AQHA World and Congress Champion, HF Tahnee Too, Finds New Partner in 11-Year-Old Maisy Ewing

By: Brittany Bevis

HF Tahnee Too has been a familiar face on the AQHA show circuit for the past decade with riders such as Lacy Watson and Marley Mainwaring. Lacy rode “Tahnee” to a win in Horsemanship at the 2012 AQHA Youth World Show and multiple Congress Championships. Marley Mainwaring rode Tahnee to win NYATT Horsemanship at the Congress and achieved numerous other top finishes at the Youth World Show and NSBA World.

Now, the 13-year-old mare is helping to make a new little girl’s dreams come true. 11-year-old Maisy Ewing is in her first year of showing on the AQHA circuit, and Tahnee will be helping her to compete at her first AQHA Youth World this summer and Congress in the fall.

By One Hot Krymsun and out of Tahnee Zippo, Tahnee originally belonged to the Watson family, who trained Marley Mainwaring at the time. “Tahnee was my trainer’s daughter, Lacy Watson’s, horse,” Marley says. “Lacy and Tahnee were very successful, even winning Horsemanship at the AQHYA World Show and multiple Congress Championships. We were lucky enough to buy her after Lacy’s youth career was over.”

“Tahnee is a unicorn and the most talented and amazing horse I’ve ever seen in my entire life. She’s also a bit of a princess. She knows how talented she is and that she deserves to be spoiled. I had her for my last year of 13 and under up until my last year youth year, so about five years or so. She’s made all my dreams come true, and I was the luckiest girl in the world to have a horse like her.”

During their time spent together, Marley and Tahnee placed 7th in Horsemanship, 10th in Western Riding, and 10th in Horsemanship at the AQHYA World Show. They also placed third in Horsemanship at the NSBA World Show, were second in the nation in Horsemanship, and were the NYATT Congress Champions in Horsemanship. But some of her fondest memories came from spending time with Tahnee in the barn feeding her some of her favorite snacks.

“She’s very goofy and loves food more than anything. From curly fries and Cheez Its to chicken nuggets and ice cream, she will eat it all. She loves showing more than anything. I remember every time we would go up to the start cone, she would perk up and start licking her lips. She loves her job so much. When she was pregnant and couldn’t go show, she was not happy!”

When Maisy’s trainer, Reid Thomas, expressed interest in trying out Tahnee, Marley was very excited that Tahnee would have the opportunity to help make another little girl’s dreams come true. “We sent Tahnee to Texas where Maisy was able to lease her and try her out. Unsurprisingly, they fell in love and now own, in my opinion, the greatest horse to ever exist!”

“I’m their #1 fan and biggest supporter. Maisy is such a sweet and talented young rider, and I see a globe and a bunch of trophies in their future. I couldn’t have asked for Tahnee to go to a better and loving home. She’s in the perfect place, and I’m so thankful to Reid, for everything he has done for us and Tahnee, and to Maisy and the Ewing family. They’re such kind hearted people and allow me to stay a part of Tahnee’s life. It means the absolute world to me, because Tahnee is my best friend!”

Maisy is equally as excited. “I had been looking for a new horse, because my gelding, Calvin, was ready to retire at G.R.E.A.T. in Corpus Christi,” Maisy says. “At first, I was a little intimidated, because I had never ridden such a nice horse. But, luckily, Mindy and her daughter, Marley, met us at a show in Waco. They gave me some hints about how to ride Tahnee, her likes and dislikes, and told me all of her favorite treats. I cannot thank Mindi and Marley enough for trusting me to care for and love Tahnee the way they did.”

Maisy and Tahnee have only been a team for a short time, but they’ve already attended a few shows and their bond continues to strengthen. “It’s a bonus that we both love Horsemanship and Western Riding,” Maisy says. “I’m looking forward to competing with my new horse this year and getting my feet wet. 2020 is my first year to show in AQHA shows. I had been showing in small South Texas open shows for the past three years. I would love to ride on a collegiate equestrian team in the future.”

Maisy and Tahnee will be showing in 13 and under all around events at the AQHA Youth World Show and 11 and Under events at the Congress.

If you have exciting news to share, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com.