42 / Sport and Trail Magazine
It is my privilege to introduce myself as your new NASMA president. I would like to thank the membership, the Executive Board and Board of Directors for believing in me and encouraging me to take on this role. I want to thank past president, Ken Colbert for his dedication and service to NASMA over the last two years.
My wife, Lee Ann and I live in Trenton, Kentucky along with our two children, Maci and Tanner. Let me share with you how I became a mule man. I have always
mentioned that I should breed his jack to my quarter horse mare to get a pack mule to take out west on our hunts. I took him up on it and before long I had a beautiful little john colt on my property. We named him “Jake”. The man who owned the jack told me that should take Jake to the Great Mule & Donkey Celebration in Shelbyville, TN, so as a two year old, I took Jake to our first ever mule show and won the National Champion 2 and under halter class with him. That blue ribbon was the beginning of many ribbons and buckles that Jake would win for the McCuistons. With Jake as our only mule, I began showing him in the amateur and open riding mule classes. My daughter Maci showed him in the youth classes and my son Tanner showed him in 10 and under. He was a busy mule and we were a busy family with many tack changes and back to back classes with this amazing mule. Since then, we have added 6 more mules to our pack and continue to show and sell mules through this organization.
The NASMA family took us in when we first got started. The family atmosphere, as well as the warmth and camaraderie between competitors was addictive. We had never really shown before. We had competed in team ropings and attended trail rides, but the show ring was a new experience. Our friends who were also our competitors would take the time to help with tack, show techniques and tips for training as we learned the ropes along the way. My kids made friends and had so much fun at the mule shows. This warmth and kindness from the NASMA members is one of the reasons I took the office of President and its one of the main reasons I am so proud to be a member of this organization.
As your President, I want to make sure that other families who join NASMA have the same positive experiences that we had when we first got involved. There are many behind the scene jobs that happen in NASMA and many volunteers who give of their time to make all this happen. If everyone does their job and stays positive, this organization will function as it is intended to. I would like to challenge the membership to put your skills to use within our wonderful association. Your skills may be in any area. Each one could be of a great help to NASMA. I would love to have your input, your constructive criticism, and your assistance in building NASMA to bigger and better things. NASMA's Committees are the backbone of the organization. Each one is indispensable and equally important to the operation. When the organization was founded, the committees were put in place to conduct their own sector within NASMA with the Executive Board and Officers overseeing their workings through the Board of Directors by enforcing the Association's By-Laws, Rules and Regulations. I would like to see those committees functioning at their best. You can make a difference in the future of NASMA. Help us build and improve this organization so that many more families such as my own can experience this amazing family of NASMA mule people!
Respectfully,
Patrick McCuiston
NASMA President
been a quarter horse man spending my time trail riding, team roping and hunting Elk in Colorado on horseback. I ran into a man who owned a jack and he to my quarter horse mare to get a pack mule to take out west on our hunts. I took him up on it and before long I had a beautiful little john colt on my property. We named him “Jake”. The man who owned the jack told me that should take Jake to the Great Mule & Donkey Celebration in Shelbyville, TN, so as a two year old, I took Jake to our first ever mule show and won the National Champion 2 and under halter class with him. That blue ribbon was the beginning of many ribbons and buckles that Jake would win for the McCuistons. With Jake as our only mule, I began showing him in the amateur and open riding mule classes. My daughter
tack changes and back to back classes with this amazing mule. Since then, we have added 6 more mules to our pack and continue to show and sell mules through this organization.
The NASMA family took us in when we first got started. The family atmosphere, as well as the warmth and camaraderie between competitors was addictive. We had never really shown before. We had competed in team ropings and attended trail rides, but the show ring was a new experience. Our friends who were also our competitors would take the time to help with tack, show techniques and tips for training as we learned the ropes along the way. My kids made friends and had so much fun at the mule shows. This warmth and kindness from the NASMA members is one of the reasons I took the office of President and its one of the main reasons I am so proud to be a member of this organization.
As your President, I want to make sure that other families who join NASMA have the same positive experiences that we had when we first got involved. There are many behind the scene jobs that happen in NASMA and many volunteers who give of their time to make all this happen. If everyone does their job and stays positive, this organization will function as it is intended to. I would like to challenge the membership to put your skills to use within our wonderful association. Your skills may be in any area. Each one could be of a great help to NASMA. I would love to have your input, your constructive criticism, and your assistance in building NASMA to bigger and better things. NASMA's Committees are the backbone of the organization. Each one is indispensable and equally important to the operation. When the organization was founded, the committees were put in place to conduct their own sector within NASMA with the Executive Board and Officers overseeing their workings through the Board of Directors by enforcing the Association's By-Laws, Rules and Regulations. I would like to see those committees functioning at their best. You can make a difference in the future of NASMA. Help us build and improve this organization so that many more families such as my own can experience this amazing family of NASMA mule people!
Respectfully,
Patrick McCuiston
NASMA President
Maci showed him in the youth classes and my son Tanner showed him in 10 and under. He was a busy mule and we were a busy family with many tack changes and back to back classes with this amazing mule. Since then, we have added 6 more mules to our pack and continue to show and sell mules through this organization.
The NASMA family took us in when we first got started. The family atmosphere, as well as the warmth and camaraderie between competitors was addictive. We had never really shown before. We had competed in team ropings and attended trail rides, but the show ring was a new experience. Our friends who were also our competitors would take the time to help with tack, show techniques and tips for training as we learned the ropes along the way. My kids made friends and had so much fun at the mule shows. This warmth and kindness from the
As your President, I want to make sure that other families who join NASMA have the same positive experiences that we had when we first got involved. There are many behind the scene jobs that happen in NASMA and many volunteers who give of their time to make all this happen. If everyone does their job and stays positive, this organization will function as it is intended to. I would like to challenge the membership to put your skills to use within our wonderful association. Your skills may be in any area. Each one could be of a great help to NASMA. I would love to have your input, your constructive criticism, and your assistance in building NASMA to bigger and better things. NASMA's Committees are the backbone of the organization. Each one is indispensable and equally important to the operation. When the organization was founded, the committees were put in place to conduct their own sector within NASMA with the Executive Board and Officers overseeing their workings through the Board of Directors by enforcing the Association's By-Laws, Rules and Regulations. I would like to see those committees functioning at their best. You can make a difference in the future of NASMA. Help us build and improve this organization so that many more families such as my own can experience this amazing family of NASMA mule people!
Respectfully,
Patrick McCuiston
NASMA President
NASMA's new president Patrick McCuiston, with his wife Lee Ann (upper right photo) and children Maci and Tanner