With the holiday season in full swing and everyone buying presents, decorating trees, and helping individuals in need during this holiday season, GoHorseShow.com decided to find out from our readers some of the best presents they have ever received for Christmas. Not surprisingly, many of the gifts received were horse related. Yes, we know we have been doing a lot of these types of articles, but GoHorseShow.com loves to know more about our horse show family and love to be able to share it with everyone. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming article about what many of your friends and horse show professionals do to give back to their community during the holiday season. But first, let’s have some fun and find out what surprises and gifts were given during prior Christmas celebrations!
Travis Dobbs—I talked to Johnna (his wife) about her favorite Christmas present. I gave her a Clydesdale one year. She’s big into Gucci bags, and the such, so I wrapped up a tinker bell kids purse in one of her Gucci cases. She thought she was getting a new bag, but out comes the kids purse. Inside I wrote a poem telling her how to find her real present, and outside the garage door stood “Gracie”, the Budweiser blooded Clydesdale. She went nuts… Gracie is our favorite pasture candy.
Karen Kilduffe Spangler—The best xmas present I ever received came early. I qualified my home bred mare for the 2010 World Show in the Amateur Performance Mares and Rusty Rea qualified in the open. Thanks to my mom Kathleen Kilduffe and my mother-in-law Polly Shew, I was able to go show and stay for a week. I know my dad was watching us both show her and was cheering us on.
Stephanie Griffin—Probably my best Christmas present ever was my Great Pyrenees Avery that my parents gave me in 2004, but my husband gave me tickets for Kid Rock’s birthday party concert in Detroit next month for Christmas this year and I think that will probably be right up there!
Katy Jo Pickard-–When I was very young, I was given a white pony with black spots and her name was Applesauce. She was brought into the barn with a big huge red bow on her. I thought she was the most perfect thing ever and I’ll never forget that night. We had her until she was 31 yrs old and we had to put her down. I had long since outgrown her by then. That was a very sad day for me…
Adria Smith—My holiday season has been made with the lost Shih Tzu, Jacob, being reunited with his owner. We found a six month old Shih Tzu puppy on Sunday running lose in the middle of four lanes of traffic. He was wearing a collar but the tags were broken off and he was not microchipped. We did flyers for him as well as registering him in found pet databases. The owner happened to be out with flyers and went into a vet that had received our flyer and was ecstatic. The family has just relocated to this area from Atlanta and was missing their dog, Jacob. So happy as the thought of someone losing their beloved pet during the Holidays is upsetting.
Lori Gordon—The best Xmas present was when one Christmas the girl that works for me had a broken ankle and my parents were in California with friends so I was left alone to do Christmas Eve and Christmas Day chores at the barn with 20 head of horses. I just started my workload Christmas eve when one of my friends/ client walked in the door unexpectedly. I said what are you doing here and she said I came to help you. The best ever.
Brad Ost-–When I was six I was afraid to sit on Santa’s lap at the mall, but I finally did and I asked for a pony and told him he could stick it right in the back yard. And he did!! it was the best present. Needless to say I wasn’t afraid to ask Santa for anything after that, but I don’t think any other presents have been as memorable or useful.
Kerry Papendick—The best xmas present I have ever received is the trip we will take as a family this year. We are going to go visit my son in Australia. He has been there since June. We are too excited!
Doug May—I am a tight-wad and always buy used saddles. One xmas Tina (his wife) bought me a new Harris saddle as a surprise. However, I blew the surprise because I opened the credit card statement (something I never do) and saw this large amount and flipped out only to have to apologize later for blowing the surprise.
Daren Wright—As far as the Christmas presents go, I can think back to several different presents I received through the years thinking each one of them was the greatest thing ever. However, after my mom had a stroke and ended up in a rehab center– the Christmas that she got to come home and spend with me was by far the best. It really put things into perspective and makes one realize that there are so many more important things than material items. That Christmas happened to be her last so it left me with some great memories of just spending time with her.
Darcy Reeve—The best Christmas present I have ever received was a life sized stuffed Winnie the Pooh when I was six years-old. It was a stuffed animal five feet tall and 3.5 feet wide. I slept with it until I was at least 13 years old. I would drag it all around our house and use it as a pillow or a chair.
Lori Bucholz—My best present I ever received was for my birthday in 2000. The horse I showed as a youth that I had owned since he was two, died December 30, 1999. He was 30 when he died, so I had him for over 28 years. Anyway, for my birthday in March, my husband commissioned a portrait of my horse, Sundance, painted by renowned artist Buck Taylor. It’s fabulous!
Patria Maulden— The best Christmas present so far was my Nancy (Reinvest in Blondes), my World Champion Palomino. My husband Jimmy surprised me with that wonderful horse on Christmas in 2004. But I’m an optimist–I hope the best present is yet to come!
Sarah Elder Chabot—The best Christmas present ever… Winter Riding Boots. I hate the cold, hate it, and I suffer from Raynauds – which is this strange condition where the blood doesn’t circulate in your extremities well. My toes and hands go white and then purple when the temperature starts dropping below sixty….I really should live in South Texas. So keeping my toes warm is the best gift ever because I can ride all winter long…pain free!
