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A new show from American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is helping to keep older riders on the circuit
Perhaps it’s the timeless elegance surrounding horses that makes them so popular among older people. Or, maybe it’s the animals’ spirit, strength and loyalty that provides the appeal. Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt that owners at or near retirement age swell the ranks of horse lovers. And, while once satisfied watching the grand kids compete at rodeos, fairs and horse shows, more and more of these seniors are now intent on getting back in the saddle themselves.
The interest from older horse enthusiasts is reflected in the competition offered by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). In 1997, AQHA created separate classes in a limited number of events for amateur exhibitors age 50 and over. By 1999, the 50-and-over events grew into a division named Amateur Select. Entries in this new division grew from 6,000 in the year 2000 to more than 28,000 last year. In 2003, AQHA held it’s first world championship for the division, the Bayer Select World Championship Show, in Amarillo, Texas. When the Select World was held again in 2004, entries doubled as 733 contestants competed in 37 classes for a total purse of $150,000.
On an equal footing
Patricia Dalrick, and her husband Dennis, made the trip from Casco, Mich., to Amarillo to compete in the 2004 Select World. “The Select class for riders 50 and over is fantastic because it allows you to compete against your peers,” says the 53-year old Dalrick. “The competition isn’t any easier than the all-age amateur class—we don’t slouch in the saddle or ride poor horses—but most of us are more relaxed and interested in having fun.”
Dalrick says she finds Select riders aren’t as aggressive as younger competitors. Most are just grateful for the opportunity to show their horses. “I guess we’ve all faced a crisis of some sort and realize that life is short so let’s just go have some fun,” she says. At the show, Dalrick competed in the Western Pleasure class with the couple’s five-year-old gelding Charlie’s Gota Shiner. “I had a nice go and the horse was great, but we didn’t make the finals,” she says.
Besides their quarter horse, the Dalricks own two Missouri Fox Trotters. “They have a gait that’s easier on Dennis’s back. We enjoy riding them on our own acreage and traveling to trail rides. We’ve ridden in the mountains and hills of Vermont, Missouri, and Tennessee. Judith English, and her husband Ray made the trip from Brandenburg, Ky., to attend both Select World Championships. “I’ve been competing in horse shows since I was a teenager,” says English. “The Select bracket for riders 50 and over is fantastic. Now, I don’t see that I’ll ever stop competing as long as I can ride. After that, maybe they’ll put me in a buggy and I can compete in Pleasure Driving.”
English, who trained her horse Missile Zippo (Randy) largely on her own, competed in the Horsemanship and Trail classes. In the Trail class, the judges focus on the horse’s ability to handle situations that might occur on an outdoor trail ride, such as passing through a gate and crossing a bridge. In Horsemanship, judges evaluate the rider’s body position, their ability to control the horse and how they sit a saddle.
With 62 entries, the Trail class was the most popular event at last year’s Select World. The Western Pleasure class, where the horse is judged on its free-flowing stride and balance with conformation, was also popular with 60 entries.
A commanding presence
For J.B. and Mary Hopkins, the Select World was a chance to show off their three-year-old stallion Cool N Dominating. “We call him DC and have taken turns showing him since he was a yearling,” says Mary. “Last year was J.B.’s turn and he finished number two in the nation in points and never fell out of the top five throughout the year.” Despite their love affair with the dark-chestnut colored stallion with striking white stockings, horses are a business for the Hopkinses, who keep about 15 on their acreage near Kansas City, Kan. “We recently sold DC,” says Mary. “It was heartbreaking to let him go, but he’s bred to four of our mares and we’re anxious to see the results.”
While DC’s commanding presence was his strength, the couple admits that showing against competitors their own age in the Select division eased the pressure on them. “Sometimes it’s tough to go out into the ring against people who are the age of your grand kids. It’s better to face people closer to your own age,” says Mary.
Never too old
Joyce Widner credits AQHA’s efforts to appeal to older riders for ending her fate as a “horse mom.” “I’d always been happy watching my daughter show horses. However, she stopped showing and when my husband retired he convinced me to buy a horse and start riding in competition. I bought a trail horse and the first time I rode in competition was so much fun that I know I was grinning out loud,” says Widner.
“This is really fun,” adds the Cave Creek, Ariz., enthusiast. “It’s much more fun to ride than it is to watch. I firmly believe that when you retire you need to have a passion for something. I’m 68 years young and have had a passion for horses as long as I can remember, so this has been really great. My husband Russ has a passion for bird-watching, so he enjoys traveling to different parts of the country for the shows where I compete.”
Widner gets help with Pokey, her reddish-brown gelding quarter horse, from neighboring trainers Karen and Scott Graham. “I got him as a two-year-old and Karen started training him for trail classes,” she says. “I’ve been riding him for five years now and we do about a dozen shows a year.” The AQHA lists 12,000 amateur members over the age 50 who would be eligible for the Select amatuer class. An amateur is defined as “a person who has not shown, judged, trained, or assisted in training a horse—or training another person in riding, driving, training, or showing a horse in competition—for compensation in the past five years.”
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