Glo InTheDark Retires To Penn State Broodmare Program

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284 – March/April, 2025

By Delores Kuhlwein and Kristie Patterson

Finding a love you cherish doesn’t happen every day. Once you find that amazing connection, especially when it’s to an incredible horse, the first thought isn’t necessarily to share her with everyone else–that is, unless it’s the right thing to do.

Glo InTheDark has been that once-in-a-lifetime horse for Kristie Patterson, who showed her in Amateur classes, and for her daughter, Melanie, who showed “Augusta” in Youth classes.

The 2016 brown AQHA mare by RL Best Of Sudden and out of OnlyAfraid InTheDark, bred by Cathrin Gutmann, made dreams come true for the Pattersons and their trainer, Chris Gray, with Congress championships, multiple World show wins, and an Honor Roll championship. “As competitors, those wins feed your soul, and I will be forever grateful to Augusta for those opportunities,” says Gray, who describes her as one of the most beautiful horses to ever grace their Spring Mills, Pennsylvania farm.

So when it came time recently for the Pattersons to retire Augusta from the show arena, Kristie Patterson turned to her nearby alma mater, Penn State University, where she’d graduated with a Bachelor’s in Animal Science and a minor in Equine Science. But the decision to donate Augusta to Penn State University’s broodmare herd wasn’t one of necessity–it was due to a much bigger picture.

“Our decision to retire Augusta was made because we knew that there needed to be more of her in this world,” says Kristie. “She was a phenomenal show horse with a great pedigree. Not continuing those genetics would be a disservice to the industry. Breeding is not something that I have wanted to take part in personally, which led to our decision of having her join Penn State’s herd. We look forward to potentially owning one of her babies in the future.”

Since they know many of the students and faculty members, and they can visit often, it was a win-win to contribute to a program that helped shape Kristie’s life. After all, it would only be the best for the horse who never let them down.

Wishes Fulfilled

Click here to read the complete article
284 – March/April, 2025