Quarter Horse
Putting Practice to Work: Exhibitors at the AQHA Regional Championships put all of their practice to work, try out some new classes and take home some great prizes
By Becky Newell
Jul 16, 2010, 15:00
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If you've ever been to one of our regional championships, you know that by the end of the second day, you pretty much know the names of all of the horses and the exhibitors -- even by their exhibitor numbers -- because everyone is so friendly and they all want to try out nearly every class they're eligible for.
At Region Eight in Wichita, Kansas, Kadra Lee Dunlap -- Exhibitor 454 -- and her 4-year-old gelding, Rebel Jim McCloud, were one of the many memorable exhibitor pairs I met.
"Jim" is used by Kadra and her husband, Mark, to move cattle, fix fence and all kinds of other chores on their place near Grant, Oklahoma. He's good and "ranch broke." So it wasn't a surprise to see that Kadra and Jim weren't afraid to try many of the disciplines -- western and English -- at Region Eight.
The duo won two buckles -- in novice amateur barrel racing and pole bending -- but there were many times that they were placed in the middle or near the bottom of some of the other classes they tried. But that didn't deter them. I even heard Kadra declare, "I've won everything I wanted (meaning the Montana Silversmiths buckles, Professional's Choice saddle pads, Weatherbeeta horse blankets, the Farnam Vetrolin products and The American Quarter Horse Journal hay bags that were handed out to those who placed in the classes), now I wish these other amateurs would just quit and leave so I can win that (Tex Tan all-around) saddle!"
Well, the other amateurs didn't go home, and Kadra and Jim didn't win the all-around saddle. But Kadra took home something much better -- pride in her young and incredibly willing gelding and in the fact that she can't question whether or not she and the horse can compete.
She wrote this on our Journal on the Road blog: "I have been 'winging it' at horse shows for the past 2 1/2 years, learning by trial and error. I have had a lot of advice from friends who show, and attended a lot of great clinics, like (those at) QuarterFest. So when I got to Kansas, I was ready to try anything new. My horse is 4 this year and has no fear. We tried the novice amateur working cow horse class, since we learned the basics on cutting at QuarterFest.
"On Friday, novice amateur hunter hack, which includes jumps, was offered. I was visiting with a lady named Paula Pray, who trains working hunter horses, who asked if I'd ever tried to jump before. I said, 'No, but with a little help on my part, I'm sure Jim could do it.' She then offered to help me. I really thought that since Jim and I are so untrained, she would get exasperated and tell us, like so many others have, there's no hope without a finished horse. She took her time, explained everything very clearly and it all worked! We jumped. It was like flying. I am so glad that I came to this show and so thankful to AQHA for creating the Professional Horseman program. Paula Pray definitely is a Professional Horseman and now a friend. Thanks for the opportunity to try new classes and learn new things. Jim thanks you, too."
And watching Kadra and Jim -- and many others like them -- is why we do what we do.
AQHA's Regional Championships are happening all summer long. Relive the excitement of the most recent regional championship, the Region Six Championship in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Remaining Regional Championships:
* Region 3 -- July 14-18, St. Paul, Minnesota
* Region 4 -- July 15-18, Columbus, Ohio
* Region 1 -- July 21-25, Langley, British Columbia
* Region 5 -- July 22-25, Lexington, Virginia
* Region 7 -- August 13-15, Salina, Utah
* Region 9 -- August 13-15, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
* Region 2 -- September 23-26, Rapid City, South Dakota
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