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Tennessee
Walking Horse OnLine Congratulates
Adult
Supreme Champion
Christine
Pepmeyer, Illinois
Legend’s Licorice
By Chris Pepmeyer
Not too many horses write their autobiography, but after
much prodding from my mother, Chris, and my sister, Lacey, I decided to
put hoof to pen. After all, they convinced me, I am a well-educated
Supreme Versatility Champion. I have competed in more than 100 classes at
horse shows and do have a story to tell.
I was born on June 19, 1986, the daughter of Jet's Sundancer and Shaker's
Legend D. Old Legend was sired by Mack K's Handshaker whose pappy was
Midnight Mack K. Chris Pepmeyer from Bramble Brook Farm bought me the day
I was weaned from Sundance and became my new "mom." Having lived the first
six months of my life on a large acreage with about 20 horses, I had
rarely had contact with those two legged critters that Sundance called
"humans." I didn't know what those funny things called halters were and
certainly did not know how to follow anyone pulling a rope. Soon, at my
new home, the easy life was over and leading lessons began! Sometimes, I
was stubborn and balked. It didn't work. Chris would just turn me, get me
off balance and I'd be on the move again. She also used something called a
butt rope. Once I snickered silently to myself when I dragged her through
the mud in her husband's golf jacket. She apparently did not share my
sense of humor and pulled out a lead rope with a chain that went under my
chin. Day in and day out we practiced. Soon my patient, kind and
persistent mother gained my loving respect. We did it her way and she
always made it a point to end every lesson with something I knew how to do
right.
When still very young, I learned something called "parking out." We
practiced frequently until I figured out where to put each hoof. In June
of '87, I went to my first show. It was an open yearling halter class. I
placed second out of four. I thought that was fun and my career as a
beauty queen had begun! Mom said I was a typical girl since I loved to
pose. I delighted in having my hair done, getting my hooves polished and
loved a bath. The bath always ended with a creme rinse for my thick mane
and tail. I continued to show in yearling halter for the rest of that
summer and by the end of the season, I was used to the show scene. All
that early experience in halter was an asset. In seven years of showing,
model was one of my best classes. I consistently placed well at both open
and walking horse shows and took more than one blue ribbon home from
Tennessee Walking Horse model mare classes. By the time I received my
Supreme Versatility Championship, I had accumulated 42 model points.
My mom started riding me the fall of my two-year-old year. I had no
problem going out by myself and proved to her that I had a good head on my
shoulders. If I was startled by an occasional quail or pheasant flying in
my face, I'd jump in place. It never occurred to me to run home; my mom,
Chris, was with me. She was my security blanket.
The next part of my education involved learning what Chris called "trail
class obstacles." One day I overheard Chris tell a friend that she wasn't
sure if I had the temperament to handle the flapping plastic, clanging
cans and other spooky objects associated with trail class. However, I
never let that stuff bother me too much. I trusted the rider on my back
and walked under hoses made into waterfalls, past deer statues and by
numerous other creations. I loved trail like I did model and sometimes
would compete at the same show against my Supreme sister, Legend's Black
Lace. My sis and I were very competitive and several times we placed first
and reserve in the same class. Once, the judge told Lacey and me we tied
for first! If you were to ask me, what makes a good trail horse, my answer
would be practice, practice. practice, every time you have that rider on
your back. I can't tell you how many times I've had to back that "L," side
pass that pole and open and close that gate! My mom tricked me into
learning to stand quietly after closing the gate because, often, she would
park me out after we came through and then would get off and quit for the
day. If we were trail riding, we'd use fallen logs on the trail to
practice our stepovers and boy, watch out if she saw a puddle or a creek!
We always had to go through it, never around. I even had to wade in the
Mississippi River once and swam in Lake Storey down the road from our
farm. I don't think we were too popular with the people fishing that day!
My mom would also test my patience on the "ground tie." She'd park me out
in the barn, let my herdmates out to pasture, open the door and test my
resolve. If I even repositioned a hoof, we would start the pose all over.
The second time, I'd have to stand longer that the first before I could go
out to play. Boy, was she strict!
After I turned four, friends and guests of my owner would come out to
Bramble Brook Farm and ride me while Chris rode Lacey or Star. They all
found that I had an easy mouth and moved off the leg with the slightest
squeeze. Once Chris' older brother hopped on me and dug his heels into my
flanks. I didn't take off but I surely jumped in place! Wow, did Chris
chew him out. She said "This horse isn't some old plug like you rode as a
kid at camp. She's different from anything you've ridden before. She's
sensitive and has a brain! Licorice responds like a finely tuned sports
car, not like an old clunker!" I have given many people, both young and
old, their first ride on a Tennessee Walking Horse. I even joined the boy
scouts to help a neighbor boy earn his horsemanship badge. Sensitive,
surefooted and trustworthy are traits I am said to possess.
I have enjoyed being a representative of the walking horse breed during my
career. Chris and I participated in the Tennessee Walking Horse
demonstration at the March, 1995 Illinois Horse Fair in Springfield. I
almost became a member of the girl scouts that day when two little girls
and their mom paid a long visit to our stall. We also participated in a
versatility clinic that the Illinois Walking Horse Association sponsored
in April, 1995 and had the distinction of conducting the clinic - with
Janann Puls and her two Supreme Champions, Royals Imagine That and Misty
Blue Heather. Sis Osborne was our honored guest and celebrity at that IWHA
spring clinic. When I heard she was there, I was nervous and knew I should
be perfect when I gave that trail class demonstration.
As anyone knows who has ever participated in the Versatility Program,
those final points are the most difficult to attain. There would either
not be enough entries in a class for points to count, or we would miss the
point we needed by one place. It goes through your mind to walk up to the
judge and neigh nicely for that extra look. Of course, that is improper,
so instead, you just do your best, think positive thoughts and hope you
tie high enough to receive a point.
Starting the '95 show season, we needed just two pole bending points or
three western pleasure points to finish our supreme championship. I was
good at poles, agile and able to turn fast, but mom kept concentrating on
slowing my canter down for western pleasure, and did not let me run very
often. Well, on a particular day at a May show, she decided it was time
for me to run poles. There were seven signed up for the class and I
remember her warming me up - weaving, turning and running full out before
the class. When my turn came, I put the hoof to the turf and ran like the
wind! When the results were announced, it was close but I still finished
in first place for our last two points! Finally our efforts had paid off!
We received a beautiful royal blue blanket from TWHBEA and were invited to
have our picture in the Hall of Fame gallery at TWHBEA headquarters. Gosh,
I'll be just around the corner from the Gallery of Champions and some of
my past relations.
I feel honored and privileged to receive this special recognition from
TWHBEA and thank them for supporting the pleasure horse and the
Versatility Program. They have made it possible for a little mare from
Galesburg, Illinois to end up in the hallowed halls of the Tennessee
Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association in Lewisburg,
Tennessee!
(Reprinted from Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
magazine, June, 1996)
Adult Supreme Champions
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