At the end of many exhibitor’s youth careers, the inevitable decision between keeping or selling their horse can present a difficult dilemma. Multiple Congress Champion Bailey Anderson, a sophomore at the University of Georgia and member of the 2014 NCEA National Championship equestrian team, recently had to make this heart-rending decision. Ultimately, Anderson chose to sell her dream horse, Zippos Kat Man Do (Teddy) to Select Amateur Deborah Stewart Harris of Tuscola, Texas.
“It’s crazy to think back to the beginning and remember that Teddy wasn’t part
of the plan. I had barely had my horse Tag, Krusin Krymsun, for a year when I lost him to a tragic injury,” Bailey reflects. “The plan at first was to lease Teddy through the Youth World, but then I fell in love with him and we bought him in the summer of 2013.”
Anderson and Teddy became a dream match winning 2014 AQHYA Reserve World Championships in the Showmanship and Horsemanship. They were also multiple Congress Champions in the 15-18 Youth Showmanship, 15-18 Youth Trail, Novice Youth Trail, NYATT Showmanship, and Youth All Around 15-18. The team amassed nearly six hundred points in a very short time frame.
“When I first got him, I wasn’t sure if I would connect with him as much as I had with Tag, but it turns out he was my dream horse,” Bailey reveals. “Because of my heartbreak over losing Tag and wanting to just be able to keep showing, I poured everything I had into Teddy. He wasn’t easy at first, but by the end of the summer we had become a team that trusted each other. I remember a lot of people would come up to me when I first got him and say, ‘How do you ride him? He’s crazy!’ Teddy’s not crazy, he is just quirky.”
Anderson says that all Teddy wants is to be loved and spoiled. “He will eat pretty much anything, but his favorites are red Twizzlers. He has the funniest personality and has the mind of a five year-old. He loves to hang his head out of his stall and see what’s going on around him. People would always freak out at shows or at home when they saw his stall wide open and me not around because they thought he was going to escape, but he always knew he had to keep his front feet at the edge of the stall.”
Bailey adds, “We all hope to find that one special horse and Teddy was that for me. He made all my dreams come true and taught me so many things along the way. As much as I wish he could retire at home in my pasture, I know he still has a lot of showing left in him, and I am so excited to see him and his new owner, Deborah Harris, show people what they can do. I know he will continue to be loved and spoiled and that is all that matters to me.”
Bailey’s mother and AQHA judge, Tina Anderson shared some thoughts about Bailey and Teddy’s time together. “Bailey had several horses in her youth career, but we never imagined she’d end up with a horse as special as Teddy. His former owner, Danielle Long always called them the dream team, and in her dad’s and my eyes, they certainly were. Not only is he super talented, but he has a heart of gold. Her trainer, Terry Cross, used to tell me, ‘I think he really loves her.’ And he did. And she him. They had a tremendous amount of trust in each other and it showed.”
Teddy’s new owner, Deborah Harris picked up Teddy on Saturday (pictured right) and told us about her plans with her new famous teammate.
“First of all I am on Cloud Nine. I’ve got some big shoes to fill after Bailey Anderson’s winning ways with Teddy. My dreams are to follow in her footsteps at the Select World,” Deborah says. “I want to thank the Anderson’s for giving me the opportunity to purchase such an awesome gelding. I also want to thank Dry River Ranch for their time and patience during this wonderful decision in my life. A special thanks to my trainer, Joe Blair, for all he does for me. I couldn’t ask for a better trainer that has so much patience with me. I’m looking so forward to showing Teddy and watching Joe show him too.”
We wish Bailey luck in her future endeavors as well as this new Select Amateur Team at the upcoming shows.
