 Another successful horse show for our barn at the 2015 Mayfest horse show - Presented by the Northern California Walking Horse Association with MFT classes sponsored by the Bay Area Fox Trotter Association. It was a hot one in Elk Grove Ca with temperatures in the 100's but we all managed to power through the heat and have a good time showing our horses. Congratulations to Terry Kinnicutt on her mare 'Patriot's Outlaw Queen' winning the MFT 2 gait Championship. Tradition's Golden Amaretto next with a reserve championship and I am thrilled with both horses. We hope you enjoy our photos. Our team started the year off by attending the California Fox Trotter Spring Show and clinic that was hosted in West Covina, Ca. The weather was great, the judging was awesome and Sundays clinic was fun and educational.  We had a great outcome of the day - Harry Kinnicutt and his beautiful girl Pearl got a first place in Equitation against several other horses and we are so excited for therm! Terry Kinnicutt and her mare Abbie debut in the performance classes together and also won themselves a blue ribbon! Morgan Peterson presented Amaretto for Judy Jordan and she did and amazing job at showing this mare at her best. Thank you to CFTA for a great show and we look forward to seeing our Southern California friends again soon. After our busy year of showing and lots of long drives to Southern Ca, our work has paid off again for our Irish Hills Team! I am proud of all of our horses, riders and look forward to the 2015 season! Congratulations!
It sure was a BUSY 2014 show season. Our riding team participated in 6 MFTHBA pointed horse shows and we had a blast. Unfortunately we get really busy at shows and do not always have a camera person to take photos for us on top of all the work it takes to participate, but below are some other photos we had throughout the show year as some of the shows we attended. The August Summer Classic show was one of our very most favorite shows of the year! We had a blast, can't you tell! The weather was beautiful in Watsonville and we were so excited to spend time with everyone! Well - we did not manage to get very many photos from the July CFTA show, but we tried. Our second show of the year was just as much fun as the first! We were so busy with all of our horses that we did not get very many photos, but the ones we did get are pretty darn cute! An added bonus to this trip was picking up a new horse for Harry Kinnicutt - 'Nugget's Black Pearl' became the newest addition to the Irish Hills Equine team - we can't wait to show her off! West Covina, Ca, at the California Fox Trotter Association May show, 2014 The May CFTA Show in 2014 was our first show of the year for Irish Hills Equine horses.
The year started off great with a fun filled day, safe travels during the 10 hour drive each way to West Covina and well behaved horses! Carley Chase, one of our new youth riders for 2014, did a great job in her first horse show ever and we are very proud of everyone and their horses! Irish Hills Equine is PROUD of our |
 Sunrise's Smokey Black Owned by Marie Boyd - Presented by Morgan Peterson & Marie Boyd 2013 National MFTHBA High Point Ladies to Ride Tie with our awesome friend Pam Ellison! |  Tradition's Golden Amaretto Owned by Judy Jordan Presented during the 2013 season by Morgan Peterson, Judy Jordan and Allison Bernardi 2013 National MFTHBA High Point Country Pleasure 2013 National MFTHBA High Point Western Pleasure |
And our Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Winners!
 | Whoa Susanna & Terry Kinnicutt 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Model Mare Tie |
 | Desperado's Southern Belle - Owned by Marie Boyd 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Model Mare Tie |
| Desperado's Southern Belle - Presented by Sophie Hewitt 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association Yough High Point |  |
 | Patriot's Handsome Man Owned by Susan Lokker-Hewitt 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Stallions & Geldings |
| Tradition's Golden Amaretto Owned by Judy Jordan - Presented by Morgan Peterson, Judy Jordan and Allison Bernardi 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Western Pleasure |  |
 | Sunrise's Smokey Black Owned by Marie Boyd - presented by Marie Boyd and Morgan Peterson 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point 2 Gait Mare 2013 Bay Area Fox Trotter Association High Point Ladies to Ride (Tie) |
Ahh yes, my sweet, beautiful and loving Mare, Belle.
Belle was bred and raised by Debbi and Brian Leville of Foxy Rhythm Ranch, of Livermore Ca, now located in Stockton, Missouri.
