CLICK HERE to view the March Issue of GoMag
About the Cover
Featured on the cover of the March issue of GoMag is Eleanor Ott and Hez Rainey Made. New to the 14-18 Youth Division for 2024, the Michigan native and “Tater” won some very big prizes last year in the 13 & Under division. They were crowned AQHYA World Champions in the Level 3 – 13 & Under Trail and NSBA World Champions in the 13 & Under Showmanship. They also won the AQHA 13 & Under All-Around Honor Roll title with top-10 placings in five events.
This hot team is under the supervision of Beckey Schooler. “Beckey lives 15 minutes from me so, I go to the farm a lot after school, on my days off from school and almost every Saturday,” Eleanor told us. “She pushes me out of my comfort zone, but she makes me a better rider.”
Ott, a freshman at Adrian High School, says that her goal for 2024 is just to keep getting better. “With moving up, I need to keep pushing myself. The competitors in the 14-18 are all top-notch, so I need to keep working hard to compete on the same level with them.” Eleanor says that her ultimate goal is to ride on an NCEA Equestrian Team in college and to one day become a horse trainer.
While Tater and Eleanor have recently “clicked” as a team, they initially had a bit of a rough start. Eleanor’s grandmother, Londa Pickles, bought Tater from Richard and Betty Jo Carr after the Congress in 2019. In 2020, they started out showing showmanship and western pleasure. “But, I struggled learning to ride him,” Ott recalls. “He was frustrated with my inability to tell him what I wanted. In 2021, I went back to my old Small Fry horse for a year and learned to use my legs more effectively. I kept riding Tater at home and in some classes at the shows. By 2023, we started to click and do all the classes.”
Ott says her favorite thing about Tater is that he has a big personality. “He loves treats, toys and animal crackers. He always gives 100%; he tries so hard for me. When I give him bad information, he will save me.”
Eleanor would like to thank her large team of supporters. She said that her father always makes sure the truck and trailer are ready to roll for every show. Her mother, Allison takes her to the shows, bands her horses, and makes sure she is ready to show.
Her grandmother, Londa allows her mother time off from work to go with her. “She bought me this amazing horse, plus so much more. She even comes to a lot of my shows to support me,” Eleanor thankfully adds.
Eleanor’s grandfather, Doug is behind the scenes making sure the horse and dogs are taken care of at home, and, lastly, she would like to thank her brother, DJ, who is busy chasing his dreams, but always has words of wisdom and pushes her to be the best. “We are a tight family and it’s amazing.”
We are excited to see this new team mature and grow even more and wish them the best of luck moving into a tough 14-18 division in 2024 and beyond.
CLICK HERE to view the March Issue of GoMag
The deadline for the April Level 1 Championships issue of GoMag is Thursday, March 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.
