I CAN ONLY imagine the fun, laughter and nail-biting nervousness Port Angeles’ three sisters — Terri Winters, Tina Johnson and Lisa Hopper — had in Las Vegas last month.
There for Winters to compete at the prestigious SmartPak West American Quarter Horse Association Level 1 Championship Show, they were ecstatic when she tied for fourth place in select Western riding.
The sisters take turns supporting each other in their individual lifelong goals of showing at the national level.
A year ago, I wrote about Hopper competing at the 2014 American Miniature Horse Association World Show in Fort Worth, Texas.
I wonder if next year, I’ll be writing about Johnson fulfilling a goal of competing at the World Paint Show.
It matters not, because what warms my heart the most is the bond and love of horses these sisters share.
Among 2,085 entries
I tip my hat to Winters’ win because she was among 2,085 entries competing for top honors — and the top three who placed above her in Western riding were professional trainers riding horses who’d previously won championship titles at the annual AQHA World Show.
Showing her handsome American quarter horse, Gimmy the Gold (better known as Malibu), a 2004 sorrel gelding, Winters also placed sixth in rookie Western riding, 10th in select gelding halter, 10th in rookie trail class and was a finalist in select Western pleasure.
Level 1 competitors must previously qualify for this event nationally or through an affiliate to compete in each of the classes representing halter, English and Western disciplines.
“I felt such accomplishment to be able to place at that show, especially considering his past,” Winters said.
Born with a heritage of award-winning Western performance horses, Malibu, 11, was the prodigy who almost wasn’t.
When Malibu was 6 years old, he started getting ornery, doing things like bucking on the lunge line and showing a bad attitude.
Winters grew increasingly frustrated by his change in personality.
It wasn’t until Malibu started limping and short-striding on a front leg that she realized it was because he was in pain.
“We took him to the veterinarian, who found a stifle injury,” Winters said.
The stifle joint is akin to the human knee.
In November 2008, Malibu had arthroscopic surgery at the Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish on his stifle joint for a torn cranial cruciate ligament (ACL) and a partial torn cartilage flap.
“Even after the surgery, Malibu did not have a good prognosis from the veterinarian,” Winters said. “I was told the majority of horses don’t recover.”
Thought couldn’t compete
Even if Malibu recovered, she thought he’d “never be able to compete in Western shows again because horses use their stifle joint to change leads, and those lead transitions have to be smooth.”
For the people not familiar with horses, the leg with the longest stride when loping, cantering or running is considered the “lead.”
For example, on the left lead, the left hind leg and left foreleg take a longer stride or step — they’re leading.
With no guarantee the surgery would be a success why did she do it?
“Our horses are family, and we take care of family,” said a resolute Winters.
I asked her how much the surgery cost, knowing in advance it had to cost her an arm and, well, ahem, a leg.
“I really don’t like to talk about the costs because it wasn’t about that,” said Winters.
But when I started throwing out numbers, she admitted that all told, it was about $5,000.
She noted the surgery was probably only half of her total costs. There were the hospital costs, the return vet checks and the ferry rides.
I don’t know how much the ferry costs these days, but years ago when I drove a truck and trailer over to Pilchuck, the round-trip ferry ride was about $125 — ouch.
“Yes, the surgery was expensive, but it was worth it because Malibu is an amazing horse who truly has a big heart,” Winters said.
Later, she was told 27 others had the same surgery that year.
Only horse to recover
Of those, 22 died and Malibu was the only to fully recover.
She thinks the reason Malibu’s surgery might have been so successful is because she confined him to his stall a month longer than the eight months prescribed by the vet, and right away she started him on a potent Glucose with MSM supplement.
Students helped
When he could take longer walks, she credits her students on the Sequim High School equestrian team, of which she was coach at the time, for helping Malibu gain strength and muscle tone by ponying, or leading, him on daily walks behind their horse.
“I’m so happy my two sisters got to fly into Las Vegas and be there to help and watch me show. We had a great time,” Winters said.
Upcoming events
■ Baker Stables Schooling Show: Nov. 8, 9 a.m., 164 Four Winds Road, Port Angeles.
Contact Dana or Tom King at 360-457-6039 or 460-7832.
■ Cowmanship Class at Freedom Farms: Sunday, Nov. 15, noon to 3 p.m., 493 Spring Road, Agnew.
Contact Mary Gallagher at 360-457-4897 or visit the website www.freedom-farm.net.
■ Adult Horsemanship Class at Freedom Farms: Sunday, Nov. 22, noon to 2 p.m., 493 Spring Road, Agnew.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Sunday.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
