Meet The Faces of the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition

In just a few weeks, 25 competitors and their mounts will race the clock and each other in the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition at Equine Affaire in Ohio! The competition will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022, in the Coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center. Competitors will navigate a challenging obstacle course under a time limit. For each obstacle, the judge awards performance points on a scale of 0-5 based on the horse’s attitude, the rider’s horsemanship, and the team’s overall performance. Times are translated into points, and points from each obstacle are totaled. The horse and rider team with the highest overall point score wins! Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the top four riders, while the top ten riders receive ribbons and prize packages. This year, all top ten riders will receive a special Farnam product prize package.

Ready to meet five of the talented competitors that will join the race at Equine Affaire?

Julia Mackey

Horse: Lakota, 15 year old American Paint Horse gelding

Julia and Lakota are from Pemberville, Ohio, and have been together for six years. They enjoy competing in county and open shows in Western, English, dressage, jumping, contesting, and pleasure. Julia says Lakota’s patience and loyalty have enabled her to try new disciplines. She’s excited to see how they’ll perform at the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition.

 

Franny Galvin-Hynes

Horse: Super Nova, 5 year old American Quarter Horse/Fjord cross mare

Franny has been riding since she was just three years old; now 20, she’s a seasoned competitor and loves training horses to compete. She got Nova as a yearling and trained the mare herself. In 2021, they showed on the Ontario Extreme Cowboy (OXC) circuit and finished the season by winning the 2021 OXC Maturity Championship. They love to do liberty, ride tackless, and perform tricks together, as well as jump and hit the trails with friends. Franny and Nova were accepted as VHRC competitors in 2020. Ever since that competition was canceled due to COVID-19, they’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to apply again. They’re extra excited to compete in 2022!

 

Carole Bower

Horse: Zahra, 22 year old Arabian/American Quarter Horse mare

Carole purchased Zahra when the mare was just 8 years old. At the time, she’d been used as a trail horse, but hadn’t been ridden for two years. Carole originally hoped to use Zahra as a riding horse for her family, but quickly realized the flighty mare needed some one-on-one time to prepare her for life as a trustworthy mount. Carole worked with Zahra to help desensitize her and teach her to give to pressure. Eventually, Zahra became a trusted show horse for both Carole and her daughter, as well as a favorite mount in Carole’s weekend riding program for the youth of inner-city Cincinnati. Carole and Zahra were originally selected to compete in the 2020 VHRC. They’re excited to be back and have the opportunity to display their skills, trust, and partnership in the 2022 competition!

 

Martin Schwartz

Horse: Show Me, “Sterling”, 12 year old Appaloosa mare

Martin and “Sterling,” owned by Guy Gene Cutshaw, are no strangers to the VHRC Competition. They won the reserve championship in the 2016 Ohio event, then came back to win the championship in both 2017 and 2018. In 2019, they earned 4^th place in Ohio and 6^th place in Massachusetts. Martin, Sterling, and Guy are delighted to return to the Ohio Expo Center to compete again this year.

 

Kristin Fouty

Horse: Dun Got It Goin On, “Boo,” 17 year old American Paint Horse gelding

Kristin and “Boo” have been partners for 15 years. In that time, they’ve competed in showmanship, trail, driving, jumping, Western dressage, roping, and rodeo events, as well as American Ranch Horse Association events. In the Michigan ranch show circuit, they won the Open reining in 2019 and 2020 and placed top 5 overall in the ranch trail. Kristin says that Boo is a well-seasoned gentleman with a great work ethic. They competed in the 2019 VHRC and were slated to compete again in 2020, so they’re looking forward to competing this year.

Excited for this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition? Plan to attend Equine Affaire on Friday, April 8, and watch the competition unfold in the coliseum, starting at 1 pm Eastern Time. Learn more about the competitors for this exciting event by following along on our social media channels leading up to the event, and stay tuned after the event for results!