All trainers and exhibitors have that one horse that is their favorite for one reason or another. Maybe it was the first one that they ever won the Congress or the World with, or perhaps the one that helped them make their mark in the industry.
Some talked about horses that they trained or showed while others mentioned their favorite horse regardless of who owned or trained it. These horses are the special ones that had the “wow factor” that everyone admired and that took people’s breath away in the show pen or on the racetrack.
We decided to throw a curve ball to exhibitors and allow fictional horse characters as well. Interestingly, most of the Select Amateur riders had the same answer. Can you guess who they picked?
Let’s find out which horses some of the top trainers and exhibitors in our industry picked as their all-time favorite and why.
Natalia DeVencenty – Maximus from Tangled (pictured above). He’s so sassy and reminds me of how my horse, Chex Is The Choice, would act if he was a movie star.
Lana Markway – Dynamic Discovery one more time. He’s a double registered gelding Ali Edison owned that won numerous titles. He was just so cool and one of the best pattern horses of all time.
Charlie Cole – Well, I already ride The Black Stallion that’s Slick By Design. Does it have to be a horse? I want to ride the cow that jumped over the moon. If that’s not an option, I always wanted to ride Skipa Stars Lace. She was breathtaking and an amazingly talented horse. Judy Corbin, Leigh Berryhill, Jackie Krshka and Jill Briggs were a picture of perfection on her, and she was years before her time.
Emma Brown – As most people know, I have recently started school at Auburn University and I ride on the Equestrian team. I have been fortunate enough to make amazing friends who are into jumping. I have become fascinated with the high jumps and watching my friends from school on live stream when they compete at big shows. So, I think it would be so cool to ride Durosa W. It is a horse that one of my good friends on my team, McKayla Langmeier competes in jumpers with. I would love to get to ride that horse for one day, even though I have no idea how even to begin jumping. I think it would be so cool.
Julian Harris – The black Arabian from the black stallion on the beach and in the water.
Kathryn deVries Mitchell – The Vital Invitation – just one more time. But at a show – not at home, he was a booger at home.
Julie Hoefling – I would love to ride Mechanic. I’ll never forget seeing him trot in the pen for the Green Hunter Under Saddle at the Congress and he’s been my favorite ever since. He looks like such a fun horse to ride, with a great feel. I recently got to meet him, and it was so awesome to see him in person. I’m a big fan.
Gentry Cherry – Zenyatta – Go big or go home.
Farley McLendon – Ms Dreamy – The one Dan Huss rode at the AQHA World Show and her bridle broke at the beginning of her run. He finished it bridleless. She also was a medalist at the WEG earlier in the year. Even before her bridle-less run, she was a favorite.
Nancy Sue Ryan – I have to say Baby Oh…First horse to purchase and sell to a customer. My first open AQHA World Champion and the most trainable mare. She was 15-2 and moved like 16-2. She was a two-time World Champion.
Amy Mackie Smith – Secretariat – Because he had so much heart.
Ellexxah Maxwell – Secretariat! Going that fast would be amazing.
Andrea Kail – Zippo LTD – Because he was the most fun horse I’ve ever had the privilege to ride. I feel like I appreciated him when I had him, but he was very young. Looking back, I realize what a fantastic animal he was.
Alyse Roberts – Northern Dancer – Even though he probably would have eaten me for lunch. He was bred and raised on a farm in Ontario not too far from where I grew up. He’s a legend of our lifetime. A vast majority of the successful racehorses and stallions that we know today all can be traced back to him.
Kimberly Lloyd Wright – Vital Signs Are Good – In my opinion, she was the perfect western horse. I would like to know what her gaits felt like.
Isabel Scobie – Easy – Vital Signs Are Good (Lucy) – I would have loved to have shown her in the Western Riding.
Ashley Dunbar-Clock – Harley D Zip – He was such a great lead changer and it would have been so fun to try a lead change on him.
Carli Pitts – Strawberri Wine – Her lead changes are effortless and beautiful.
Lauren Stanley – Chex Is The Choice in the Horsemanship or Western Riding. He looks like so much fun to show.
Amy Groefsema – I remember playing with My Lil Ponies when I was a girl, and my favorite was the Pegasus one because I wondered how amazing it would be to ride a horse with wings, soaring in the sky. The fantasy is still there.
Cathy Corrigan Frank – Pegasus
Kathy Tobin – Pegasus – just to be able to fly on a horse. From childhood, I always thought it was an excellent combination to fly and ride at the same time.
Laurel Champlin – Pegasus, a winged stallion from Greek mythology. I would love to fly around wherever I want to go.
Rebecca Bunting – Pegasus – I’ve always had a fascination with Greek Mythology. One horse, one day – it would be to ride and fly on one of the most celebrated creatures in Mythology. Plus, it’d just be fun to ride on a flying horse.
Missy Thyfault – My first horse from my childhood – Pocos Banner Boy. He was a big red dun trail riding Quarter Horse that came from a Colorado Park Riding stable. He was kind and safe, and I would ride him all day, and he’d go anywhere. He was indeed a saint, and I definitely would pick him. Best eight hundred dollars I’ve ever spent.
If you were able to pick a real or fictional horse to ride for one day who would it be? Let us know.
