Sixteen-year-old Alexia Tordoff has had an incredible Congress so far with wins in the NRHA 14-18 Reining with her horse Blue Collar Tag and the NYATT Horsemanship and 15-18 Youth Trail with Blazin Hot N Gold (Rooster). Alexia has been knocking on the door for several years, but hasn’t quite had what most would consider a breakout year. Well, she has everyone’s attention now.
“She has been riding for years but has never had a Congress like this,” says Alexia’s mother, Shari Tordoff of Powell, Ohio. “She wondered if all the hard work, early mornings, long practices, and sacrifices would be worth it. It’s her time.”
Her older sister Olivia, who has had unbelievable success in the show arena, says she is very proud of her sister. “She’s worked her butt off for a very long time in both these classes, and I’m so happy to see it all coming together for her and Rooster.”
Alexia says she thought she had a chance to do well in the NYATT Horsemanship, but she wasn’t sure because they didn’t call out the individual placings. ”I’m still on the younger side of the 15-18 division, so I wasn’t sure what would happen,” says Alexia, who plans to also ride in college. “It was a big deal to be lined up next to Nya Kearns because she is such an incredible rider, and when they called out me as the winner, it was an incredible feeling.”
In the Youth 15-18 Trail, Tordoff says she wasn’t sure if her score would stand because she was seventh to go in the working order. However, her score of a 232.5 did stand, and she beat out 64 other competitors to take home the win. “This pattern was perfect for us because the maneuvers were short. There were a lot of downward transitions which he likes a lot because he’s lazy,” she says with a laugh.
The high school sophomore adds, “I’ve been riding Rooster since I was 11, and he is very special because I feel he has helped me become a better rider. He has the biggest heart and always tries his hardest.”
Her mother, Shari, told us that her youngest daughter always likes to put her unique twist on things.
“Alexia likes to live her life her way. She is very strong-willed, incredibly funny, and is always rooting for the underdog. Her best friend is her older sister, Olivia. She doesn’t like to take herself or life too seriously, which are great reminders for our family.”
Alexia agrees and says she is always doing something different that sets her apart from everyone else. “I pretty much always try to go for it in my classes; sometimes that pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. I get my horse ready when I show, so there are specific ways I like to braid Rooster’s forelock and tie in his tail.”
Doing things her way and her close attention to details has finally paid off. “It is amazing to be able to do all of this together as a family. My trainer, Brent Tincher, who we have been with for a long time, takes phenomenal care of our horses, and we consider him a part of our family. I’m incredibly blessed to have parents who support my passions. My mother got us all started in showing horses, and she is an inspiration.”
GoHorseShow would like to congratulate Alexia on her incredible Congress and wish her continued success.
