Kelly Shambles has been attending the All American Quarter Horse Congress for more than 15 years. Her step-father, Tom Bussard, is attending his 43rd Congress this year.
“Each year my step-father would bring me, my cousin Mandy Wymers, and his wife Carolyn, to Quarter Horse Congress to see the Reining Futurity Finals,” said Shambles. “No matter where we were at the time, we would always come home and go together.”
This year though, that almost didn’t happen. Tom Bussard, now 83 years old, had open heart surgery this past year.
“My step-father didn’t want to come because of health reasons,” said Shambles. “But I called and begged him and eventually he said he could come.”
While Bussard has never shown at the Congress, he raised, broke and trained Reining horses in the Sharpsburg, Maryland area. He was even a founding member of the Virginia Reining Horse Association (eight or nine people put in $100 to get the association started, Bussard told Shambles).
In 1968 he heard about a great Quarter Horse Show in Ohio, and has been attending the Congress specifically to see the Reining Futurity Finals ever since.
While many know of the All American Quarter Horse Congress for its great competition and superb trade show, the Congress wouldn’t be as large as it is today if it wasn’t for spectators like Kelly Shambles, Mandy Wymers and Tom and Carolyn Bussard. Their love of the sport, dedication to the industry and support of the Congress is not only admirable, but greatly appreciated. These are the types of people that make the Congress so much fun and so invigorating.
Before being directed to the Press Office at the Congress, Shambles wrote a letter to her step-father:
When my 83 year old father said we weren’t attending Congress this year, my heart was broken. You see, attending Congress and the Reining Futurity Finals is a family tradition and just to hear his stories of the early years about Dale Wilkinson and Bill Horn are very fun.
After all these years, I still learn something about Reining sitting beside him, watching the rides.
After begging and pleading, Tom Bussard is attending his 43rd Congress Reining Futurity. I can assure you he is just as excited tonight to watch the best of the best, both riders and horses, as he was back in 1968!
Thank you for bringing us,
You daughter, wife and niece
Printed Courtesy of Ohio Quarter Horse Association
