Chelsea and Paulina Martz – Equestrian Sisters Extraordinaire
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34 – November/December, 2014
By Sue Winslow
For Chelsea and Paulina Martz, showing horses is a family affair. Chelsea, 25, and Paulina, 16, are the daughters of Cathy and Gary Martz of Blacklick, Ohio. The genuine affection, good-natured ribbing, and dedication to the girls’ interest in riding are the ties that bind this dedicated horse show family together. Their mother, Cathy, was a rider and Quarter Horse competitor in her youth, and she jokes about how the family got started in the industry. “We lived near my parents’ farm in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, for many years while Chelsea was little, but it was only when we moved to Columbus that she really got the horse bug. Our family joke is that Chelsea didn’t have any interest until we had to pay for lessons! It’s been a great thing for our entire family. I enjoy the horses and going to the shows, and Chelsea and Paulina love it. The girls even got their Dad into the show pen at the 2012 Congress.”
Chelsea remembers the Congress that year as being extra special. “The 2012 Congress was really fun because my Dad showed my mare, Eyell Be Outrageous, aka ‘Rosie’ and I showed our mare, Onlythebestchocolate, aka ‘Hershey.’ It was so neat to be able to show with him.” She adds with a laugh, “Every year, when he tells the story now, his class gets a little bigger and he gets closer to winning. Seriously, though, I was really proud of him and it was so much fun.”
Chelsea shares that although she did have a pony to ride at her grandparents’ farm, “like most ponies, he could be a handful. After a few tumbles off him, I decided that was enough of that.” Returning to the sport a few years later, Chelsea rode in Hunter/Jumper competitions and served as the captain of her Interscholastic Equestrian Association team. Still, she always dreamed of having the opportunity to show on the Quarter Horse Circuit. In 2008, her dreams became a reality with the purchase of She’s Just a Rumor, while visiting the Quarter Horse Congress. “I enjoyed riding the Hunters, but I always went to watch the Congress, and it was a goal of mine to begin showing Quarter Horses,” she says. “I was in college when we went to the Congress in 2008 and bought She’s Just a Rumor with Judd and Jennifer Paul. It was kind of a whirlwind, because we left the show with everything we needed to get into Western competition, from the horse to the tack and the outfits. Once I got into AQHA competition, it was so much fun. I’ve never looked back. The AQHA family has been great, and working with Judd and Jennifer Paul has been an amazing experience. I can’t say enough about them. Breaking into the Quarter Horse industry can be a little intimidating and overwhelming at first, but everyone in the industry was so welcoming to us.”
The Martz family traveled to shows together with the Paul family, and Chelsea had a lot of early success with her lovely sorrel mare, including a top ten placing at the 2009 Congress in Novice Amateur Trail. Paulina followed in her big sister’s footsteps and rode She’s Just A Rumor to a third place finish at the 2010 Congress in Novice Youth 13 & Under Trail as well as a third place finish in Novice Youth Western Pleasure and a Top Ten in Novice Youth Trail at the 2010 NSBA World Championship Show.
Chelsea’s partnership with the three-time Reserve World Champion mare, Eyell Be Outrageous, is very special because she and “Rosie” won the 2010 Justin Rookie of the Year title. The beautiful roan mare helped Chelsea claim a Top Ten title in Amateur Performance Halter Mares at the 2010 AQHA World Show and trainer Jennifer Paul had a Top Five finish in Senior Trail as well. Chelsea and Rosie were well on their way to superstardom when Rosie was sidelined by an injury. “Rosie is one in a million,” she says. “She was an amazing show horse, but a fetlock injury ended her show career last year. We had surgery done on it, but her competition days are over. She is such a special horse; she will be in our family forever. She’s getting the best care at Judd and Jennifer’s. They truly love and care for the horses as if they were their own. Rosie is in foal to The Best Martini, and we are all very excited for the arrival of the foal next spring.”
Both Chelsea and Paulina have had enormous success with their bay mare, Onlythebestchocolate by RL Best of Sudden and out of Chocolate Only, by Invitation Only. Paulina took top honors at the 2013 AQHYA World Championship Show in Performance Halter Mares with the 2007 mare. Chelsea recalls, “We couldn’t have asked for more that day.” Paulina describes the surreal experience that still brings a glimmer to her eye over a year later. “Winning the Performance Halter Mares at the Youth World in 2013 still hasn’t really sunk in,” Paulina says. “I honestly never expected to win, going into the ring, and I couldn’t believe it when I left. I’m pretty sure I was in shock for a few minutes, but I still remember seeing all of my family and friends, as well as my trainers, at the end of the out gate waiting for me. Honestly, that’s the image that sticks out most strongly in my mind, and that’s what makes me smile the most. I’m insanely proud of both Hershey and me for our performance that day and every day after. I truly love that mare and couldn’t be happier to have shared that experience with her.” Paulina and Hershey also finished fifth that year at the Quarter Horse Congress in 14-18 Western Pleasure and won the Youth Performance Halter Mares.
