All About Timing
By: Brittany Bevis
Life is all about timing. Sometimes, it can work in our favor. Other times, the lack of time we’re given seems cruel and unfair. But it’s our reaction to the events in life that ultimately make all the difference.
On one hand, this could be the heartbreaking story of a team that defied the odds during their first year in APHA competition, currently sitting Number 1 Novice Amateur in the nation, only to have the journey come to an abrupt end just prior to their World Show debut following the horse’s sudden death. Or, it could be the inspiring story of a devoted, young woman who worked three jobs to pay for her new horse and compete in the sport she loves and who’s simply grateful for the eight months they were able to spend together. You will have to decide for yourself; but, for Novice Amateur competitor, Sydni Childers, she chooses the latter.
All About Timing, aka “Phoenix,” was a 2012 APHA mare by All Time Fancy and out of Lopin With Honor. She’s described by her owner, Sydni, as a “beautifully-hearted creature that walked the world with elegance and purpose.”
“Phoenix had a personality that would light up the room and a natural show presence that you just cannot make,” Sydni says. “She was so very sweet and had a heart of pure gold. She was willing, intelligent, honest, hardworking, athletic, fancy legged, and talented, to say the least. Of course, all of the great qualities came with quirks that were unique to her, but it was the perfect ratio for a talented performance horse. She had the heart of a champion, soul, and personality of an angel.”
Phoenix wasn’t an angel in just her owner’s eyes. She was equally beloved by everyone at Star Performance Horses. “She was adored by many and had nicknames from everyone: Nix, Phe Phe, Pheefs. Everyone’s favorite was the name her trainer, Cooper Evans, gave her: Princess Phe Phe.”
Sydni and Phoenix’s show career began January 1st, 2016 at the Copper Country Paint Horse Show in Arizona. But in actuality, the real story began much earlier when Sydni was just two years old.
“I’ve been blessed with a great family and support system throughout my whole life,” she says. “When I was eight, my father passed away from surgical complications due to a chronic illness. That left my mother with five young children, who she successfully raised on her own. The following 12 years consisted of many trials and errors, successes and losses, heartbreak and happiness, all building me into the strong woman that I’ve now become. Life wasn’t always easy, and my horses became my saviors through it all. I’ve been riding since I could hold on, at the age of two, and training and showing my own horse throughout my youth years in the 4H horse program.”
As her last year in 4H approached, Sydni had just turned 17. She’d graduated high school early so she could work and prepare to start cosmetology school in the fall. “With the ending of my 4H career, I was lost and didn’t know where to go next in order to keep showing horses. I had my eyes on showing in APHA and needed a new horse to do so. I wondered how I could possibly make it all happen, as I was 18, had student loans, and was completely on my own to make this all happen. We all know this is an industry where having money makes showing a lot easier, so I struggled to see how I could make it all happen on my own. However, I was determined to do so.”
Sydni’s mother helped her daughter get a small loan in order to purchase a new horse, and she searched for the perfect match for six months. At the time, she went to school part time and worked part time. When she did purchase Phoenix, she got a second job working full time graveyard shifts to make ends meet. In total, her work and school week was an average of 80 hours long.
“I was killing myself to make it all happen, but I knew, in the end, it would be worth it,” she says. “A couple months later, I graduated cosmetology school and began working three jobs. Through many sleepless nights, stress, and hard work, I made it all happen. It was so worth it.”
Sydni succeeded in her search to find the perfect horse, on Facebook, in a sale ad posted by Barb Trueba. “At the time, I didn’t personally know Barb, but she’d tagged trainers and friends on the post, so I was able to stumble across it. Little did I know, Barb would truly become an angel in my eyes and change my life forever. After communicating back and forth, and seeing only photos and videos, I offered as much money as I could spend on my new horse, which wasn’t much at all. Barb, out of the kindness of her heart, passed up other offers and decided that I was going to be the best new owner for Phoenix. A month later, Barb and her girls were coming down for the APHA Zone Two Horse Show, and she offered to deliver her for me. After passing a vet check and waiting a month for her arrival, Barb brought her right to my home city, where all my dreams started to become a reality. I can never thank Barb enough, for believing in me and giving me the chance to love and show this incredibly talented mare.”
