RESERVE CHAMPION of the first ever AHC! She TIED with Mary Kitzmiller (Do I need to introduce her???? .. Her record speaks for itself - MM top 5, 2 time Wild Card for RTTH .. etc ;-) .. (GO MKK) and Obbie Schlom ... do I need to introduce her either??? RTTH runner up to Guy McLean and EMM winner, Trainer of Horses, Zebras and .. Bulls ;-) (GO OB!!)... Hannah TIED with these two ladies! .. No, it was not a reining competition, it was not a compulsory competition, it was not a Dressage competition .. This year it was a Freestyle Competition .. one that came at exactly the DIVINE time it needed to to CATAPULT this talented young lady to the pedestal she deserves! God Bless you Mr. Hutch for making this happen. Your hard work is not wasted. This was a HUGE SUCCESS! The talented lady that won is someone I do not know personally. Her name is Jerusha Steinert and what I do know is she is a MOTHER and a DREAMER and a DOER.... You do NOT have to stop dreaming for your kids - in fact - any of you that have kids - it is your JOB to Dream. To Live. To Chase your Heart - How else is your child to know its ok to chase their own dreams??? If I tell FK I am messy (I kinda am .. and I kinda dont care ;-) ) - she immediately says I am messy. If I tell her I am talented, She says I am talented. Children do not need us to just tell them to chase their dreams - Our children NEED us to CHASE OURS! .. Bless you Jerusha for chasing YOUR dream. This competition was made for you too!
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 04:12:51 +0000
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