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There are many variables in determining a hottie, but it’s not an exact science. Many of you were kind enough to directly or indirectly steer me toward the finalists, so essentially this ends up being more of a People’s Choice Awards. Qualities our readers were seeking included success in and out of the horse show arena, personality, charm, wit, attention to detail, swagger, fitness, work ethic, and even sexy voices. They say a person’s smile is a window to their soul, so that was the quality most important to me. In the end what separated many of these winners from the rest of the pack this year – a unique ability to overcome personal tragedy.
There are many more of you out there deserving of a nod, including last year’s winners who all are still smoking hot. In the hottie poll almost anything goes, except that again this year my fellow youth are off limits since none of us need that kind of pressure. Oh yeah, and GoHorseShow.com employees are not eligible! If you or your favorite hottie didn’t make the list this year – don’t worry – I’m still comin’ for ya! Remember, my work here is never done!
How cool is this - my fabulous sponsor, Tammy at All That Show Clothing, has offered to give each hottie a $50 gift certificate to her store. Tammy has something for everyone and hey, even a hottie needs help looking good! Thanks Tammy!!!
In the name of fun, let’s have a drum roll please for this year’s winners! P.S. Special thanks to the significant others who helped a lot with the poll and were GREAT sports!
Couples
After hoofing around on the pavement for 3 weeks at Congress, I have to admit I was feeling tired. Well, I was quickly revived after arriving at the camp of Ken and Barbie couple, Dan and Darlene Trein. Wait a minute; didn’t Barbie and Ken win last year? Actually that was Candy and Bret Parish, Darlene’s daughter. What can I say; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Dan and Darlene made my day. Those two are a blast, and I can see why they have such a long-term client base including the infamous Dalton Girls! Dan admits that the best part of their 15-year marriage has been being able to work together. The teamwork and the way we have our program has been successful. Darlene, (my favorite cheerleader), adds sincerely “And we love to go to work every day”. I want some of what they are taking! I am still laughing and blushing about how they keep their love alive. Darlene said matter of factly – “We have board meetings”! Do they know I’m still a youth – LOL!
There were a million things I didn’t know about Dan and Dar including that they are bull riding fanatics. I’m talking over the top. Spouting facts about PBR faster than I could take notes, this Miss Rodeo Ohio USA is going to get my education about rodeo from these two before considering the national pageants. Dar says lovingly, that Dan is an avid tennis and boxing fan, plus gadget guru. Dan squirms – “She has me a little overrated – I’m a good gadget shopper.” Dar is a self-described tripper and spiller. Dan adds– she’s a dropper. Darlene is surprisingly a pack rat Dan confides. Once she carries stuff off, you might have a hard time finding it again. Always finishing each other’s sentences was my favorite thing about this adorable couple. Very much in love, Dan says everyday is so much fun with her that the little points like leaving bridles in the aisle way are not important. After 15 years of marriage he proudly admits – she is finally picking them up.
Just hours following her Master’s win, who is hotter than Dawn Baker, and her equally talented husband, Brian? The fresh-faced couple, who are part of the Piper Family dynasty, seem to have it all. With a barn full of world-class horses, an adorable son Bradley, and an obvious love for each other and what they do, who isn’t cheering for them?
Dawn has always been one of my idols and role model as I continue to chase her elusive youth show records in hunter under saddle. With one year to go in my youth career, I can attest that she has set the bar very high! Growing up on a small farm in Missouri, Brian did not discover his passion for horses until college surprisingly. The science of how anatomy relates to the balance and control of a pleasure horse appealed to him which sent him on a journey that included working for prestigious trainers, including Gil Galyean. The rest is history.
One of my favorite mysteries is how their romance actually started. Dawn’s Mom, Heidi told me last year that she spotted the handsome Brian at the Tom Powers Futurity where she knew he was destined to be the right one for her daughter. Dawn recalls that friends informed her that she had a “secret admirer.” After a bashful Brian showed up in the Piper aisle with the excuse of needing liniment for a horse, Dawn was smitten. No matter how it happened in the end, fate was kind to both, and they have earned their rightful spot on our Hottie Poll!
Avid basketball fans, the name “Final Four Farm” came to fruition as a result of Kim’s Mom working at legendary basketball school, UConn. It’s a big deal, Kim explains. As the parents of a beautiful daughter, Cassie, I couldn’t help but ask if there was a basketball player in their future. “She’s pretty athletic Kim admits,” while Curtis is heard in the background giving a resounding “YES”! This group is competitive all right.
When the couple first met in at the Youth World, Kim thought he was “hot”, and Curtis said “ditto.” Though they didn’t start dating until the following year at the Gold Coast, this hottie couple sealed the deal with their wedding in 1999. Though they admit that family life with jobs in the horse industry is hard, Kim’s parents help make the travel schedule easier for this successful couple by helping with Cassie. We wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise, Kim explains. “It tears you up every day, but it is what you have to do – make a living.” The end result is well worth it after all. They describe in unison that being parents is “awesome.”
