It is not often that a horse and rider duo stay a team for over 15 years, but Amateur Kelli Hardy and The Indigo Jet (Indy) of Waterford, Pennsylvania have been together for well over a decade. When they started as a team, Hardy was 11 years-old and she showed him in the Small Fry Showmanship at a handful of AQHA shows and open shows in Pennsylvania. Fast forward to last year, Hardy and Indy achieved their biggest accomplishment when they were finalists in the Amateur Showmanship at the AQHA World Show.
“I’m sure there have been other teams like ours, but, honestly, I cannot think of anyone else I know who has shown only one horse in their career, and the same horse from walk-trot to amateur,” Hardy says. “I think that our relationship is so special because we have basically grown up and learned together, as he was four and very green when we bought him, and I was 11 and had only ridden a horse once or twice before starting to ride him. I also think our relationship is unique because he is actually getting better with age, so, it is more fun every year to show him than the year before!”
Kelli’s mom purchased Indy in 1997 from a youth exhibitor in New York where they were training him for reining, and it wasn’t working out so well. Indy is 19 years-old this year, and Kelli says he still loves to go to shows and is very happy every time she puts him on the trailer for a show.
“I always just take things one year at a time, and my goals for this year are to enjoy showing Indy as much as possible and to qualify for the AQHA World Show again in showmanship and equitation,” the senior at Edinboro University told GoHorseShow.
Hardy says her favorite win has to be the top 15 finish at the AQHA World Show last year in Showmanship. It was their first time making the finals in Showmanship, although they have shown every year since 2007. “I remember standing in the line-up and looking down the line and feeling so privileged to be included in that extremely talented group of exhibitors and horses,” she remembers.
Hardy plans to show horses for the rest of her life, and she will continue showing Indy until he is retired. “He would be so bored staying at home,” Kelli says laughing. “We always joke that he will be my niece or nephew’s walk-trot horse someday. He has a forever home with my family for sure.”
Kelli would like to thank her trainers Amber and Seth Clark and her mom who has been her cheerleader at the horse shows.
“Indy is the only horse that I have ever shown AQHA or any other association,” Hardy states. “He is my best friend, and always gives me a hundred and ten percent of what I ask of him. He has the biggest heart and best personality of any horse I have ever known, and the past 15 years of showing him has been nothing but pure joy and an honor. Ever year he gets better and better, and I cannot wait to see what 2012 has to bring us.”
