The Super Horse Missouri Fox Trotter Competition this past June was truly “super” for me. Nichole Copple and Velvet won the Open Championship. Caitlyn Vaught and Powder won the Youth Championship. I won something too, even though I didn’t participate in the arena. I won a horse! The horse was donated by Charles and Dawn Lindsay of Marshfield, Missouri.
It was winter 2014. The proceeds of the raffle went to a fund for special needs children. I saw the head shot picture of the horse. He was a black horse that had the Giles Hot Toddy head on his dam’s side and he did look like Velvet. I looked at the registration papers. The sire was Cast Iron Camelot H. I saw him long ago at the Celebration. By the time that class had ended the entire crowd was yelling and cheering for Camelot. I read the description and that Charles Lindsay had trained the horse and been riding him solo on the trails. I admire how Charles rides and treats his horses.
About this time, I was discouraged at my progress with Lucky Star. I immediately decided that I should have the raffle horse. I sent $50 and got fifty tickets. That was a long time before the Super Horse competition and I forgot about the raffle horse. The raffle was the last day of the competition. Powder and Velvet had won their divisions the day before and were there to get their garlands. I had gone home after Nova and Powder had their wins in the arena. On that day, I remembered about the raffle. I told Jenny about the raffle and gave her my numbers in case I won. Of course there was little chance that I would actually win. I don’t win things in drawings.
I was in a movie theatre watching a movie when Jenny texted me. I got the text when I came out of the movie. I called Jenny! What! I won the horse! I don’t need another horse! Lucky is coming along great now. I plan on showing him. I told Jenny, I just wouldn’t respond. Jenny said the fateful words, “But what if he is cute?” Fateful words. That was the deciding factor…what if he is cute….
Turns out, Jenny had told Rick just who might have the winning ticket. Rick Gates texted me soon asking if I had the winning ticket? Some days later I saw Camelot Southern Celebration’s (Cisco) full body picture. I had no idea he had a star or four white feet. I had only seen the side view of his head in the raffle announcement. There was a video, but I could never get that to work. Wowsa!
After the Fourth of July was over, I went to get an a wonderful, people loving, very gaited, well trained sweetheart. Dawn was close to tears when he loaded into my trailer. I put Cisco in training with Nichole Copple for 30 days to “customize” him for me. Then I heard from his original breeder, Rebecca Pittman, and his original owner, Brenda Rice. Becky lives on the east coast and has since come to visit Cisco. I learned that Cisco’s original trainer was a man who follows Parelli Natural Horsemanship and who studied with Tony and Jennifer Vaught. I don’t know how my raffle horse could have worked out any better. Turns out the original owners had videoed his birth! They sent me a DVD. So I got to see Cisco being born and the love he was born into!
Cisco has impressed everyone that has met him, both for his beauty and for his sweet talent. Cisco is in training with me to show in the versatility classes at the national shows and in Kansas City Pony Express shows. Come over and meet Cisco the next time you see me on this gorgeous black horse with white strip and four white feet. He’ll knock your socks off!