PG . 32
AQHA FEATURE
‘ mum ’ horse being so reliable . Getting the 3rd place at the Invitational Cowhorse was memorable being amongst a group of talented entrants , and due to Badger being out with an injury , it was kind of like , you ’ re up , buddy !”
Ranch 2020 , placings in Open Snaffle Bit Cutting , winner of the Unofficial Rookies at local events .
Callie believes her most significant achievement would be motherhood and attempting to be competitive throughout the broken night sleeps that come along with it ! “ I think that every win or placing holds a special place , mostly because all the horses , both hacks and cow horses , that I have competed have been trained by me , and the Quarter horses started by my Husband , Brenden . The Grand Nationals runner up will always be a great memory , for the same reason that Katie was trained and qualified by myself and gave the English Judge a beautiful ride . The recent wins on Badger have been rewarding as this is his first season that I have competed on him in Romals- not an easy task ! And Duck always impresses me each time I take him out , whether in English or Cow Horse / Cutting . He is the perfect
“ I ’ d love to be able to say that I have a definite routine and work all my horses every day , but with a small human around , it can mean I ’ m either up at dawn riding or flicking the lights on after dinner ! It ’ s a case of “ do what I can when I can ”. My older horses are kept fit until about a month out from a competition ; then , I ’ ll increase their work . My young horse gets regular work throughout the week , 2 days on , one day off , mixing it up with the mechanical cow , flatwork and working cattle . I usually try to get him out to many different places and do clinics to work cattle in different arenas . My training tips are basically to try and have a clear goal for each ride , whether it would be working on stopping , turnarounds or flys , and knowing when to quit once achieved . When working cattle , I use what I ’ ve got ; if it ’ s tough , I ’ ll get something good out of it instead of putting it up and getting a fresh one . You ’ re not always going to cut the best cows at a competition , so your horse may as well be prepared for that . Another tip is don ’ t be afraid to ask for help or advice ,” says Callie .
“ Phil Rodey , helps start all of our horses , including Kevin , has a great saying ‘ starting a horse well isn ’ t just something , it ’ s everything ’. I couldn ’ t agree more . I also admire Ian Francis ; we used to host cattle clinics at our old place with him . His knowledge and ability is inspiring , and to have such a long list of credentials in a variety of disciplines is just amazing ,” says Callie .
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW . AQHA . COM . AU