Exclusively at the Verde Valley Equine Festival
Arizona Horseman’s Challenge 2014 • April 4, 5 & 6
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Competing Horse Trainer Feature: Kyle Amick, Payson, Arizona
ringing new, innovative trainers to a dynamic competition
is what the Arizona Horseman’s Challenge is all about.
This year debuts one of the first female challengers in t
hat category.
the old trail horse often and during a summer, they formed an
unbreakable bond. “Bandit made me see that with time and
patience, asking a horse to do something and receiving their
trust, made for a better ride in the long run.”
Kyle Amick was born and raised in Payson Arizona. “For as
long as I can remember, horses have always been a passion of
mine, but my family was never financially able to own one.” She
managed to have girlfriends who had horses, so was able to ride
and learn more about these large animals. Kyle rode often with
friends and frequented rodeos where she began warming up
horses for some of the contenders. Many times she was handed a
hot-headed roping horse or problem horses that only knew how
to run barrel patterns.
Fast-forward to Belladonna, the American Mustang who needed
quite a bit of time and patience. “She was sketchy, spooky and
stubborn, but I refused to give up.” Bella was the first horse Kyle
trained on her own. She made mistakes, and learned some tough
lessons, but turned Bella into an all-around horse, willing to
please. She took Bella from a horse she couldn’t ride out of her
pen without spooking, to one she rides down the highway next
to busy traffic, without so much as an ear twitch.
Eventually Kyle encountered a kind-hearted mustang named
Bandit who changed her entire view about horses. She visited
AZintheSaddle.com
It’s sure to be a thrilling deal to see Ms. Amick at the top of her
game in the second annual Arizona Horseman’s Challenge,
April 4, 5 & 6.
January 2014
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