Sired by Lonesome Hills Desperado and born to the dam Pistol's First Lady, this mare is truly one of a kind, and I do not say that because I am biased, even though I am LOL!
Belle was bred and raised by Debbi and Brian Leville of Foxy Rhythm Ranch, of Livermore Ca, now located in Stockton, Missouri.
Sired by Lonesome Hills Desperado and born to the dam Pistol's First Lady, this mare is truly one of a kind, and I do not say that because I am biased, even though I am LOL!
In my career as I rider, before I was a trainer, I was lucky enough to ride this mare's Sire, Dam and grand dam on the sires side, which was Lonesome Hills Dove.
As a youth rider I rode Pistol's First Lady, Belle's Dam, to winnings more than once, including 1994 youth high point, 1994 costume high point and several youth and open division high points throughout 1994 - 1996.
As a youth rider I rode Pistol's First Lady, Belle's Dam, to winnings more than once, including 1994 youth high point, 1994 costume high point and several youth and open division high points throughout 1994 - 1996.
Belle will always have a home with us - she provided for me as a fabulous show horse, and still does. I have ridden her to winnings, and high points in the two gait ladies, two gait open, costume, two gait western pleasure, trail and three gait open. My youth riders have ridden Belle to winnings, and high points, in two gait youth, two gait youth country pleasure, two gait open, two gait trail, two gait western pleasure, 3 gait open and three gait western pleasure.
Besides the classes in the show ring, my youth riders, including Rebecca Valentine and Morgan Peterson, have ridden belle to winnings and top placements in Jr Rodeo barrel racing, single stake and pole bending. Belle has carried her youth riders through short distance endurance rides, placing in the top 5, and has even competed in open cross country jumping events.
I adore this mare. She is picky, she is on point. Belle is a fast learner, she has patience and demands to be clean. This mare can do it all, if you only ask her in the right way, and I could not ask for anything more in what I feel is a top quality, versatile, Missouri Fox Trotter.
I adore this mare. She is picky, she is on point. Belle is a fast learner, she has patience and demands to be clean. This mare can do it all, if you only ask her in the right way, and I could not ask for anything more in what I feel is a top quality, versatile, Missouri Fox Trotter.
I have personally never met a horse quote like Surprise. She is sweet, she has a personality that is one of a kind and I bet if she could fit in your pocket, she would try to climb in there!
Surprise was bred and raised by Debbi & Brian Levillie at Foxy Rhythm Ranch of Livermore California and now located in Stockton, Missouri. Sired by Lonesomehill's Desperado and out of the dam Missouri Sunrise, Surprise has some great breeding and nice big movement!
I have owned Surprise since 2006 and she has a forever home with us. Besides myself, Surprise has been shown by 3 of my past youth riders and has earned herself a lot of blue ribbons and a couple of local high point awards.
After an injury that required a long rehab period, I began using Surprise for my lesson program and I never imagined that she would be so great for the kids. Carrying riders as young as 6 years old, Surprise loves her job as a lesson horse for beginner riders.
After an injury that required a long rehab period, I began using Surprise for my lesson program and I never imagined that she would be so great for the kids. Carrying riders as young as 6 years old, Surprise loves her job as a lesson horse for beginner riders.
Surprise loves her home at our Santa Rosa location - she enjoys leisurely afternoons begging for treats and gets spoiled rotten by our new team of youth riders!
'Smoke' came to us somewhat by accident.
In September of 2009 she was brought to California from Missouri and she was brought to me the end of that same month to be trained and posted for sale. I was told that she was 'green broke'. Smoke was 3 years old and I remember her being such a sweet horse.
Well, I determined that she most likely had not carried a rider for a very long time, if ever, because as soon as I set my weight on her back she bucked me right off!
We went back to the basics for a couple weeks and started over again as a true 'green' horse. Smoke was to be worked for 30 days and then posted for sale
After the 30 days, I had already fallen in love with her and negotiated a purchase of her, for myself - she never did get to be posted actively for sale.
Shortly after her purchase, and in January of 2010, I had a bad riding accident off of a clients horse and was out of commission for several months with broken bones and muscle damage.
I was worried that Smoke would suffer from not being ridden - thankfully my youth riders at the time, Rebecca and Morgan, helped me keep her in shape from the ground and a little bit of saddle time.
