Back in the Saddle and Back in the Winners Circle – Andrea Kengis-Foss
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By Kristen Spinning
Andrea Kengis-Foss accumulated plenty of frequent flyer miles as a young exhibitor criss-crossing the country in pursuit of her horse show dreams.
“I grew up the typical horse-crazed girl. I got my first Quarter Horse, took lessons, and started showing at little local shows,” she recalls. “My first big time horse was Buddy Gee Bars. Buddy was a ‘been there-done that’ kind of horse who gave many big name trainers their start.” She laughs as she remembers how he always seemed to know what was coming next. “He would hear the announcer and would go ahead and do what the announcer said. He could even hear the click of the microphone and get ready for the next transition.”
Steve Heckaman found MZ Zippolena when Andrea was 12 years old, and her success with that horse lead her all the way to the Congress and Youth World shows. However, following that early success, she had a string of bad luck and never found the right mount. Before she knew it, it was time for college. “My dad was a real stickler for that,” she says. A real job, a marriage, two kids and a stepdaughter followed. Showing took a back seat to other endeavors, but it was never out of her mind and horses were always a part of her life. Her father, Dr. Janis Kengis, is a notable Paint and Quarter Horse breeder. “We had 40 babies at the farm every summer,” she says.
Not only was Andrea absent from the show pen for quite some time, she didn’t see much saddle time at all during those years. Now, after an absence of over 15 years, Andrea has made an impressive comeback, winning at major AQHA and APHA competitions in 2014. She won the All American Quarter Horse Congress Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle with The Kids Got Moxie. She quickly followed that performance by taking the Novice Amateur Western Pleasure World Champion title at the APHA World Show with Fleetastic, a horse by her father’s stallion Fleet Machine.
“Getting back into it at age 35 is not easy, that’s for sure,” she admits. Andrea credits Larry and Rhonda Spratto for giving her the confidence and guidance to get back in the saddle again. She currently has four horses at the Spratto farm, which is about an hour from Andrea’s home in Wisconsin. She makes the trip three times a week and works hard during each session.
“Larry and Rhonda believe in setting a realistic pace. They keep me level-headed.” That meant Andrea needed to spend a year getting back into riding before she hit the road. Larry Spratto has known Andrea for 30 years, and he is proud of the progress she has made. “Andrea has always been highly motivated,” he says. “She is very focused on her riding right now. She doesn’t waste a minute when she comes to the barn. Some people come out mainly for the social part. Andrea is here to work, though she makes the social part fit nicely around it: school, lunch, and school some more.”
Besides giving her a tune-up, the Sprattos provided Andrea with the confidence to expand into multiple disciplines. “Last time I rode Hunt Seat was when I was 12 on Buddy,” she exclaims. Rhonda encouraged her to try it again, and she is enjoying it immensely. “Rhonda is an amazing Hunt Seat trainer. She gives me these earth-shattering one-liners that change everything for my riding. She helps me so much. She can even see and correct my position while I’m all bundled up in heavy winter coats and gloves!”
Andrea’s wins during her first weekend back showing in AQHA Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle qualified her for the World Show in that event. She has also seen some wins in Horsemanship. Larry adds, “She has younger horses, and it’s tough to beat the ones who have been doing Horsemanship for ten years or more.” In March, she will add Western Riding to her repertoire. She is pleased that the rules allow her to exhibit in novice amateur. So much time has elapsed that the points she earned during youth competition don’t apply. “It’s a good thing. It’s physically and mentally hard to come back after so long. It truly does feel like you are back at a novice level.”
As if showing Quarter Horses wasn’t a big enough challenge, Melissa and Mark Baus persuaded Andrea to start showing Paints as well. The couple has worked with the Kengis family for years and currently stands Dr. Kengis’ 5-time APHA World Champion, Fleet Machine at Brama Farm in Minnesota. “It’s kind of funny. Even though we had Fleet, I didn’t show Paints before,” she says. “Mark is super amazing. When he comes down here to visit family, he makes time to come out to Spratto Farm, and I get to ride with him.”
Melissa Baus admires the amount of sheer dedication Andrea has shown for getting back into the arena. “She is the kind of person who wasn’t going to get into it unless she could give it 100%.” Melissa adds that Andrea’s family support is a huge factor in her ability to continue being successful. “Her dad really knows the industry and what it takes to compete today.” Melissa advises anyone who is looking to get back into showing to first find a trainer they can trust. “Andrea has such a positive relationship with Larry and Rhonda. She trusts what they tell her do.”
