There i
s the cliché that every little girl begs for a horse, and needless to say, I was no exception. My first ‘ride’ (dad holding me steady as I sat on a patient horse’s back and had pictures taken) got me started early. I was hooked.
I started out taking English riding lessons on reliable mounts, a Qua
rter Horse named T.G. (Terrific Guy) and Abby, an Appaloosa, barrel racing for fun on a pony named Nick, and moved on to working Hunter/Jumper Thoroughbreds. The only experience I had with showing was thanks to my mom’s best friend, Chrissy. She let me compete with her eighteen-year-old Paint, Rocky, in the Kaysinger Horse Show Circuit in classes such as English Pleasure and Equitation. When Chrissy gifted my sister, Ashley, and I with Cocoamo in 1999 everything began to click.
Ashley and I did all of Cocoamo’s training, learning patiently what worked and didn’t. We’ve come a long way from being handed a weanling, when I was eleven and Ashley w
as nine-years-old, to where we are today. Once I got in a cart, I knew exactly where I belonged.
Cocoamo quickly became PVM’s mascot. Ashley and I proudly took him to school for show-and-tell type days where we educated our peers about the Miniature Horse breed. I absolutely love giving rides for little kids (if you’re ever in the area, feel free to give me a call).
At AMHR Nationals in 2006 I fell in love with a two-year old gelding named Mickey whom we ended up purchasing by the end of the show. He was shown in halter and western country pleasure driving this year, bringing home gelding incentive and driving stakes ribbons. 
I am now a junior in college majoring in Accounting. Luckily I still have plenty of time to work with the horses. Finally convinced dad that he should show with me. We had a lot of fun working together during the 2007 show season and dad took Cocoamo to a Reserve National Champion win!
I was crowned the 2009 Registry Queen in Branson, Missouri in November 2008. I am truly looking forward to the upcoming year and cannot wait to represent the Registry and work with the youth members.
Be on the lookout for all of us in 2009 and be sure to come say hi!