At left, Chloe Casteel enters the show at the Celebration
in 2019 riding Central Park. This was the photo
used on the Celebration ticket this year. Above, Chloe
also enjoys trail riding with her horse, Rebel.
Chloe began showing when she was 7 years old. At
age 9, she entered the performance horse category
riding Cut A Rug.
the Fentress County Horse Show. She moved
up to the performance horse division when
she was nine riding Cut A Rug.
She likes horses, but it’s the thrill of competition
that she loves.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” she said.
Walking horses have three main gaits: the
flat-foot walk, run-walk and canter. Youth
classes don’t require a canter.
Chloe prefers the run-walk.
“I like to go fast,” she says, smiling.
It’s a lot of work. The horses have to be
fed, exercised and bathed daily. Before a
show, the horse needs to be bathed and its
tail and mane washed and trimmed.
Chloe’s active in school, 4-H Club activities
and her church, Grace Community. She
rides about two times a week, but her horses
get exercise daily.
Her 4-H activities include horse judging,
Horse Bowl and Hippology. Chloe likes
Horse Bowl and Hippology, which asks
questions about horse facts, with either a
buzzer quiz format or a quiz. They’ve gone
to state for the past three years.
The judging team looks at horse confirmation
and anatomy and evaluating gaits.
“It helps you know what the judges are
looking for in the ring,” said Robbie.
Robbie previously worked for the UT
Extension Service in Cumberland County
before becoming a teacher, and she has continued
to volunteer with the horse projects.
The family also enjoys trail riding with
her pleasure horse Rebel. She likes getting
to be out in the woods and relax.
While horse shows usually begin in
March, they were delayed until May due to
the COVID-19 health crisis. That’s kept the
Casteels busy this summer, with shows in
Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia. Many
of the Upper Cumberland shows have been
canceled this year.
Chloe competes in the youth pony class
with Sweep and the youth 12-17 class with
Carolina Con.
Sweep is officially named Central Park
following a name change by the former
owner. He’s 17 years old. A pony is a horse
15 hands tall or less, and Sweep just makes
the cut.
“He’s got a big personality,” Chloe said.
“He’s really fun to ride, but he’s full of
expression.”
Robbie said Sweep is always ready to
work.
Chloe and Sweep have been competing
together for three years.
Carolina Con is a six-year-old horse.
They got him last fall and Chloe’s shown
him only a few times. He’s a lot bigger than
Sweep.
“He’s completely opposite from Sweep,”
Robbie said. “Sweep has a ‘go’ button. He’s
all about his job. Con needs a lot more
direction.”
Each horse offers an opportunity to build
new skills and new challenges, which Chloe
welcomes.
10 | Cumberland Now • September 2020