Free Stylin’ – Freestyle Reining is a Big Attraction at the Congress

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406 – October, 2017

By Rachel Kooiker

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll stomp your feet. You’ll sing along, and you’ll cheer your lungs out rooting for your favorite team. Chances are, if you’ve never seen a freestyle routine in person, you’ve at least watched one or two on YouTube. Freestyle Reining has captured the hearts and imaginations of horse lovers and non-horse people alike. It’s one of the most exciting and creative disciplines to develop in the horse show world and has long been a crowd favorite at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. Often compared to figure skating, the NRHA Freestyle Reining competition at the Congress is one of the highlights of a show that’s touted as the largest single-breed equine event in the world.

Set to popular music and involving often-elaborate costumes and props, this uniquely entertaining event showcases the athletic finesse of top Reining horses while highlighting the showmanship of their riders. We spoke with some of the nation’s best Freestyle Reining competitors to get an inside look at preparing for and competing on what can only be described as the “rock star stage” of the horse world.

Star Power

Laura Schoeller is a Freestyle Reining veteran as a twotime champion in the NRHA Open Freestyle event. Prior to earning back her non-pro card, Schoeller also coached amateur and youth exhibitors to Championships and top placings. She’s also the creative brain behind some of the most well-known routines that have gone viral. Laura rides at Roseland Farms in London, Ohio, where her husband, Robin, trains under the banner of Robin Schoeller Reining Horses. Schoeller describes the Freestyle Reining at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress as one of the best experiences. “It’s unreal…the crowd, the energy, you really feel like a rock star out there,” she says.

Click here to read the complete article
406 – October, 2017