Alyssa Miller, 17, and LTH Dee Bar Quincy (Cierra), 4, make equitation patterns look easy, trail obstacles a cakewalk and showmanship no sweat. The pair was a formidable team in the north Idaho open shows last summer and won the 2009 MM Training and Consulting Versatility Award Competition belt buckle. Alyssa does all of Cierra’s training herself, which made the victory sweeter.
Ryan Minden, from Potlatch, Idaho, competes on Oops T Riffic Luck, a six-year old AQHA mare he bought as a weanling in 2002. Though Ryan’s mom is a horse trainer, he raised and trained “Lucky” himself. Ryan and Lucky compete in showmanship, all western events and Omoksees. For the first time in 2008, Ryan traded his chaps for a pair of breeches and competed in English classes. The pair did well, placing in the top three in several classes.
Alyssa Virgin, from Moscow, Idaho, competes on her Warmblood, Double Queen (Queenie). The Belgin/Thoroughbred mare has been Alyssa’s partner for the last three years. The pair excels in English classes where Queenie’s athleticism and big stride are best showcased, but they also compete in showmanship, western events and Omoksees.
When Betty Nagle enters the show ring, people watching from a distance may mistake her slim profile for a much younger competitor. It isn’t until she nears the grandstand area that a glimpse of white hair peeking out from under her black Stetson gives away her seniority. But assisted living and AARP were probably the last things on this grandmother’s mind as she proudly claimed the 2008 MM Training and Consulting Versatility Award Competition belt buckle, beating out several top competitors in the Potlatch area, all many years her junior.
There’s a common element among moms who ride and who also have kids that ride. That element is known as the NAG Syndrome, and both parties fall prey to it. For moms, the NAG Syndrome is complex and originates from having made a substantial investment of time, emotion and money to provide a horse for their child or children. For moms who have horse experience or who may even be trainers themselves, outfitting their child with a horse and all the accoutrements carries a certain sense of pride and level of expectation. In one sense, the child is now a reflection of the mom’s horseman ship and her position in the horse community. This often is the trigger for the NAG Syndrome, an acronym which breaks down to NOW! ASPIRE! GOALS! These three words mean a lot to the mom—but to the child—not so much.
MM Training and Consulting
5985 Hwy 95
Potlatch, ID 83855
(208) 596-9242
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