Jacks of All Trades

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68 – November/December, 2022

By Brittany Bevis

There was a time, several decades ago, when you could take one horse to a show and compete in Halter, Showmanship, and Hunter Under Saddle in the morning and Western Pleasure, Reining, and Barrels in the afternoon. This was the origin of today’s all-around horse. But although the moniker remains, the meaning has certainly changed.

Over the years, specialization within disciplines has become so dominant that the true, multi-discipline horse simply doesn’t exist anymore. Sure, you might have a horse that can compete at a high level in classes that require similar skills like Horsemanship, Trail, and Western Riding. But it’s pretty safe to say that gone are the days when one horse could win Hunter Under Saddle in the morning and Reining in the afternoon.

Just like horses specialize in a particular set of skills, riders tend to specialize as well. So when you come across a rider who can compete in different disciplines with a high degree of success, it’s a rare find indeed.

Olivia Turner 

Western Pleasure and All-Around to Reining and Ranch Riding

As a youth, Olivia Turner grew up competing at 4-H and Open shows alongside her mother and sister. After getting her start at AQHA breed shows in Small Fry all-around competition, she decided that Western Pleasure would be her discipline of choice.

Click here to read the complete article
68 – November/December, 2022