The crowd was restless as all waited for the results from the Amateur Western Pleasure class at the Liberty Circuit in Tunica on July 4th. It was a large class, with several talented horses and skilled riders. Suddenly, the energy in the arena changed. The microphone switched on, and the announcer explained that before the placings were called, a special Exhibitor Appreciation prize would be awarded.
Julie Woodard had a nice ride on her AQHA gelding “In A Good Way.” But when she heard there would be a special award, she kind of hoped she wouldn’t win. You see, just a few weeks prior, while showing at Tunica, Julie won a horse trailer. Her mother, Jenny Honey, had joked that Julie was the luckiest person in the world. Julie thought, “If I win this, whatever it is, my Mom is going to knock me off my horse.”
Julie did take home a special prize that day, but it had nothing to do with horse showing. As the crowd grew quiet, the announcer called her name. Julie rode forward out of the lineup, just as a masked stranger walked toward her. Well, he wasn’t exactly masked, but he was holding a Mid South Quarter Horse Association sign in front of his face. That concealed his identity until he got a bit closer to Julie, and she realized the legs and boots looked familiar. Her boyfriend, Coleman Crossland, then emerged from behind the sign. Cole was supposed to be on a camping trip, so his appearance at the horse show didn’t make much sense to Julie. And she was even more puzzled when her mother entered the arena and had Julie step off her horse. The questions kept filling Julie’s mind until Cole suddenly dropped down onto one knee, took Julie’s hand, and held up a diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” Cole asked. Julie responded, “Absolutely.”
As the horse show announcer, I got to play a small role in the proposal by announcing that Julie had won a made-up award. Naturally, I was curious about the backstory and so I caught up with the couple for an interview.
Julie and Cole met in 2006 while working for the same company in Conway, Arkansas. They dated for a time, but then went their separate ways. That is, until September of 2013. Cole still worked for the same family business (owned by Julie’s mother), and was still enamored with Julie. For her birthday, Cole pulled out the guitar and played his version of “To Be with You.” Julie said, “That melted my heart,” and the two have been together ever since.
Cole knew he wanted to seal the deal. So in early June, he hatched a plot with Julie’s mother to make it happen. While it was a well-kept secret, Cole’s own mother had a feeling something was up. Just days after the initial planning began, Cole’s mom told him she’d had a dream that he’d proposed to Julie at a horse show, and that Julie had said yes. Sadly, Cole’s mother didn’t get the chance to see her dream come true. However, she did get to see the engagement ring the day before she passed away. Cole’s own father died just before Thanksgiving, and with the loss of his mother so soon after, he considered postponing the engagement. But ultimately, Cole decided he was going to propose because otherwise, “Mom might send a lightning bolt down.” The couple became tearful as Julie shared, “Maybe she had a little peace before she left.”
We wish the couple the best as they begin this new chapter of their lives together.
About the Author: Corinne Gould is an Emmy-award winning news producer for the NBC affiliate in Nashville, horse show announcer with Announcing by Cori, and Executive Secretary for Tennessee Quarter Horse Association.
Photos submitted by Corinne Gould.
