United States Eventing Association

This is the 28th entry in the USEA’s Member Story Series. Help us reach our goal of over 300 stories – email your story to Leslie.

I had the great good fortune to grow up with ponies and horses thanks to generous grandparents and accommodating (if not enthusiastic) parents. No fancy riding lessons or show records to report, just hours and hours roaming the Oregon countryside with my sister on our trustworthy mounts.

Horses gave way to books during my college years but one benefit of my first “real job” as a wildlife biologist was being able to afford a new horse. Having moved to Idaho by this time the logical choice was a Quarter Horse. An abundance of opportunity and a team roping husband led me to that sport where I competed locally for about ten years. My first heading horse Bud was a true Schoolmaster of the roping pen; kind and patient with a vast knowledge of his job. Although I eventually sold Bud, I continued to rope and trail ride during graduate school where I earned a Ph.D. in Botany and landing a dream job as a Wildlife Area Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe in 1998.

By 2004 I had given up team roping but was left with a nice Paint gelding without a job. Since I had always wanted to learn to jump I decided to give it a try. The hunter ring looked too boring so I decided to learn Eventing. Inquires within the local English riding community led me to contact trainer, TD, and coach Tom Ordway of Princeton, Idaho. Lordy knows what Tom thought when he saw the out-of-shape, 30-something woman on her slow-footed Paint horse trying to post the trot during that first lesson but lucky for me he was up for the challenge. Through his careful guidance (and the help of clinicians Deeda Randle, Fran O’Reilly, and others) Spot and I both learned to jump and ride a presentable dressage test. We’ve since competed mostly in schooling shows with a few recognized events thrown in. Our greatest success came in 2007 when Spot and I won the American Paint Horse Association’s Paint Alternative Competition in combined training. The Gist Silversmith belt buckle we won is one of my most valued possessions because it represents all the dedication, long hours, and hard work that go into this sport.

Spot sadly had to retire from Eventing due to lameness issues in 2009 so he now whiles away his time out in the home pasture. He was to be replaced by a flashy Appaloosa named Winter Dancer. Given my penchant for colorful horses it is easy to see why it was love at first sight when I went to look at him as a yearling. Winter had been well started and was ready to begin the long road to becoming a jumping horse when tragedy struck. He crashed into the fence during an exuberant turnout session and broke the humorous in his left shoulder and had to be euthanized. I was devastated by this event and further demoralized by the long search for a suitable replacement horse. Thank goodness for my new friends in the Eventing world because they really helped keep me grounded during that time. Eventually I purchased a five-year-old Appaloosa gelding, but he and I just aren’t getting along so he is currently for sale. So, it’s back to the marketplace to find a new partner. Older and wiser is what I’m looking for this time around. After all, I’m doing this to improve my horsemanship and have fun rather than any great aspirations to ride at Rolex.

My husband would call it stubbornness (but I like to think of it as perseverance) that keeps me pursuing the sport of Eventing. My fellow eventers know why I do it; nothing can compare to the feeling of galloping cross-country and sailing over a big table on your equine partner. I certainly hope I can continue to do that for many years to come!