Return to Bio Page for Dr. Christine ....
 June 14th, 2010 was a day that I will never forget. I have been showing at the Pinto World Show for the past 6 years. The Pinto Association is a fun, family-oriented organization that offers a variety of classes. This past June, however, turned out to be one of my most memorable trips to the Pinto World Show because, I earned a World Championship in Showmanship. I could not have achieved that title on my own; it took a tremendous support system to earn that award.
As of May, I was not sure if I would be able to show at the World Show. My 8 year old gelding had injured his stifle and required arthroscopic joint surgery. His surgery went well and he has a favorable prognosis. However, he had to be on stall rest, so showing him at the World Show was out of the question.
I had been working with one of our younger horses, who was progressing nicely, but he was not "locked in" enough to show at the world level. I was bummed that I would not be able to compete this year and had been talking with my good friend Linda Tucker. Linda, originally from Canada, is a college professor and lives in Arkansas. She and I had met at the Pinto World Show 2 years earlier and kept in touch. When she heard the news about Jackson's condition, she offered to lease me her horse, Tiffany Two Spots, so that I could show her at the Pinto World Show.
Tiffany is a 17 year old paint/pinto mare who had undergone a surgery herself in December 2009 in Pilot Point, TX to remove a bone spur on her fetlock joint. I had counseled Linda through Tiffany's procedure and rehabilitation. Tiffany recovered 100% from her surgery. I was amazed at Linda's generosity in offering me her mare to show. I accepted the offer even though the distance between us, meant that I would have only a few days at the show to practice with Tiffany.
Upon arriving in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the show, Linda helped teach me Tiffany's cues for showmanship. A very wise horse person once told me that a well-trained horse and an educated rider can communicate from the word go, because they speak the "same language!" Tiffany and I proved that there is merit in that statement because we immediately clicked!
With the tremendous support and coaching from Linda, her trainers, my husband, and friends, Tiffany and I laid down a solid preliminary pattern in Showmanship and made it to the finals. We had achieved our goal to make it back to the finals. For the final round, I just wanted a clean pattern. Tiffany was awesome in the final round. She is such a well trained horse, that all I had to do was remain calm and give her clear signals. Together we had an amazing pattern. In fact when we stopped in front of the judges for inspection, she had already set up square on her own by the time I turned around. All I had to do was step back, smile and show! That pattern earned us a Pinto World Championship in Jr. Amateur Showmanship. That was a day that I will never forget!
The most incredible thing about the whole experience was the support and generosity of the people that I have met and become lifelong friends with through the Pinto Association. When I wear my world championship buckle I am not only proud of the accomplishment, but also proud of being a part of a horse show organization with great people.
  
|
