PG . 14
AQHA FEATURE
purchased and imported by Kathleen Flynn . An incredible horse , I was beside myself when , in 2022 , the opportunity arose for me to purchase Callie .
Callie ’ s simultaneously sweet and sassy , possessing an energy about her that ’ s calm , but strong-minded . Sometimes I think the world actually revolves around her . She ’ s clever , loves attention from the people she trusts , but can be standoffish until she gets to know you . She ’ s super quiet , easy to teach , and an easy keeper , cleaning up every scrap of hay in her stable and leaving manure in one pile on the side . She has her favourite paddock , with Tanz on her right , and Dee Dee on her left , but gets quite upset , if I put Tanz on her left side instead .
In the Western Pleasure showpen Callie ’ s elegant selfcarriage and overall profile really catches your attention , but her expression through the bridle is phenomenal . She knows when she enters the show pen and always tries her best . She loves her job and knows exactly what she ’ s doing out there . Callie is show smart , so I ’ ve had to learn how to be in control , and when to get out of her way and let her do her job . I love it when she stands patiently , waiting for her placing , then lopes over for a photo , pricking her ears for the camera .
We ’ re only 10 minutes away from Rockin Horse Ranch , Queensland . Kane Skopp ’ s has been our trainer since 2015 , and has trained Callie since she came to Australia , two years ago . I ’ m grateful to Kane for all he ’ s put in to make Callie an Amateur horse . He ’ s so talented and Callie looks better than ever this year . They have a great connection and he loves her like his own . Both Callie and Tanz are trained there . After each show , we bring them home , for a week off in their own paddocks . Callie loves stable life , so she ’ s always ready to come back in .
Since finishing school , my son , Taj Carson , has been training horses under the guidance of Kane Skopp and Holly Johnson , so I get lots of help . We ride together at home and I watch him ride or give lessons . It ’ s great ! I get to ride lots of different horses and learn so much .
We bought Callie early in 2022 , but she didn ’ t get back into work until we got home from Summer Sizzler , in late February . There were no plans for me to ride her at Nationals , as she had come back into training with Kane . I was to show our Junior Horse , Don ’ t Doubt Daisy , in the Amateur Western Pleasure , but she was injured three weeks out . We decided to give Callie a try , and after two lessons with Kane , things were promising . Debuting at the National Show was nerve-racking for us all , but Kane did an amazing job preparing us .
At Q22 , Callie and I won Amateur Western Pleasure , and I won my first Buckle . At NPHA , we won Amateur Junior Western Pleasure , Limited Open Western Pleasure Feature , Limited Amateur Western Pleasure Feature and Amateur Western Pleasure Stakes . Kane rode Callie to wins in Senior Horse Western Pleasure Stakes and Senior Horse Western Pleasure class .
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