Happy St. Patrick’s Day From The Equine Chronicle!
Getting into the holiday spirit at the Zone 6 Zone-O-Rama in Tunica, MS. Image courtesy of Gordon Downey.
By: Brittany Bevis
Over the years, we’ve heard our share of stories about interesting good luck charms and unusual superstitions. Some of our favorites include
- not changing lucky socks for an entire horse show
- not shining buckles or spurs (don’t shine away the luck!)
- safety pins on numbers always face up- (to keep the luck in!)
- requesting back numbers with certain digits
- talking on the phone to a certain person before you show
In some of our past interviews, riders have even mentioned their good luck charms and given them credit for providing a little extra edge during the competition.
At the 2013 Quarter Horse Congress, Katerina Mendel rode Willys On The Green to a win in Youth Hunter Under Saddle 15-18. Mendel and her horse Indy, aka “Baby Giraffe,” have a specific good luck animal that references the nickname given to Indy by trainer Rosie Sheffer.
“We have all of our little giraffe good luck charms,” Mendel says.”[Good luck giraffe] is riding one of his win trophies from earlier in the week!” (EC.com, 2013)
Katerina Mendel, Baby Giraffe, and Good Luck Giraffe.
At the 2013 AQHYA World Show, Kaylee Rampey and One Hot Amigo won the Performance Halter Geldings title. The win was special not only because it was Rampey’s first World Championship title, but because of the significance of the number three.
Rampey’s grandmother proudly informed us that the talented 13-year-old was named Rookie of the Year in 2011 and has placed third at the Youth World for the past two years. After Grandpa and Dad both led Amigo to World Champion wins at the Select AQHA World Show and AQHA World Show, Rampey was eager to be World Champion number three.
Recently, Gordon Downey and Peggy Ivins caught up with some competitors at the Deep South Zone 6 Zone-O-Rama in Tunica, Mississippi to find out what brings them luck at the horse show.
Kaye Nell Ivins– “Especially for Saint Patrick’s Day, but really every day at a horse show, “Sampson,” aka Reddy Made Rockstar, always believes he has to have his green bottle [of Dos Equis].
Jessie Coker– “I really think I don’t have a good luck charm, but I am very superstitious. I love to band a horse’s mane the night before, never the same morning, and I have a thing where I will actually wear the same pair of socks for the whole horse show.”
Kimmy Shidler– “What brings me luck is being told I’m fabulous! [Thanks Gordon!] I just won all cards in the Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle. In the Youth Hunter Under Saddle, I won three cards on BMQ The Jig Is Up.”
Michelle Sloan-“My new jacket from Trudy Black Label. It’s beautiful and it’s gold!”
Rachel Landman– “The color blue in my outfits brings me luck.”
Paige Kemper- “Kimmy brings me luck. She is fantastic!”
Sara Simons- “I was born lucky because I was born on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Shannon Gillespie- “Eddie [Seems Like Heaven] has a lucky bit. The reins on it are messed up, but I won’t let anyone fix them.”
Jennifer Schexnayder- “Pineapples”
Jay Jordan– “I’m not much on luck; I’m more of a hard work guy. I do have to talk to my daughters before I show.”
Sarah Eperspacher- “My Invisalign!” [For a winning smile?]
Karen Kennedy– “Being around all my friends.”
Debi East- “Trusting good trainers and trying to put the horses in a program they need to be in.”
Ali Eidson– “Confidence before I go in the pen and knowing that my horse is going to do what I ask every single time.”
Coleen Bull– “I think my horse Tucson brings me luck. I’m lucky more often than I deserve! My magic jacket also brings me an awful lot of luck.”
Mark Dunham- “Good customers”
Sarah Beth Carr- “Good clothes and I always have to straighten my hair for luck.”
Mallory Vroegh– “A good mindset definitely helps and a good-minded horse.”
Austin Wesley– “Praying before I show.”
Renee Wesley- “Olin Parker, Team OP.”
Alexa Rogers- “My friends, because they support me and what I do.”
Click here to view our Feeling Lucky video on Facebook.
From everyone here at The Equine Chronicle, we would like to wish you a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Do you have a horse in the barn with a St. Paddy’s-themed name? Maybe Lucky, Clover, Goldie, Rainbow, or O’Malley? We’d love to share a photo of your horse on this St. Patrick’s Day. Send pictures to b.bevis@equinechronicle.com.
