By Patty Wilber
Back in 2021, I asked Heidi if she wanted to borrow Lucy so I could buy just one more baby. She said yes and took Lucy the next year.
I wanted to get that youngster from Heather McLevin at Thunderstuck Ranch with the goal of showing her as a 5-year-old at the Appaloosa National and World Shows. I was a little late to the buying game. Heather only had three weanlings left, so I enlisted my bestie, Judith, to help me evaluate, and we decided on Suffragette* CD. I want to thank everyone who passed up this little no-white bay! I got a gem.
If you look closely, you can see she did have spots: Suffragette CD; Gette. Photo by Heather McLevin.
Gette is five this year, so off we went to the Appaloosa Nationals in Waco, Texas, with Heidi and Lucy in tow. Shelly came along to help!
Heidi and Lucy had an amazing show with many excellent goes. She took home five trophies, a buckle, and $1000! Lucy (Qwhizenart) has a fantastic personality, and had a solid foundation (I trained and showed her from ages two to six), but Heidi has done virtually ALL her own riding (with some good coaching, especially from Darren Miller on cows) since Lucy came to her. Lucy has not only maintained, but greatly improved her skills under Heidi’s guidance! It is very impressive! Lucy was bred by Connie Hunter.
Gette and I entered all the green, junior, and limited ranch classes we could, as well as open cow horse. I have never been to a show where the judges thought so highly of my horse! She came away with class championship after championship (!!) and was the National Champion Ranch Horse! Holy smokes!
I am still overwhelmed. She is a special horse! How lucky am I? She will get a week off, and then we will get to work on upgrades needed for the Appaloosa World Show in October.
On the way home, we endured a blowout on the truck! The truck is gonna need some bodywork. And new tires! But, more luck! Shelly had Triple A! (We got the spare out from under the truck, loosened lug nuts on the dead tire, and were ready to jack it up with our puny jack when he got there. He jacked up the trailer a bit…I would not have thought to do that…and used his hydraulic jack on the truck, popped on the tire, and got the shredded one in the back of the truck. It was nice to have that support!)
When I got home, there were balloons on the gate, and inside was this display, all thanks to my great friends Patty and Bill! Overwhelmed again!
It was an out-of-body experience. It was especially fun showing with the other riders of the junior horses. Everyone was friendly and supportive. It will be fun to see them again at the World Show!
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage#background
Her name is also a play on words from the song Suffragette City by David Bowie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette_City
Heidi and Lucy: 18 and U: Reserve ranch trail; champ ranch riding; champ reining; champ ranch reining; reserve boxing; OPEN cowhorse, reserve!
Me and Gette: Reserve junior and limited ranch trail; champ junior, limited, green, green limited ranch rail; champ junior and limited ranch reining; champ junior, limited, and limited green ranch riding (lost the tie breaker for reserve in green ranch riding); champ in limited open cow horse. Won the overall National Champion Ranch horse, which came with $1000 and a buckle!!
Over the moon for you! Squeeeeee!!!!!
Thank you! It was dreamlike!