Chelsea admits that while she loves all types of disciplines, Trail is her favorite event. “For me, I love all the different elements in Trail,” Chelsea says. “It’s such an interesting combination of precision and athleticism, and I think the variety in the training keeps the horses fresh. The best Trail horses make it look effortless, almost like they’re floating over the obstacles, but the truth is, it takes incredible focus. We used to laugh because Rosie was so intense; our biggest challenge was that she would overthink Trail. I honestly think she could just do it herself; she was that good!”
Both girls share their gelding, Huntin A Girl, when competing in Amateur and 14-18 Western Pleasure. He also competes in Junior Western Pleasure and Junior Trail with Jennifer Paul in the saddle. “Just this year, Jennifer has been working on putting the Trail on him, with a lot of success, and Paulina and I are looking forward to seeing what he can do in Trail in the future,” Chelsea says.
Chelsea is also excited about the family’s new gelding, Let’s Shake Em Up, a horse purchased from Chad Evans in January. “Riley is a very talented horse,” she says. “He took fifth in Performance Halter Geldings at the 2014 Youth World and had a wonderful run in the Trail. Paulina and I have won numerous Circuit Championships this year in Amateur Trail and Youth Trail with him. We are very grateful to Chad for selling him to us.”
Chelsea, who graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology, is now working on her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling at the University of Akron. Outside of the horse show arena, she enjoys golf, tennis, and reading, but her greatest joy is making the drive to Judd Paul Training Stables in Xenia, Ohio, as often as possible. “Things are very busy right now, but getting out with the horses gives me balance in my life,” she says. “Showing has kept my family very close. We really enjoy each other’s company, and we have a lot of fun at horse shows. It has been wonderful to work with Judd and Jennifer. Their daughter, Allie, is my best buddy. We’ve known her since she was a baby, and we’ve watched her grow up. She lives and breathes horses, and it’s been so fun watching her compete in the Small Fry division.” Chelsea is also very involved with the Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association. “I absolutely love it,” she says. “We’ve been able to grow the Buckeye Classic over the past several years, and I’ve made so many friends in the Association. It’s also nice to be able to give back to an Association that has given me so much through the years.” She shares her passion for Quarter Horses with her boyfriend, Kyle Leeman, whose family is also very involved in the industry. “He overwhelmed me on my last birthday by giving me a roan weanling filly. She is by one of their studs, How Bout This Cowboy. ”
Paulina is a high school student her mother describes as a great kid with a big heart. Paulina attends Columbus Academy, and like most high school students, she juggles a full schedule. She says, “I’m very active in my school’s theater program, both onstage and backstage. Honestly, balancing this with horse riding has been the biggest struggle. Practice on days when I’m acting usually ends around 5 to 5:30, and I’ve been known to stay as late as 6 or 7 o’clock to finish building the sets. I love the theater in every way. I also take piano and voice lessons, and I love my photography class this year. Otherwise, I read a great deal, and I also like to write.”
This active young woman graciously acknowledges the people who have helped her along the way, saying, “So many people have inspired me in my life: from my parents, who are with me every step of the way; to my sister, who is at the same time a wonderful role model and a great friend; to my trainers Judd and Jennifer Paul, who have become part of my family; all the way to my teachers and directors in school; the people I’ve ridden with, and the friends I have made both from riding and in school. I’m eternally grateful for the chance to meet so many different people via horse showing and, by extension, the AQHA Y.E.S. convention, which I attended for the second time this year. I’ve come out of that experience with friends from everywhere from Michigan and Arizona to Australia.”
Both Martz girls are quite successful in their horse showing pursuits, but Cathy says the benefits of being a show family far exceed the accolades and ribbons. “This is one of the few sports that the whole family can really share in. It has kept us close, especially with the age difference between the girls, and we have made such good friends through the AQHA. The girls have also experienced many highs and lows, and that teaches sportsmanship. I’m proud of the girls, not just for their success, but because they’re caring people who love their horses, and they’re good people.”
Judd Paul has high praise for the whole Martz family, saying, “Chelsea and Paulina both have a very strong work ethic, and they come out to the barn as often as possible. That kind of hard work and dedication has resulted in big wins for both of them. We’re also looking forward to the foals we’re expecting from Rosie and the embryo we got from Hershey. Their new gelding this year, Let’s Shake Em Up, is showing in Youth Trail with Paulina and in Amateur with Chelsea, and we see big things ahead for them. It’s been very rewarding to help them reach success with these great horses. Like all our clients, Jennifer and I consider the entire Martz family a part of our extended family, and the girls have been excellent role models for our daughter Allie.”
With a string of high quality horses, foals on the way, and an active show schedule, the coming year promises to be a busy one for the Martz family, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Cathy sums it up best. “It’s been great, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” For more information about Judd Paul Show Training Stables, visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com /pages/Judd-Paul-Training-Stables/134644199934261 or at www.juddpaultrainingstables.com.
