Show Horses By Shannon

When Shannon Walker was growing up, she had no idea that her mother was once an accomplished horse trainer. It wasn’t until she found a box of old trophies collecting dust that she discovered the truth.

“It’s a bit of a crazy story,” she says. “My mom grew up showing in AQHA and competed all over the country. She trained horses for a while, but she quit when she had the three of us kids. Growing up, we lived on a farm, but there was no mention of anything to do with horses. When I found those trophies, I was like, ‘What is this?!’”

Shannon had always begged her parents for a horse. That desire only intensified when she learned about her mother’s history of training multiple Superior-earning horses and winning at big shows like the Chicago International. Apparently, Linda Lee Anderson and White River Dyna were quite a pair back in the day.

Eventually, Shannon’s parents relented and bought her an old cart pony named Comanche. But they didn’t buy her a saddle. “He was so rough to ride and tried to kill me many times,” she laughs. “They probably thought that if he didn’t discourage me, then nothing would.”

They were right. Even that roughshod, cranky pony bent on destruction didn’t scare Shannon away from her dreams of becoming an equestrian.

Building a Family Legacy