Legacy Leaders Division- 14- 17 year Old
Luke Miller
Luke, 14, loves to be outdoors. He loves riding, roping, welding and working on his mini excavation business. Someday he hopes to own and operate an excavation company, as well as run a herd of cattle. Luke has been waiting for an opportunity to train his first horse. He has been riding and team roping for years and has been eager to start Midas. Luke bought Midas as a weanling and has done all the ground work himself. Luke has been learning from a local farrier how to trim and shoe his own horses. He hopes to turn Midas into a team roping horse deluxe. Midas, a cute little black colt, turned 2 in the late fall and is primed to start under saddle. Luke has been able to put his first few rides on him.
Taryn Lovell
Tairyn Lovell is 13 years old, and when she isn't taming unicorns, she is tackling many different art projects. Tay has been horseback since her days in utero, and continues to add to her hours in the saddle enjoying her own horses on the trail and in the show pen, and helping her Mom exercise training horses. When Tairyn was 4, she got her first pony, Ruby Ice Crystal. With her parents overseeing, Tay started Ruby under saddle and broke her to ride drive all on her own. One of Tay's favorite accomplishments was taking an unhandled yearling BLM Mustang, gaining his trust, and then successfully showing and rehoming him. Tairyn enjoys the challenge of developing a young horse, pushing herself out of her comfort zone and have to find solutions to the obstacles she encounters. She will be competing on Valkyrie Rufio a 4 yr old welsh cob gelding that she purchased from a breeding program with her own money she had saved from other training ventures.
Connor Barnes
My name is Connor Barnes. In my spare time, I enjoy hunting, fishing, and learning everything I can about working with horses. Over the past few years, I’ve spent a lot of time alongside my dad learning how to start colts. I’m either brave enough or maybe a little crazy—the jury is still out—but I’ll climb on just about anything. I’m excited to start this pony from the ground up and give it a solid foundation to become a good riding pony for someone in the future. I’m looking forward to the lessons the next few months will bring. I wanted to compete because it seemed like fun!
August Dewitt
August is 15 years old. He has grown up around horses, he teethed on the reins and did his first pack trip in diapers. He has competed in the hunter/jumpers all over the west, been successful in 4-h and even gentled a yearling mustang through the blm and 4h. He would like to compete in the pony challenge so that he can be motivated to get his young quarter pony a bit more ridable. He got Captain Fantastic (aka Tiko) as an untouched yearling. He has successfully halter broke him, gentled him and even lightly started him at the walk and a tiny bit of trot. When August is not working with horses he can be found bull riding, skiing and acting.
Emma Butikofer