Sydni and Phoenix competed in their first horse show together January 1st, 2016 in Arizona. They competed in their last show August 2016 in Loveland, Colorado. During those eight months in between, the pair accomplished so much more than they could’ve ever imagined.
“She gave me the ride of my life during our short show year together,” Sydni says. “She took Champion or Reserve Champion at five out of seven shows we competed at. Of course, winning Zone 2 and Congress High Points were at the top, but I can’t just pick one [fond memory]. This whole year will be one I will never forget. Phoenix took the show world by storm and is currently sitting Number One in the Nation for the Novice Amateur division and 2016 Rookie of the Year after competing at only seven shows.”
Sadly, the fairytale journey ended abruptly one Tuesday night as a storm rolled in. “Coincidently, that was also the day I had just submitted my World Show entries,” Sydni says. “We caught it early, and she seemed to be pulling out of it. A couple of hours later, her condition became worse. After a vet visit to the barn, it was decided that she had a kink in her intestines. We rushed her to our local vet clinic. Not knowing what the next step was going to be, I sat and held her as I feared of losing my best friend. In that moment, I watched my World Show dreams go up in flames. Within minutes it was decided that we were taking her into surgery in an effort to save her life. Surgery was quick and went very smoothly; little did I know that the road to recovery would be even harder than I imagined.”
Now, with the World Show out of the picture, Sydni’s entire focus revolved around Phoenix’s recovery. “She fought for her life during the next two weeks as she became weak and tired. She kept spiking a fever, so the vets kept her an additional six days to monitor her. I brought her home on a Monday, 12 days following her surgery. I thought it was all uphill from there.” Sadly, it wasn’t. On Tuesday, Phoenix colicked again. After another emergency trip to the vet, it seemed only one option remained.
“I sat with her in her stall at the vet and through the night as she put up the fight of her life,” she says. “As morning came, I knew the decision was coming and there was simply one option that would be best. The most heart wrenching and crushing feeling came over me as I held her head in the last few hours and said goodbye to my best friend, champion, partner, pride, and joy. My little princess was soon out of pain.”
Under the guidance of trainer Cooper Evans, Sydni and Phoenix had an amazing start to their APHA career. The team currently sits Number One Novice Amateur team in the nation by a margin of 54 points. They’re also at the top of the Honor Roll in Hunt Seat Equitation and Horsemanship and number two in Hunter Under Saddle and Showmanship.
“I still hold onto the hope that we can keep those spots and be awarded that title at the end of the year,” Sydni says. “She was truly a champion in every aspect of her life. She excelled and persevered through the doubts of those who thought she couldn’t do any of it. Well, she showed everyone that she had champion woven into the fiber of her soul and came to be a very talented mare.”
This year, at what was supposed to be their World Show debut, Phoenix was entered in Novice Amateur Showmanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail, Jumping, Green Trail, Green Hunter Under Saddle, and Open Jumping.
“We had big plans; I was so excited to show everyone my young, out-of-this-world talented horse,” she says. “My advice to everyone is to ride every ride with your horse like it’s your last, because you never know when it will be.”
To this day, Sydni still works three jobs in an effort to pay off student loans, and now Phoenix’s lingering vet bills, as she considers what the future holds. However, instead of dwelling on what she’s lost, Syndi focuses on all she’s gained.
“Phoenix had a way of healing and loving,” she says. “My favorite part of my day was walking into the barn and calling her name. Her head would pop out of her stall, nickering nonstop, until I went inside to hold her head and gave her the daily love she was always waiting for. She loved to have her head buried in my arms, with me holding all of her weight. That’s where she spent her last hours, minutes, and moments. She was in my arms, in her happy place.”
“With life comes with bumpy roads and curveballs. This we all know. She was as sweet and as pure as they come and, without fail, always gave me her all. She never deserved an ounce of pain that she went through in those two weeks. She fought for her life like the true champion she is. I was honored to have her as my partner and companion through this past year and a half. The way she excelled through her first and only show year is something one can only dream of. It all came to an abrupt end, much too soon, as she was just too young to leave. It’s almost like she came and did what she needed to, worked her way right to the top, and left us all in awe. She was, just as everyone called her, Princess Phe Phe. Rest easy my princess. The world lost another great one. It was my honor to be able to call her mine.”
Rest In Peace- All About Timing- “Phoenix”
