For many young girls, the dream of riding horses begins with visions of sleek stallions reminiscent of movies like The Black Stallion and Fury. Rarely do such fantasies play out in reality, but dreams of a kind and beautiful horse have come true for a group of lucky young girls in California in the form of now twenty-year-old Artful Investment. Affectionately known as Artie, the multiple World Champion stallion now enjoys life as a gelding residing at Silver Spur Riding School in Del Mar, California.
AQHA World Champion rider, Lindsay LaPlante, manages the riding school, which has 10 lesson horses and offers lessons to eighty to 90 kids on a weekly and bi-weekly basis. Artie’s owner, Nancy Alto-Renfro recently decided that he needed a new job and offered him to LaPlante and the children of Silver Spur. According to LaPlante, even though Artie only recently joined the program, he has become a fast favorite with her students. “We love him and he has become a quick favorite among the kids. He gets plenty of attention, brushing and cute braids in his mane and tail.”
Nancy Alto-Renfro and Artie reached AQHA horse show royalty status early in his career and she campaigned him to numerous AQHA Year End High Point awards, Congress wins, and two Amateur World Championship titles. She says of all the wins and awards the two shared, being one of the first amateurs in the industry to successfully campaign a stallion in the all-around events, including showmanship, may be their greatest accomplishment.
Renfro remembers, “In those early years with him, I talked with Charlie (Cole) and Jason (Martin) about what the two of us could do together and I’d already done well with other horses at the World Show. They suggested I show him in the all-around. Taking a stallion as an amateur wasn’t something that was done much; I don’t know that it had really been done before. So that, overall, was incredibly special.”
In 2012, when she saw that the then-current owner was selling him in the AQHA World Show Sale, she decided Artie deserved to come home. “I saw that he was for sale and I just wanted to give him the best life he could have at this point. I told his owner that I would geld him, give him a forever home and that I’d make sure he had a job to do because that’s when he’s happiest.”
Renfro made good on her promise and says the decision to geld Artie was not difficult. “Artie was never a horse that liked turnout. He just didn’t enjoy it and I thought maybe if he was gelded he’d be able to relax and just enjoy his life.”
Though the surgery did help, Renfro said the horse still wanted a job to do. She says, “He truly always wants to have a job. I think that’s why he was so successful; he was a horse that liked to work. And I know that’s why what he’s doing now is such a good fit for him.”
Artful Investment’s new workload likely feels light compared to the years he spent campaigning on the AQHA circuit. His list of achievements is long and includes five World Championships, multiple World Show Top Ten placings in both amateur and open competition in classes as varied as working hunter, western horsemanship, hunter under saddle and showmanship. The talented stallion was once an AQHA World Show Reserve Superhorse and earned multiple year-end high point awards, superiors, along with an open Versatility award and Amateur Supreme Performance Champion. His offspring have earned a total of 8,774 points and include five World Champions and six Reserve World Champions.
Life now moves at a slower pace for the talented gelding. LaPlante comments that, “Artie has a pretty easy life; he lives outside in a large bedded corral and is ridden five to six times per week by little girls learning how to ride. The rides are light and easy work. They play games on horseback such as red light, green light and Simon Says. He receives plenty grooming, treats, and love from the little girls.”
Artie’s status in the horse world was not lost on his young riders. LaPlante shared that many of the girls were a bit star struck at the prospect of riding AQHA royalty. “The first day we used him in lessons I had kids literally lining up and begging to ride him. One nine year old girl whose been riding for about a year told me she Googled his name and learned Artie was a “horse celebrity” and that she wanted his autograph. It was too cute and I had to let her be the first to ride him.”
Artful Investment isn’t the only one in the lesson program’s lineup of successful retired show horses. Students also have a chance to learn from World Champion Make Mine A Scotch, along with Lightly Peppered and EBG Fancy Chip who were both Top Ten at the World Show. LaPlante, who is an AQHA World Champion herself in the Junior Trail, says all of the lessons horses are quiet, safe and dependable and offer the young riders the benefit of highly educated mounts on which to learn. “Artie makes a great school horse because of his extensive training and showing background. He is easy for the kids to make trot and lope and he stops and turns on a dime. For some of the more advanced riders he can teach flying changes, horsemanship and even showmanship.”
Though the horse’s talents abound LaPlante says it’s unlikely he will make a return to the show pen. She notes, “He’s done his share of showing and winning and we think he’s earned an easy life full of kisses, carrots and hugs from little girls.”
Renfro adds that Lindsay often sends her photos of Artie with his girls, “it gives me goose bumps and I always smile. I think if he can bring enjoyment and smiles and teach these young girls something while staying happy and truly enjoying his later years—well that’s what it’s all about.”
