AQHA L1 Championships WEST Blog: Superstitions in Sin City

AQHA L1 Championship WEST Blog

By: Ericka Schaefer

Happy Weekend Equine Chronicle readers!

Here in Las Vegas, the sun is shining, riders are preparing their horses, and Champions are being crowned. On the other end of the facility, gamblers are already sitting down at the card tables and slot machines. Gamblers are notoriously superstitious, and many athletes, including equestrians, share that same trait. I trekked through the barn aisles and practice pens today to find out if any of the horse trainers or fellow competitors had any lucky charms, superstitions, or rituals prior to showing.

Andrea Kail – Kail Quarter Horses

– When making the trip into Las Vegas, Andrea and Ryan Kail have to stop at the exact same gas stations every time – even the ones that are rather out of the way.

– Andrea also mentioned that she ended up changing into an “ugly” shirt on Wednesday. The Kail’s had quite a few clients showing that day, and Andrea wore a nicer shirt in anticipation of being in win photos. She quickly realized that this line of thinking might jinx their barn, so she ended up changing into something much less pretty.

Kaci Rodriguez – Stacey’s Star Performance Horses (Stacey Tucker)

– Kaci asks her braider to braid a charm into Skyler’s mane at the start of each show.

– Lauren, Kaci’s mom, has a lucky t-shirt that she wears on the first day of every show. It’s rumored that the once blue shirt is now faded to reddish purple!

Jando Guerra – Guerra Performance Horses

– Years ago, Jando won a $2 bill in Bakersfield, while riding a client’s horse. While that horse is now deceased, the bill has remained in his wallet.

Selena Stubbs – Kristin Brock and Scott Graham

– My barnmate, Selena, wears green lucky clover socks, that were given to her by her mom, in every class.

Lauren Block – TK Duke Performance Horses

– Lauren doesn’t believe in lucky charms! The key to her success is visualization of each and every pattern.