Each issue, MSEDA will highlight a member who is active in the organization to give other members a peek into their horse-loving lives. Interested in being featured? Email Sarah at redhorseenterprise@gmail.com
By Sarah E. Coleman
Photo by Lesleyward.com
Where are you from?
Kent, Washington
What brought you here?
My husband, Remi Bellocq’s, job. We moved here from Southern California in 2001 when he took a job as the executive director of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, with a 2-1/2-year-old son.
When did you begin riding?
When I was 6. I never had my own horse until I was 12, when I could pay for it myself from babysitting money.
When did you get your first horse?
When I was 12. It was my 4-H leader's daughter's old show horse, a "Quarab" (although we didn't call them that at the time), named Mi Misty Dawn. She was a dapple grey mare.
How long have you been competing?
Since I was 12, at little 4-H shows. I completed mostly western, bareback, trail. etc. Then after high school, I didn't ride for about 20 years. I got back into it in my late 30s in Kentucky by taking weekly lessons on school horses, then in 2011, I leased and evented a Quarter Horse. Next I leased and evented an Irish Sport Horse for two years, and decided to finally get my own.
What horses do you own now?
I own a 5-year-old, bay OTTB gelding named Be More Bullish. I adopted him in October of 2014. He’s a super sweet boy!!
How did you get him?
Through New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. My husband really admires what they do and has wanted us to adopt an OTTB for years, but I never wanted to, thinking they were all too wild for me. But then we found "Beau.” He's perfect.
What horses do you compete and what do you compete in?
I event, but my horse is also suited to the hunters. I've taken him to a few dressage shows, and he's done well for a greenie, and a hunter show or two, and he does well there, too. I like to mix it up.
How long have you been a MSEDA member?
Since 2011
Photo by Lesleyward.com
What level do you compete in (if you compete)?
Starter / Green horse / Training dressage
What are your horse's favorite treats?
Carrots. It took him forever to eat treats, but he finally caved on carrots. He still doesn't like mints or apples—he just spits them out.
What is your favorite show and why?
I’ve only done a few shows, so I can't say I have a favorite yet. I guess any where I'm not super nervous (which is none).
Do you have any good luck rituals?
I try to remember my husband's advice he got from an old racehorse trainer: "Don't lose your head, 'cause your a** is sure to follow.” Sage advice.
What are your goals for this year?
Maybe do a one-day event, a couple more hunter shows, the New Vocations / TIP show in the fall, a hunter pace, a combined test, maybe a show at KHP.
Who do you ride with?
Lynn Miles
Where do you ride?
I board at Bittersweet Acres Farm in Lexington. It's multidisciplinary, so I always have a riding friend or two, no matter what we're doing.
What is your favorite part of your barn/trainer/boarding stable?
Bittersweet is in close proximity to my house and I have awesome fellow boarders. It’s low stress and not competitive; the farm owners are wonderful, and it’s close to both Masterson Station Park and the Kentucky Horse Park.
What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome with your horse?
My horse popped a splint last year right as we were gearing up for show season. That sidelined us for weeks, a lot more than I hoped, but in the end it was for the best. I just took it slow with him and it's paid off.
Describe your horse in 10 words.
Shiny, handsome, baby, fast-learner, athletic, opinionated, mellow, lazy, pleaser.
What other animals do you own?
I have a 16-year-old beagle mix.
What are your favorite equestrian brands?
Irideon, Kerrits and Ariat
Do you have a job outside of the horses? Do you enjoy it?
I'm the office manager at an acupuncture clinic in Lexington (for people, not animals). I really enjoy it; I work three days a week, so that leaves more time for the barn (plus I get free acupuncture).
How did you get into this job?
I wanted something part-time. I was actually a patient at the clinic two years before working there.