Celebrating Our Senior Show Horses

Last week, we shared a photo of Bridget Grobosky with Accidental Zipper, her 26-year-old AQHA gelding who is still winning Western Riding titles at Silver Dollar, Sun Circuit, and more.

We asked you to share your 25+ year old horses who were still showing and deserve some recognition, and boy, did you ever!

The Equine Chronicle is pleased to bring you our Senior Horse Celebration!  Keep scrolling to see more photos, and more descriptions of marvelous 25+ senior horses showing today:

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Bridget Grobosky and Accidental Zipper

I was honored to be featured with Red! It really did make my day. I saw you’re doing an online post about our special seniors, so I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite photos with him from this year that you’re more than welcome to use.

The first is from Sun Circuit where we were Reserve Circuit Champions in the L1 Am Western Riding, and the other is from the L1 Championships where we got second in the Western Riding.

It’s an honor to keep showing him and it’s frankly amazing that he is still scoring the way that he always has. I never would have believed some of our greatest achievements together would come when he was 25. Kelly (Penrod) takes such incredible care of him, and we feel really blessed to still be doing this with him. He loves the horse shows, and he has a stall for as long as he wants to come!

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Suzanne Kiser

I sat straight up when I read this article about Accidental Zipper.

I bought him as an early two yr old from Dale Parker . He was one of four Zippos Old Golds that bought as yearlings or two year olds then showed them all. One of them was Zippos Romeo. We showed him until he was 4 then sold him. One of the best horses I ever owned.

Accidental Zipper was tall and a great mover. He caught the attention of the lady who owned The Sweet Shop at Congress. Her nephew who was a trainer saw him and they wanted to make a pleasure driving horse out of him.

She drove from Ohio to N C to pay me for him . I have a picture of us showing him as a two-year-old.

Congratulations on keeping Axel, as we called him, in great condition. This made me very happy.

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Jessica Woolsey

This is Decker (Decks Trump Card), in April of 2023 he retired at the age of 25. I have had him since I was 10 years old and I am now 31. I may still get him out and take him to a fall show to show him in the showmanship. He has taught many different riders how to ride before they go on to their first show horse. He was my mom’s lesson horse and we call him King of the Barn. Decker is spoiled and still loves to be ridden lightly and I’m sure he would still love to take a spin in the showmanship show pen again. This horse means the world to me and is my heart horse!

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Candace Zaagman

I really wish more horse owners of retired but still capable show horses would consider donating or leasing to barns that have equestrians with disabilities.    Invest In Hot Stock (aka Allie) was living out in our pasture, growing her winter hair, dealing with bugs – which she absolutely hates – and just wasting away.  It was definitely a “God thing” when I got a call from Stacey Creps, owner of barn where Allie is, asking if I knew of any horses for sale for her program.   I don’t know what made the lightbulb go off, but I offered Allie to her as a lease, I still maintain ownership, and here we are.  Allie is so much happier doing what she loves, showing, being groomed, bathed and all of the attention.  If the day ever comes where she isn’t, then we will reassess.  But these horses love to show and love the attention and she is making a huge difference for so many capable and wonderful people!

Maybe someday the Chronicle can do a story about Equestrians With Disabilities and asking horse owners to consider leasing their wonderful horses.  These horses are very difficult to find and the ones that have been shown are usually a perfect match because they are so desensitized.

That is our son, Kody Zaagman, in 2007 (Congress Champion 2007 14-18 Showmanship) and Mary Herr (EWD Walk Jog Horsemanship at NSBA) in 2023, and the gentleman holding the belt buckle and certificate is Aaron Baker. He also shows Allie and showed her at the Congress in 2023 in EWD assisted classes. The other little girl is a client in the barn giving Allie some love.

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Sara Bradley

Passing With A Sigh was bred, raised and trained on our family farm. We’ve attempted to retire him multiple times with no success, he gets mad if he’s not going on the trailer to shows with me and finished in the top five in ranch rail and ranch riding in Ohio for 2023. He is used as a lesson horse and to pony the colts in my training barn but still loves to show. He is 26 this year.

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Courtney Hostuttler

A Chunky Choice “Chunky” will be 27 next month. He had a easy year but even at 26 he went out and showed a few classes at our favorite show and made a couple victory passes. At 25 he was packing around lesson students and he was showing in the Youth western, WT western and WT Hunt Seat. He will probably get back to giving lessons this year and showing some with a youth kid. I’m convinced he just gets better with age.

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Krystal Koltiska Raley

Me Breezy jr just turned 29. He spent all last year with his walk trot girl. He loves his job.

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Molly Stanfield Green

My mare will turn 25 this year; her name is Bring Me Roses. Many know her as Rosie & from her younger years of winning the Congress with Taft Dickerson aboard. Bought her from Taft later in life when she was 17. She is still showing in the western pleasure and giving weekly lessons to adults and kids of all ages. She is a wonderful mare and loved by so many people. I have been currently leasing her to a wonderful lady for the past 4 show seasons. 21’, 22’ & This year they won an adult year end Highpoint in the western pleasure with our open show club.

