Before the 2010 APHA show season began, Sara set goals for her and Mater. For this season she wanted to finish in the top five in Zone Five for Novice Amateur. The APHA divides the country into several regional zones, and we live in Zone Five. Finishing in the top five means you've got to be one of the five best in your region by a cumulative total score of the points earned in all of the disciplines you show in. No small feat. You have to do well in the in-hand classes and the under saddle classes, and do this consistently to keep your points building. This is quite a goal to achieve. There are five states in our zone, and they are very competitive with a lot of talented horses and riders.
About a third of the way into the season, things were going well for the two of them and it looked like the goal of finishing in the top five was attainable. Sara re-thought their goals and committed to reaching higher. The top five goal changed and she was set on ending the season as #1 in Zone Five. Mater Mater Sweet Pootater had a lot of work ahead of him!
Many shows and many miles spent on the road followed. Mater kept proving to be as competitive as those big fancy show horses were. He kept earning points and holding his own at those shows, showing that a little horse with a big heart could win.
His season eventually came to an end, but we had to wait for all of the regional show results to be officially entered by the APHA. We had an idea where he finished, but nothing is official until the APHA says it's official. We finally got the official results in late January, but we wanted to wait until the April issue of the Paint Horse Journal came out so we could show you this:
Yoobetcha! #1 in Zone 5!But there's more.
Yessir. You read that right. Seventh place.
In the nation.
That's in the Top Ten even.
That's A Big Deal.
Mater has come a lot farther than we ever thought he would. He stepped off that trailer as an ugly and skinny and dull brown horse.
Now he's our Superstar.
12 comments:
Congrats!!!! How exciting!!
I was SOOO excited to see it when the PHJ came this week! I've been watching your score climb each month. Congratulations!!!!!
Are you going to tell us about 2011 goals?
That is an awesome story. Sara is a great trainer and what a promising story, that you can never judge a book by its cover..Way to go Sara and Mater!!!
Well Sara and little brown pony...you two are such a great team....Very proud of you....Congratulations on reaching for the stars and touching them....apples for the star pony and mmmm wine for Sara???!!!!! See you soon...your friend Sue Kennedy-Kallio
This is sooo exciting! A late, but well deserved CONGRATS to all of you and Mater!! Do it again this next season, eh?
Yay!!!!!! This gave me chills and made me smile big. I love stories like this and I love it when people invest themselves in "hopeless cases", only to be repaid in spades!!! So glad Mater got you for a family.
Congratulations.
Wow! That is just plain cool! Congrats!
amazing - i had no idea! any horse shows in minnesota coming up? alayna would like to see her auntie sara ride the big horsies.
Wowza!! Congratulations doesn't seem quite big enough! That's incredible and I'm so happy for all 3 of you! :)
Awesome... I have not opened my issue yet... going to go right this very minute and look!
Congrats!
Wow! Wow!!! Congratulations!
81 points more than second place. Mater Mater Sweet Pootator kicked butt! Congrats you guy's!!!!!!You must be so proud Sara.
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