The Phoenix Award
Established in 2001, The Phoenix Award recognizes and honors a person or persons who have been active in supporting, promoting, and / or advocating for the SOUND Walking Horse; someone( s) who has made or is making an outstanding contribution to these horses. Such activity can include( but is not limited to): 1. Rehabilitating a horse or horses 2. Rescuing a horse or horses 3. Publicly speaking and / or writing against the act of soring.
This year’ s Phoenix Award winner received not only ONE – but TWO nominations.
Amazing Gaits Equestrian Center, owned by Kathee and Clyde McGuire, opened in November 2012. The mission of Amazing Gaits Equestrian Center was to provide a safe, healthy and fun boarding facility for equines and their humans while offering education, networking and team-building opportunities.
The majority of their members horses are gaited, to include Tennessee Walking Horses, Paso Finos, Spotted Saddle Horses, Missouri Fox Trotters and Kentucky Mountain Horses. Amazing Gaits has worked diligently to promote the sound, naturally gaited horse with an emphasis on versatility. Towards that goal, Amazing Gaits has offered sanctioned shows, trail rides, obstacle challenges, benefit events, gaited clinics and blazed new ground in southern Alabama by introducing Gaited Dressage at local dressage schooling shows.
In 2014 Amazing Gaits expanded its mission to include rescuing and fostering abused and neglected gaited horses. Not only do these horses need extensive behavioral, physical and emotional rehabilitation, but many require months of training to make them more adoptable, productive members of society. In Amazing Gaits very first year of rescue work, they rehabilitated and placed seven horses into their forever homes. To date, they have rescued and rehabilitated over 20 horses.
Amazing Gaits continually hosts NWHA affiliated shows and holds a jackpot obstacle class where all proceeds for that class go to the Panhandle Equine Rescue group. The group promotes the sound, naturally gaited walking horse by attending as well as hosting many parades, trail events and clinics throughout the year. Of particular note is their participation in the Alabama Horse Council parade of breeds. This is the largest equine activity in the area with about 4-5,000 spectators and participants.
Team Amazing Gaits doesn’ t limit their open hearts and charity to just horses. They have participated as a team at a local Leukemia Walk fundraiser, the ALS ice bucket challenge, volunteered at Camp Rap A Hope which is a horse camp dedicated to children with cancer and hosted a“ Girl Horse Experience” at the Center.
Amazing Gaits has hit the ground running, just celebrated their four-year anniversary and has accomplished more in those first four years than many Riding Centers and rescues have been able to accomplish in 10 years. The entire time they have stayed focused on the horse by promoting the versatility of naturally gaited, sound, and humanely trained gaited horses. The sky ' s the limit for Team Amazing Gaits.
NWHA National News 19