Virginia Youth Top State 4-H Horse Show
Appaloosa News loves to support our youth riders who are competing with their Appaloosas in 4-H competition. This September, three talented riders and their Appaloosas rode in the Virginia State 4-H Horse show and came home winners!
Marybeth and Ochoco Ultimate
Marybeth Martin and Ochoco Ultimate (Chips) have been a team since 2021 and is Marybeth’s first Appaloosa. After they brought Chips home, she told her mom that she always wanted a leopard appaloosa. Prior to coming to Marybeth, Chips spent most of her time as a broodmare and Marybeth had a project before her to get Chips ready to show.
Marybeth and Chips have grown a strong connection and compete at local, and 4-H shows in hunter pleasure, hunt seat equitation and showmanship. When not competing, Marybeth and Chips work on adding ranch riding to their program and enjoy trail riding in the mountains around home.
At the state 4-H show this past year Marybeth and Ochoco Ultimate placed 2nd and 6th in their hunter pleasure classes. They won their hunter horse equitation class which earned them a spot in the equitation classics class. This class is for all of the winners in the hunter horse equitation classes. Marybeth came out 3rd in this class for a great end to her state show.
Regan Caplan, Ima Glowin Coco Chip & Justa Skippin Miracle
Regan began riding almost 5 years ago and her favorite event is ranch riding. She enjoys the faster speeds of ranch riding and the ability to feel like a farmer on a ranch, working fences, roping steer, etc. This year Regan rode Justa Skippin Miracle (Rudy) in the ranch events and they also carried the Virginia state flag during the national anthem. Regan and Rudy were the Grand Champions in Ranch Ground Handling, won Ranch Horsemanship, Ranch Trail, and Ranch Riding. They were 2nd in Ranch Rail.
Regan rode Ima Glowin Coco Chip (Sadie) in the western events. Sadie is a quite different horse to ride, and Regan has to work to keep her collected and in stride. This was Regan’s first year in the senior division. Regan and Sadie won the Senior Western Trail class and were 2nd in Western Pleasure and Working Western.
Regan had a stellar show coming home as High Point Ranch and Grand Champion Sr. Ranch as well as the Champion in the Ranch Classics Ground Handling class with Rudy. She was the Overall Western High Point and the Sr. Western High Point with Sadie as well as winning the Western Showmanship Classics class and being reserve in the Western Horsemanship Classics Class.
Maggie Maynard and Sheza Glowin Treat
Maggie showed Sheza Glowin Treat (Dori) in the Junior Rider division for the Golden Horseshoe Club. Maggie and Dori had a super successful show and were the Overall High Point Junior Western Rider. They also won the Junior Horsemanship and Trail classes and were reserve in showmanship. The duo also competed to placings in the Junior Western Pleasure, Working Western and the Pleasure and Horsemanship Classics class.
All in the family
A fun fact about this group of great young riders and their horses is that three of the horses are related. Rudy and Dori have the same sire, Skipa Maxi Treat. Dori is the dam of Sadie. These three horses continue to carry youth riders to wins at the state 4-H show which is a great testament to the breeding program of Faye Strickler.