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Brandi Feger

His name was Champ (Luke’s Champion). He won a Trail class at the IL State Fair Appaloosa show 30 years in a row. I had the pleasure of showing him for last 10 years of his life. He showed in his last class at 32 and we lost him at 35. He wasn’t the easiest to get along with but he made Trail fun and it is my favorite class.

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Kimberly Handy Boyce

Renee Ryssel and Last Piece of Pie (Guapo)! He’s 25 this year.

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Denise Duncan

We do not have huge wins at the biggest shows but we’ve had the best ride ever. My 25 year old gelding taught me everything there is to know about being a horse owner. I’ve owned Matthew for 10+ years and in that time he took me to our first show and we got a first and I’ve been hooked ever since. We got to show at Congress. We showed at EOQHA and got called back, then placed 5th. We’ve won many 1st, 2nds, 3rds and 4ths over the years with VQHA.

We plan to have another fun year of showing Eq, HUS, and showmanship.

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Geena Kosanic

CL Super Wons Lass 29 year old AQHA mare, we have tried to retire for the last 9 years and every year we end up pulling her out for a rider and it’s usually to attend the MIHA State Finals here in Michigan. She has attended and placed every year for the last 16 years in many different events.

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Jennifer Wastler Baker

My older palomino quarter horse turns 39 this year. I rode until about years ago when his arthritis started. Out last ribbon was second at an aqha trail obstacle event.

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Julie Anne

Our “Reos Last Leaguer” AQHA is 29 and still packing my 12 yo granddaughter to shows! Her highlight is the national anthem at every show she does!! Cheers to the senior horses…

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Abby Wimer

Darkchocolate Hotrod! 26 yrs young…pulled out of retirement this summer to teach my young 8yr old friend Kolson Baumbach the finer points of Showmanship for the Ellsworth/Rice County 4-H Horse Show!

Truly loves her job! Licked lips every time the show halter came out for practice, a great teacher! Oh man! Talk about ears up when they hit the show pen! Kolson caught the horse show bug too! 🩷

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Debby Letham

John Letham is still showing Chocolate Time…he turns 30 this year. Was Reserve Champion 2023 in Ranch Trail at Appaloosa Nationals! We think he will end up Hi Point Western Riding for 2023 as well!

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Faith Meyers

I have a 25-year-old mare that is still showing in the all around! Her name is Upstanding Covergirl by Up Standing Zipper. We purchased her this past summer and we’ve been showing the all around. We got an all around high point over the summer and she even got another halter register of merit at our last show!

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Amy Fortner Richmond

My friend Rhonda Spigner Williams and her boy Jr who was Reserve Hmshp L1 and won Champion of Champions at World.

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Kari Costa

Bailey Showdown Lee will be 29 this year, AQHA gelding. Was pulled out of retirement a few years ago to help pilot a young 4Her through the Showmanship class. The year before that a different young rider showed him to the County Horsemanship Championship earning her a trip to the State Show. The fun part is she nailed the pattern by doing two flying lead changes on him without even practicing flying changes.

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Stefanie Beckley

Zipabully, aka “Junior.” will be 30 next month and still showing all around events.

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Even though these amazing horses were just outside our parameters of currently showing at 25-plus for this article, they deserve some big love, too!

 

Claire VanSaders

I am Claire VanSaders, the owner of the horse “Mr. Wilson”, and my daughter is Hilary Gewain and her daughter, my granddaughter, is Faith Gewain. We are from New Jersey.

This is my senior horse…he is 24…not 25 like you were looking for but still deserves recognition, lol…….I showed him for 21 years and now my granddaughter, Faith Gewain, has now taken over showing him in small fry classes.  I have attached three pictures – the one with three of us in the picture, me, my daughter and her daughter, my granddaughter faith.  This horse was shown by me, then my daughter and now my granddaughter – three generations using the same horse.  He is truly a blessing to all of us.

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Cheryl Valenzuela

I had a gelding by Scotch Bar Time who was sired by Sonny Dee Bar if not mistaken. He was shown until he was 28. We lost him last year at age 32.  I miss him so much – a real character. He got into everything and loved ripping other horses’ blankets.

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Amy Edwards-Story

Mark Plaudit, ApHC gelding went from being a reserve ApHC national champion in trail, and numerous top 5 placer at ApHC national and world championships for many, many years. He then he was used on our cattle ranch to gather/work cattle. He loved cattle and pasture work. He also taught my two children to ride and then became a youth rodeo horse for a good friends son. He absolutely loved rodeos and kids. He continued competing and winning in youth rodeos until he was 28. He was retired at 28 due to finding cancer in his sheath. Terribly, he lost his battle when he was 29. He was a multiple World, National, and regional champion and top 5 placer in almost every event offered.

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Jolene Nogee

When your 9 year old talks you into the five year year old horse declaring he is in fact a unicorn and soon to be her best friend. 5 years old when we bought him…now at the age of 24 retired in my pasture. To Phat To Hotrod, Certified unicorn.