miniature tales
Fanfares Check My Label
By Kathy Howard
F
ew Miniature horses have an unimaginable show career spanning
27 years in three different breed registries. Fanfare’s Check My
Label, has done just that. At the age of 28 years old, “Check-
ers” returned from the 2017 AMHA World Show and brought home
a World Champion, two World Reserve Champions, a Top Five and
a Top Ten. Checkers’ show record includes three National Champi-
ons, three National Reserve Champions, four World Champions and
seven World Reserve Champions from the American Miniature Horse
Association, a Hall of Fame in Hunter from the American Miniature
Horse Registry and a Supreme Champion and Superior Performance
from the Pinto Horse Association of America.
Checkers with John Evans at the whip.
Fanfare’s Check My Label was bred by Cheryl Woods in California.
As a yearling, he was trained and presented by Sharon Housley. In
1990, Linda Foster of Eugene, Oregon purchased him. Jane Schultz
and her daughter leased Checkers from Linda Foster, showed him at
the AMHA National Show where he excelled earning two National
Championships and a National Reserve Championship. Checkers was
one of the first Miniatures John and Andrea Evans, Dayspring Farm,
bought and began showing both at AMHA shows, and local PtHA
shows in the Northwest. From 1998 to 2000 Checkers added an-
other National Championship and two National Reserve Champion-
ships to his show record for the Evans. Judy Howard fell in love with
Checkers the first time she laid eyes on him when Jane Schultz was
showing him at the NWMHC Capital City Show. In 2003, Judy and
Howard Stables were lucky enough to acquire Checkers from John
and Andrea Evans.
Judy and Howard Stables continued his show career on the
Northwest Pinto show circuit, showing him in Oregon,
Washington and several years at the Western Canadian
National Pinto Show in Cloverdale, BC. He became a
multiple International Pinto Champion and Reserve
Champion. With many PtHA ROMs and ROEs,
he is PtHA Open Champion #2029, PtHA Open
Legion of Merit #308 and the pinnacle of
all awards PtHA offers, Pinto Open
Supreme Champion
#172 and Pinto Open
Superior Performance
Award #23.
Sunny Balshaw
and Checkers were
2017 Reserve World
Champions in Youth
Hunter 13-18 besting
46 other entries.
28 Miniature Horse World
WINTER 2017