This time around, Andrea recognizes that she doesn’t have to do it all, nor is she out to prove anything. She rides only solid, good-minded horses that come from her father’s breeding program. “I don’t have the time or desire to take a horse who isn’t mentally there yet. I don’t feel the need to bring one along.” At this time in her life, both age and the experience of motherhood impart sensibility. She elaborates that she certainly doesn’t want to get into a wreck with a horse that might cause her injury.
Andrea is a firm believer in the importance that overall health and fitness play in showing success. “I’m in the gym six days a week. When you’re going round and round riding Hunt Seat at a show like the Congress, it can be exhausting. You need to be in good shape to keep up your best.” Diet is another part of the good health equation. Andrea loads up on fruits and vegetables, joking that after Congress, all she really wanted to do was eat. Her fitness routine pays off with managing her schooling regime, too. When she gets to the barn, she typically works two or three horses in a day. Marveling at her stamina, Larry quips, “Most people who don’t know her see her at the barn and think she is 17.”
Andrea has two big pieces of advice for anyone looking to come back to showing horses after a long absence. First she says, “Put your pride in your back pocket, and sit on it. You’re going to make mistakes; you’re going to mess up a pattern. It’s okay; nobody cares. Go home and work on it.” She lives that kind of positive attitude every day. “Andrea isn’t hard on herself,” Larry says. “If she has something go wrong at a show, she just comes back here and schools more. She works on the mistakes to get better instead of beating herself up for making them.”
Another piece of advice is one that comes naturally to her. “Be kind, honest, and open with everyone.” She says it’s important to gather a group of people who understand your pain and challenges and will cheer your successes. Andrea has a great support team. Her husband, Tony, and her father are behind her 100%, which makes hopping on a plane for a show a lot easier. She schedules shows around who can take care of the kids, since they are still too small to go along. She keeps her schedule light compared to many amateurs chasing points and campaigns from March through the Congress. However, it can get a little hectic when having to schedule both Paint and Quarter Horse shows. Another important member of her support team is her close friend, Tiffany Smalkoski, who also trains with the Sprattos. “Tiff and I are the same age and our kids are the same ages. We have so much in common that we can understand what we are both going through. Even though we compete against each other, we are each other’s biggest supporters.”
Getting back into showing hasn’t been easy, but, for Andrea, it couldn’t have been a more wonderful experience. “It seemed impossible at first. My lifelong dream came true. I won the Congress! I’m no longer the bridesmaid; I’m the bride!” She is still a little stunned at her big year. She believes her success is a good example for the industry as a whole. “It shows that you can come in on a home-bred horse. You don’t have to buy a hundred thousand dollar horse. You don’t have to go to every show. I didn’t have a name when I came back, and that didn’t matter. You just have to work hard. Blood, sweat, and tears can still get you to the top.” She jokes that instead of spending her money on a pricey horse, it went into babysitting fees.
Along the journey, she is enjoying reconnecting with friends she had as a youth exhibitor. Some have grown up to be trainers now. Though much has changed, she finds comfort in knowing that the same man who made her chaps last year is the same one who crafted her chaps as a kid.
Larry believes Andrea’s prospects for 2015 are very good. “We always had nice horses for her as a youth but never just the right one. The horses she is campaigning now are talented, and a super fit for her.” Mark and Melissa Baus have their sights set a little further out. “We have some nice young horses at the farm that we are gearing towards her. But we will have to see over time what comes up through the ranks.”
Andrea also looks forward to getting her kids more involved; she is already envisioning her son AJ’s first Lead Line class this spring. Her daughter already shows a keen interest in riding. “Her daughter Alee is not yet two, but she loves the horses,” Larry says. “She sits up there with her mom and loves to canter around the ring.”
Now that she’s back, Andrea Kengis-Foss is planning to stay for a long time, and she is determined to enjoy the ride. She encourages others who might have taken an extended break to pursue their own dreams of returning to the arena. She councils that you need to work with what you have and set realistic goals. It’s possible to return with a fresh perspective and a renewed enthusiasm for something you loved years ago. Andrea is an inspiring example that sweat equity can take you a very long way.
