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After time away from the show ring, Donna Grech has returned to the Quarter Horse Western Pleasure industry— not as a beginner, but as someone with a deep-rooted love for the sport and a refined eye for excellence. Her journey is one of rediscovery, resilience, and reignited passion for the partnership between horse and rider.
FROM THE BEGINNING-AGAIN
“ In 2012, after a long break, I found myself drawn back to horses,” Donna recalls.“ I had shown Appaloosas for a few years before deciding it was time to switch over to Quarter Horses.”
That decision would become the foundation for a whole new chapter. What started as a return to a familiar love quickly became a mission: to once again be part of a world that she had missed dearly.
“ I just love watching a good pleasure horse,” she explains.“ The softness, the cadence— it’ s like watching a graceful ballerina. It may not be as easy as it looks, but when you get it right, the feeling is amazing.”
THE HORSES THAT FOUND HER
As Donna settled back into the industry, she began building her dream team of horses— each with a story, a personality, and a unique connection to her.
She first spotted Last Of The Classics Q-103323, affectionately known as Clara, as a weanling.“ I wasn’ t ready to buy at the time,” she says. But in 2023, while attending NSBA in Tulsa, Donna decided the timing was right to inspect a few yearlings in person. Clara was on her shortlist— but it was love at first sight.
“ She was better in person than in the videos— lovely top line, great legs, and such a sweet, people-friendly nature. I was lucky to have Kane, Holly, and Caroline there for guidance, and I’ m so thankful Jay and Kristy Starnes agreed to sell her to me before the sale.”
Her second addition, Holey Cow Batt Man Q-98130— or Bailey— was a serendipitous find. Donna had nearly given up on finding a weanling when she saw Bailey’ s newborn photo on Machine Made’ s Facebook page.“ I contacted her breeder, Jean, and when I saw a video of her loping through the paddock with her dam, I knew instantly— she was the one.”
Left to Right- Holey Cow Batt Man Q-98130, Last Of The Classics Q-103323 and Southern Whispers Imp Q-95946
2025 AQHA SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER ISSUE