AQHA Youth World Blog- Angel On The Trail

EC Blog by: Tatum Richey

Life is full of ups and downs! This year’s Trail preliminaries were a prime example…

My 87 1/2-year-old Grandpa Billy drove himself six hours in his own truck just to see me ride at the year’s biggest show. He and my Grandma rarely missed any horse shows, and this show was no different. My Grandma wasn’t there in the flesh, but she was definitely there in spirit. I felt her with me… She was my angel on the trail.

Last year at the prelims my Grandma cried like a baby through the whole pattern. From the time she saw me step into the arena until I walked out, she couldn’t contain her pride. She had watched me and Ode get together as a team all those years. From the first day I showed up to Nancy Cahill’s barn, with my boots on the wrong feet and the many horrifying shows during which Ode had his way with me (when I was a little kid) my Grandma witnessed it. And she feared and LOVED ever minute! She was always my angel on the Trail.

Trail this year was a roller coaster of emotions from the time I had to go in first out of 150, until the moon rose, it was some kind of day. My uncle Mitch and Grandpa Billy were the first ones in the Performance Arena. The seat between was kept empty in honor of my Grandma Rita. Grandpa felt it was important to recognize her memory, so they did! She was my angel on the Trail…

Earlier in the year, at a Scottsdale show, my mom was looking for a new outfit for Trail. We tried on tons of them. We finally decided to have Paula custom make me some, but there was this one that jumped out to my Grandma. It was a secondhand jacket, but it still had a very steep price tag. My mom said no. She wanted me to have one that had never been seen and made just for me. My grandma disagreed and saw something very special in it. When she saw the arms of this jacket, it brought tears to her eyes. It looked like the keyboard of a Piano to her! She told my mom right then that SHE wanted to buy me the jacket, because it reminded her of my dad. She wanted me to have it. She said I could get to the top of the World in it. Her exact words to my mom were, “Tatum and Ode have the same talent together as George Richey had with his piano. That horse is her instrument. They don’t play music, but they move hearts together just the same.”

She was not a rich woman. She was rich of life, but not wealthy in finances. This was a huge purchase for her. My grandma bought the jacket and held it for me in her closet. She wanted to surprise me with it at the World Show. Though my grandma went on to Heaven before I got to wear her priceless gift in the arena, I know she was smiling down upon us when she saw us enter through the gate. As she’s been my whole life, she is still my angel on the trail.

When AQHA played the National Anthem, my Grandpa stood with pride and a heavy heart. He was nervous that his granddaughter had to enter first and lay down the tracks for all other riders to follow. It was an intimidating and awesome responsibility. When I entered the Performance Arena, I felt a peace fall on me. My spiritual dad, Jeff Taylor, my mom, and my whole family had been praying for a calmness for me and it came. Miss Nancy had said my Grandma would be with me in that saddle, and I think she must have been. She was my angel on the trail.

Ode and I had a really good go, but being the first one out no one knew how the judges would start out the scoring. They scored our run low. I got a disappointing 219. Last year, it took way more even to make the shootout, so we were pretty certain my dreams were dashed. My grandpa had a long six-hour drive ahead of him, so we suggested he get back on the road. We knew it would take the next 12 hours to get through over 100 more horses, so he went home. He was disappointed but proud of my go!

To my great surprise by the time they had run over 90 horses, I started to have real hope that I’d get to ride in the shootout! The bubble was 216.5. I had a 219, so Ode and I got another go at it. This time when I went in it was far more scary than the morning run. I didn’t think the pressure could be greater – but boy was it. We went in for a second go at the finals and we scored a 227. We got the fourth highest score of the entire day. It was such a blessing. Having to call my Grandpa Billy to tell him he’d left too early was a message I was thrilled to deliver. I said, “Grandpa Billy, you need to turn around and get back to OKC, because Ode and I MADE IT!” With a chocked up voice he said, “I’ll be there.” He gets the MOST DEDICATED GRANDPA EVER award – so was (is) my Grandma! Both are are my angels on the trail.

Good luck to all the finalists in Trail tomorrow morning and safe travels to everyone coming to see this special moment in our lives. When you see Ode and I, you can bet my Grandma Rita is in the saddle me. She’ll forever and always be our angel on the trail.

Blessed Trails,

Tatum Richey

(Photos and editing provided by Sheila Richey)