Ashley Hadlock—The best present I ever received was my pony Dolly when I was four years old. She was a typical stubborn pony, but she taught me a lesson of never giving up every time she threw me off. I remember my dad teaching me how you always get right back on the first time I bounced off of her. I was kicking and screaming as he picked me up and sat me back in the saddle. But thanks to him, I learned to always get back on!
Parris Rice—Hmmm, best Christmas present ever…. That would have to go to this years present. My dad bought me an ’02 Dodge Dakota. My parents gave it to me early so I could drive it around and get used to it before taking it with me when we move to California.
Beckie Peskin—As for best Christmas present ever, I think the most memorable Christmas present I had was actually something my dad and I did for my mom when I was really little. We lived up north and she had always wanted a sleigh, so my dad searched around and found her one – but it was supposed to be a big secret, so we created an elaborate story about where we had gone and what we had been doing (I think she was a little suspicious). I remember being really concerned about sticking to our story. Christmas morning my dad wrapped up the first in a series of clues as to where her gift was hidden. It ended up that he had hid it in our neighbor’s shed. She was sooo surprised and excited. My parents are now both passed away, so this is really a fond memory of this time of year.
Lainie DeBoer—Best Christmas present I have ever gotten was a couple of years ago. I bought several investment horses, and I fell in love with one of them. He was a horse I have always dreamt of owning. I got to show him for a year and then I was supposed to sell him as an investment. I had several people ready to buy him, and I was so sad. He was the horse of my dreams. My mom called me on Mother’s Day and told me he was my Christmas present for the rest of my life. I have owned him for six glorious years, and I ride and show him, and he is the most perfect horse in the whole world. He never has a bad day, and I smile every time I ride him. It’s like opening a Christmas present everyday!
Lisa Krohn—When I was 11 years old, I had already been bitten by the horse bug and was taking lessons at Merrywood stables, begging my mom and dad for a saddle, to use during my lessons (like many other kids did). My dad thought the idea of needing a saddle before you had a horse was silly, so he said no saddle until I had a horse. The Christmas of my 11th year, was a good one for me, in terms of the present haul, but my Dad said he had forgotten that he had one more for me. I was to keep my eyes closed, and soon I heard the very familiar sound of the buckles of a girth…..I opened my eyes and it was a beautiful english saddle. I started crying and my whole family (three older brothers and a sister) were crying too. I think that was the only time I’ve seen my oldest brother cry. Not only was I thrilled to have my own saddle, but I was pretty sure a horse was now on the horizon since dad was so sure I didn’t need a saddle without one. The following spring we were horse hunting….and I never looked back from there.
Jeff Johns—When it comes to the best Christmas present I have ever received I would have to answer with two things. The obvious best present for me (and I would argue for any of us) is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the reason for the season, but He is often lost in the hustle and bustle of our fast paced, material society.
My second best present is actually coming this year. My family is going on trip and the time we will spend together I know will be amazing. My family is scattered among three different states, and we are all at different stages in our lives so finding a block of time to take a trip together is very rare and special. This year after Christmas, my mom, my brothers, Blake, and Trevor, Jim and Deanna Searles (my God parents) and their two kids Taylor and Trent (who are actually my God children), and myself will all take a trip to the South Pacific. We are spending a week in Tahiti and Bora Bora and will hopefully create invaluable memories for the rest of our lives. This is a place that I think is on everyone in my family’s “Bucket List” so it will be fun to spend this time with them.
Kara Oldford—As far as the best Christmas present I’ve received…The one that sticks out in my head was a new showmanship outfit. I actually got it before Christmas, but my parents wanted me to have a gift to open, so my mom took a picture of it and wrapped it up! It may seem silly, especially because I had already worn it, but it was a really special outfit so it was a wonderful gift.
Jenna Dempze—The best Christmas present was a surprise vacation that my parents gave to my sisters and I. They saved it to the end of the gift opening; my sisters and I were confused by all the tropical and beachy themes gifts we had gotten until my parents gave us a card with the picture of where we were going.
Danielle Long—It seems this time every year is the only time of year my entire family tries to get together. We usually have big dinners (18+ Family members) two or three nights in a row. My grandparents fly up from Mexico and my cousins fly into town as well. This year we are going to do something different. We are celebrating Christmas early and then flying down to my Great-Great-Grandmother’s house in Santa Rosa, California. She doesn’t travel so we are going to her for Christmas. It’s our first time down there for the Holidays. It should be an adventure!
Laurel Champlin—This year Christmas for me is all about my family. My mom passed away last May and the year has been filled with emotion. My mom was scared of horses yet when I was a child showing in 4-H shows she would rent a u-haul horse trailer and drive me to shows. She was my cheerleader and always encouraged my showing and riding. As a single mom she was amazing. My favorite memory of her is my best Christmas present. Christmas Eve we would visit friends, attend midnight church together and then come home where she would play Christmas carols on the piano and I would try and sing. My mom loved life and always made Christmas wonderful. On December 15 this year, my daughter Christa gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Hanna Sue. That is what Christmas is really all about. The birth of a baby. My greatest wish is that everyone celebrates the season appreciating their own beautiful family and the blessings in their lives.
Tammy Denlinger-Lickliter—My favorite Christmas gift that I receive is that of my Grandmother. She will be 94 this Christmas and truely is the best gift every year. That coupled with my sister, also born on Christmas and myself a New Years Baby, we have a lot to celebrate!
