Practice Makes Perfect

It was a slow process, but after hours of practicing at the barn, and a few more bumps in the road at horse shows, things started to click. And as the team became more consistent in showmanship, April’s confidence began to blossom. She started to realize her gift horse might be able to help her have the show career she always dreamed of having.

“I remember the first time April and George earned AQHA points at a show,” Dana Wetherell said. “Her mom had always said that when they finally earned a point, she would get a charm on her Pandora bracelet to remember the day. At this point in April’s career she had been showing for about a year but hadn’t placed high enough at a show to earn any points. We went to a show in St. Louis and I think they earned five points between the showmanship and the hunter under saddle, so she got her charm to remember the day.”

That weekend was the first really good show April and George had, and while five points may not be a lot to competition I was against and thinking I wouldn’t be able to make a callback. That’s when my mom reminded me I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to show at such a large horse show with my last horse, Benji. It made me realize how lucky I was to even compete.”

April and George ended up 8th in the youth showmanship and even made the hunter under saddle finals. A year later she would return to that show and make the finals in the horsemanship, a class she never even expected to compete in with George.