|
A
16-year-old and her Paint Horse win prestigious eventing competition
title
Florida
family takes chance on 'Joker's Wild' and wins American Paint Horse
of the Year honors
|
FORT WORTH, Texas-In
most card games, jokers have no value, so they are culled from the deck
and cast aside. In other games, they reign supreme as "wild" or "trump"
cards, and everyone hopes to be dealt one.
Rebecca Barron helped
her horse "Joker" rise to the occasion of becoming American Paint Horse
of the Year in rigorous and challenging eventing competition.
(Photo courtesy of Carolyn Carnes).
Jane Barron of Monticello,
Fla., didn't know what she would be dealt when she ventured into the world
of horse ownership to buy a horse for her then 8-year-old daughter, Becca,
in 1994.
A friend suggested
a pretty 4-year-old sorrel and white Paint Horse she had seen grazing
in a field near her hometown. Mrs. Barron entertained the idea, but only
briefly.
"A young horse for
a young child just didn't make sense," she recalled.
When Mrs. Barron found
out the horse was destined for an auction, however, compassion got the
best of her.
"I had no idea where
he was going," she said. "I felt sorry for him Š he had an injured eye.
So, I just bought him. I quite literally paid for him by the pound. I
thought maybe someone at the stable where my daughter trained would want
him."
Young Becca, however,
had other plans. She talked her mother into letting her keep the horse
and quickly bonded with him. The eye injury was only superficial and the
family vet helped her nurse the horse back to health.
As she cared for the
horse, Becca found it curious that the Paint, whose registered name is
Eyes Left, had a blue left eye and brown right eye. The horse reminded
her of the two different sides of a jester, so she nicknamed him "Joker's
Wild," or "Joker" for short.
Now, at age 16 and
with eight years of riding experience on her first horse, Becca has shown
the world just how serious she and Joker are about competitive riding.
For the team's outstanding
accomplishments during the past competitive season, Joker was named 2001
American Paint Horse of the Year by the American Paint Horse Association
(APHA) and the United States Combined Training Association (USCTA), which
became the United States Eventing Association (USEA) on Dec. 1, 2001.
"He's my best friend,"
Becca commented on the horse who has been her constant companion the past
eight years.
What makes the horse
such a strong competitor?
"He has a huge heart,"
Becca is quick to point out. "He loves to compete and always gets really
excited before the cross-country events. He wants to please me all the
time. I never push him. He loves doing what we do at competitions."
USEA competition involves
athletes participating in dressage, cross-country jumping and stadium
jumping at each show.
The prestigious American
Paint Horse of the Year honor is reserved for one Paint Horse at USEA
competition during the show year. The recent competitive season ran from
Dec. 1, 2000 to Nov. 30, 2001.
In all, five American
Paint Horses earned special awards at USEA competition at three different
levels. They include:
Preliminary Level
Horse of the Year-Eyes
Left
Owned by Rebecca Barron of Monticello, Florida
Reserve Champion-Ragtime
Leo
Owned by Marsan Styer of Bartonville, Texas
Training Level
Champion-Sandman
Go
Owned by Jim and Farley Wagner of Farmington, New York
Novice Level
Champion-Half Eyed
Jack
Owned by Margaret Ellen Soltis of Parkman, Ohio
Reserve Champion-Princess
Titan
Owned by Lauren and Elizabeth Libero of Raleigh, N.C.
At the preliminary
level, the winners were determined by USEA grading points accumulated
during the competition season. Winners at the novice and training levels
were determined based on a cumulative point system during the season.
In addition, they had to compete in at least three USEA-recognized events
and place in at least one competition to qualify for awards.
"It takes remarkable
talent to be an eventing horse," explained Linda Knowles, APHA show awards
coordinator. "To run and jump in challenging cross-country events, and
then also be able to compete in dressage and stadium jumping all at one
show, requires superior intelligence and athletic ability. It also involves
an enormous amount of training.
"These awards were
created to recognize horses each year who have what it takes to be champions
in eventing. We salute their outstanding accomplishments."
For more information
about the APHA and USEA awards program, contact Linda Knowles, APHA awards
coordinator, at (817) 834-2742, extension 245. She may also be reached
by e-mail at lknowles@apha.com.
More information
about APHA
Since its founding 40 years ago, APHA has registered more than 650,000
horses. Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA's
Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of about 57,000 horses each
year. The association serves nearly 100,000 members, who are located in
every U.S. state, throughout Canada and in 40 other countries around the
world. Paint Horses can be found in 48 nations.
APHA employs 160 people
and has an operating budget of $15 million for activities worldwide.
Among the many qualities that make Paint Horses desirable are their sound
conformation, versatile athletic ability, intelligence, calm temperament,
willing disposition and beautiful coat color patterns.
For more information about the American Paint Horse and APHA, visit http://www.apha.com/,
or call (817) 834-2742, extension 788.
More about USEA
Formerly known as the United States Combined Training Association (USCTA),
USEA is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1959 to promote
and develop eventing throughout the country. The USEA is committed to
providing eventing enthusiasts with a competitive level suited to their
individual skills. By assisting and educating competitors, event organizers
and officials; maintaining responsible safety standards; and registering
qualified competitions and clinics, the USEA offers training opportunities
for an ever-expanding field of world-class competitors. USEA also provides
a means for all riders, regardless of age or ability, to participate in
eventing. For more information on USEA, visit http://www.eventingusa.com/.
http://www.apha.com/
|