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.
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.
Tairyn Lovell
Tairyn Lovell is 15 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.
Emma Butikofer
My name is Emma Butikofer and I am 14 years old. My love for horses started as a baby when my mom would pack me around on one of our horses. I love being around horses and spending time with them. I have participated in horse 4-H for the past 6 years.
A few of my hobbies are playing basketball, running track and cross country, showing goats, hunting, hiking and camping.
A couple years ago I told my parents that I wanted a pony to break and train. I spent some time looking and eventually found Ruby. I bought her as a weanling and I was excited to get started with her. It was hard to find time to work with her and time kept slipping away. When I heard about this pony competition, I knew it was time to get serious with Ruby.
She is almost 3 now. She is a registered POA, with a stout build. I’m planning to continue with her training following the competition in hopes of selling her as a kids pony.
Cache Elkington
Cache Elkington is the oldest son of Chace and Megan Elkington. He has grown up in the saddle, riding alongside his dad and learning the foundations of good horsemanship through real ranch work. Cache loves to team rope and rodeo, spending countless hours in the arena roping with his family. When he’s not horseback, Cache can be found welding, farming, or working on trucks, tractors, and equipment. He has a strong mechanical mind and enjoys problem-solving both in the shop and out on the ranch. Respected for his work ethic, character, and willingness to help others, Cache sets a strong example for younger cowboys and cowgirls and is always ready to lend a hand. Cache is proud to have had the opportunity to start a young half Gypsy red roan filly named Stiletto.
Dallas Glenn
Dallas Glenn is a 16-year-old junior at Rigby High School with a strong passion for ranch life and western traditions. He enjoys roping and riding horses and is always eager to improve his skills both in and out of the arena. Dallas loves learning new things and takes pride in working on the ranch, where he has developed a deep respect for hard work, responsibility, and dedication. Dallas recently took on a major milestone in his horsemanship journey by starting his first young horse, a filly named MJ. MJ is a three-quarter Gypsy filly that came out of Canada, and she represents Dallas’s first experience starting and training a young horse from the ground up.
Judge Joanne Richey
With nearly four decades of equine experience, I've garnered extensive knowledge from working with horses of various sizes. Through personal experiences and guidance from esteemed instructors, I've refined my expertise.
I'm eager to share this knowledge with enthusiasts of miniature horses, emphasizing safety for both handlers and animals. Effective communication and clear concise cues are cornerstones of my training approach.
My background spans multiple disciplines, including reining, dressage, English and Western pleasure, and extreme trail challenges. As a licensed trail guide in Idaho, I previously led clients on mountain trail excursions.
Now, focused on miniature horses, I enjoy carting and obstacles, driving, and jumping activities.