CLICK HERE to view the October Issue of GoMag
About the Cover
The Congress is back and we are thrilled to have an exceptional team featured on the cover of our October Congress issue of GoMag. Maria Salazar and Maid Me Good (Xman) are a new team that has already been racking up the accolades in the show arena. As a 2-year-old, Xman was a Congress Champion, NSBA World Champion, and BCF Champion.
“I will be showing him in the Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Horsemanship, Showmanship, and Halter at the Congress this year,” Maria, a World and Congress Champion exhibitor, told us. “It’s been rewarding this last year as we’ve added the all-around to him since he previously only did Hunter Under Saddle. Despite being 17 hands and a moose, he’s talented in Showmanship and Horsemanship. However, we have to constantly remind ourselves that he’s only been doing these extra classes for about ten months.”
Salazar talks about her special relationship with her trainer, Shannon McCulloch. “In my opinion, Shannon is one of the hardest working trainers in the industry. The time and dedication she puts toward each client is incredible, and it doesn’t matter if that client is preparing for a local open show or headed to the Congress,” Maria says. “I’ve ridden with Shannon since I was 11, and I didn’t speak to her for the first two years because I was so terrified of her. However, it has grown into one of the most important relationships in my life, and I’m almost never scared to talk to her anymore.”
Maria has made some significant changes in her life lately. Her family recently purchased a ranch in Pilot Point, Texas, renamed Westover Ranch. “It is a tribute to where we came from and the street my grandmother grew up on, and it is the proud home of McCulloch Training Stables. It has been such a joy to get to know the Pilot Point area and join the community. We are surrounded by so many close friends and peers who we typically only see at horse shows. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to further my dedication to the horse industry.”
Going into this year’s Congress with a green horse, Maria says she is hoping for clean and correct rides. “I hope that I can leave the pen and say, we rode right to Xman’s level. It can be frustrating to start over with a new all-around horse and get caught up in wanting to win, but Shannon does an outstanding job of helping keep 
things in perspective and looking for places in the pattern to go for it and other places to go for correctness. The Amateur division has such talented and established teams that have been together for years, and I respect and honor the time it takes to get to that point.”
Salazar adds, “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to be on the cover of the Congress edition of GoMag. These past couple years have been tough for everybody due to the pandemic and life in general. I’m so grateful that we have our passion for horses and the horse industry to carry us through hard times. It’s such a strong community of wonderful people, and I’m very blessed to have a new home and a career that I love within this world.”
CLICK HERE to view the October Issue of GoMag
Cover Design: EM Design & Photography – Cover Photo: Kirstie Marie
The deadline for the November Issue of GoMag is Thursday, October 28th. To reserve your space, call or text Suzannah Fuhrman, GoHorseShow’s Co-founder and Executive Vice President at 214-449-8716 or email her at [email protected]. She will be happy to answer any of your questions and can help design an advertising package to fit your needs and budget perfectly. GoHorseShow…Where The Winners Go.