I was released by the Doctor on April 10th of 2010 to start riding and just about 10 days later was able to debut this very special horse in the first horse show of her career, at the Monterey Springfest in Monterey, Ca. I was still very sore, she was new to this whole show thing and we still started the year off with a blue ribbon!
We are so happy to have found this lovely horse - she is a favorite in the barn and has a forever home with us here at Irish Hills Equine.
In September of 2009 she was brought to California from Missouri and she was brought to me the end of that same month to be trained and posted for sale. I was told that she was 'green broke'. Smoke was 3 years old and I remember her being such a sweet horse.
Well, I determined that she most likely had not carried a rider for a very long time, if ever, because as soon as I set my weight on her back she bucked me right off!
We went back to the basics for a couple weeks and started over again as a true 'green' horse. Smoke was to be worked for 30 days and then posted for sale
After the 30 days, I had already fallen in love with her and negotiated a purchase of her, for myself - she never did get to be posted actively for sale.
Shortly after her purchase, and in January of 2010, I had a bad riding accident off of a clients horse and was out of commission for several months with broken bones and muscle damage.
I was worried that Smoke would suffer from not being ridden - thankfully my youth riders at the time, Rebecca and Morgan, helped me keep her in shape from the ground and a little bit of saddle time.
I was released by the Doctor on April 10th of 2010 to start riding and just about 10 days later was able to debut this very special horse in the first horse show of her career, at the Monterey Springfest in Monterey, Ca. I was still very sore, she was new to this whole show thing and we still started the year off with a blue ribbon!
We are so happy to have found this lovely horse - she is a favorite in the barn and has a forever home with us here at Irish Hills Equine.
Morgan Peterson began taking lessons with me back in 2007. Being a good friend of a friend was sort of how we were luck enough to get Morgan.
I had only one youth rider that summer - I was so busy with several projects and just had not had a lot of youth riders taking lessons that year, so it was a perfect time to take on a new rider.
I had only one youth rider that summer - I was so busy with several projects and just had not had a lot of youth riders taking lessons that year, so it was a perfect time to take on a new rider.
 Morgan on Belle at Delle Valle Lake | I remember my first summer with Morgan being so fun. She was so alive with energy and enthusiasm - and she still is! We went on a few trail rides together that summer but we also spent endless hours in the area. Hours and hours of practice and learning and explaining - we used to talk for hours at a time and lose track of time in the barns (we still do that also). Morgan stood out to me for lots of reasons, but mainly because she is so talented with everything she does. Being so young and full of life, Morgan is a fast learner and is always willing to put in the work and strives to do a good job. Morgan started showing in youth and now shows in the amateur division, and does so honestly. Morgan trades her work at the barn for show privileges and unlimited ride time on our horses and is not afraid to help with the chores as well. How luck we are to have Morgan still, all these years later and we are still having a blast working together! |
 | Morgan & Surprise during a lesson |
| Morgan on Smoke in one of our favorites, the costume class, |  |
| It all began with me, at 5 years old bugging my father for riding lessons. They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that did seem to be the case. How I came into Missouri Fox Trotters was actually by accident. Our neighbor, Debbi Levillie, had Missouri Fox Trotters and she happened to be who my father inquired to about riding lessons because she lived next door and knew our family. Debbi stated that she did not really do lessons, but she couldn't resist me (haha) and that is truly where it all began. This picture is of my dad and I, from my second horse show, at age 7. I was riding 'Foxy Rhythm's Golden Sensation', who was bred and owned by Debbi Levillie. My first horse show was at a little outdoor arena that was in Fremont, California on a sorrel mare named 'Jewel'. The arena is no longer there and has since been built over by a Fry's Electronics store. I still have the plaque that I won and am holding in this photo, and the ribbon, which was presented to me by the Tri-Valley Fox Trotter Association. |  |
Our Photo Blog
We hope you enjoy our photos.
Our photo blog is a new idea we have to be creative in sharing our photos, old and new, so please let us know what you think!
Archives
August 2015
June 2015
April 2015
January 2015
October 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
Categories
All
2014 Horse Shows
2015 Horse Shows
Awards And Accomplishments
Our Horses And Riders
RSS Feed