When I asked about their favorite qualities about each other, Kim laughed and said “You are asking me after three weeks at the Congress what my favorite quality about him is????” In her sexy and raspy voice, she added, “I don’t know how to say it, but he is totally supportive of me and all he wants me to do is win.” Super proud Curtis repaid the compliment by saying “She’s a great business woman and excellent showman.” She acknowledged that the senior hunter under saddle win for her at Congress was the most meaningful to date. The modest Curtis had trouble recalling his favorite win, but Kim helped him out by saying her favorite win for him was the trail in Arizona out of over 100 head. “Far deeper than any place else she explained, so it meant the most.” Curtis added that winning all six days in such deep water with all of the variables of trail was in fact very “meaningful.” Look for more good things to come from this hottie twosome!
As an incurable romantic, it was my pleasant surprise to learn that Karen Hornick describes her husband Ty as a “romancer” who loves to bring her flowers! Every girl out there wants to find one of those! To add insult to injury for the rest of you guys in our biz, Karen goes on to explain that his personality and the way he treats her are the biggest attraction. “He acts as if I walk on water,” she says with pride and amazement. What attracted Ty to Karen is the fact that she always smiles, which is certainly her trademark in the industry. No matter how busy her days seem to be, or how hectic, the girl always smiles. That is refreshing.
After meeting through riding together at the shows, Karen and Ty became successful business partners forming a training dynasty that never seems to stop producing winners. Their union has also produced an adorable son, Brandon who is the focus of their life outside the show pen where they enjoy attending football games and spending time together. In a seemingly perfect marriage, does anything bug the pair about the other? For Ty, Karen gets up waayyyy too early, and he can’t stand for the house to be dirty. For Karen, Ty has a habit of liking to shop at truck stops while traveling which takes way too much time.
And back to that training dynasty where their most famous student is the infamous Vino. (He’s entitled to a one-word name like Madonna)! The black gelding is a legend in his own time, but Hornick’s give credit to Bruce Vickery for discovering him and are grateful that the Reeve’s selected them for his pleasure career. When asked how the couple decides who shows and trains which horses. Simple, they flip a coin. Now that’s diplomacy.
They just don’t get any hotter than the amateur couple of Kaleena and Josh Weakly. With a portfolio of horse show wins between them bigger than the Barker Implement dealership that Josh owns and runs, you’d think this successful show couple would turn pro. Not so fast. Kaleena explains that they have never considered not being amateurs. For her especially, she can’t imagine not competing in the pattern classes like showmanship and horsemanship.
After meeting at a Gordyville show in 2002, Kaleena adds that the rest is history. With busy careers outside the show pen, including Kaleena’s graphic arts business, they work hard and play hard. Playing is typically a horseshow, though on a rare weekend off, they enjoy going out on their boat, taking vacations and visiting with friends.
Growing up showing horses was a natural for this husband and wife. Thankfully, the Weakly and Katz families support the couples’ interest in horses since both of their mothers showed when they were younger. Competition is obviously a generational thing here, and though they acknowledge that friendly competition exists between them, they both want each other to succeed. Special wins for Kaleena include winning the Senior Western Riding on Sonnys Count Te Zip in 2002. Can you imagine that her first Congress win was an open class? Josh's favorite win was in 2007 when he won his first World Championship with a yearling gelding named One Silent Kopy who scored impressive back-to-back in the amateur and open yearling geldings! As amateur couples go – can’t touch this.
Girls
Rebekah Kaz’s brother Kyle will always be the great “first love of my life,” so it is no wonder that his beautiful sister would be the number one hottie at this year’s Congress. With a smoldering hot look complimented by those icy blue eyes, I needed to know her tips on always looking so put together. The secret’s out ladies, so take some notes!
1. Starched jeans
2. Merle
Norman foundation
3. A headband
4. H2O mascara
5. Hermes perfume
What is amazing about Rebekah – she makes everything look easy. After effortlessly winning the 2007 Youth World Championship in Hunter Under Saddle on Cool Assets, a/k/a Nemo, this beauty actually shared her secret strategy to me for showing that I still use to this day. Sorry though, that is something I’ll have to keep secret!
College is easy for this over achiever who handily manages school and showing through a conscientious effort of time management, and maintaining a detailed schedule. With a modern day confidence, one might be surprised to learn that like me, Rebekah loves coloring books. Crazy, huh? Ms. Kaz is an avid kick boxer, who is obsessed with sugar-free Rockstar, and is oddly good at Sudoku. Who knew that this fearless champion was scared of 'Hexus' on the movie FernGully? (I’m pretty sure her hot “major” model bf, “Bananas” will be there to save her. That guy takes six pack to a new level cowboys, and I don’t mean beer). Unlike most of our hotties, dating someone in the industry is not necessarily a priority for Rebekah. “As long as they want the relationship to work, they will accept the fact that showing requires a lot of time apart - which in turn requires trust. Trust is a big foundation in any relationship. It's a lot of give-and-take but you learn how to make the most of the time that you have together.”
MAGGIE KEROLA
Ohio just keeps turning out the hotties as fast as McDonald’s turns out fries. Don’t look for this hottie in the fast food line however. She keeps her rockin hot figure in shape through conscientious portion control and a diet that a friend describes as “water, coffee, beer!” Maggie is quick to correct her friend that she does add an occasional carrot! Shockingly, this incredibly fit beauty, doesn’t exercise other than a nightly walk with her dog. OK girls, run out and buy a dog! A schedule fanatic, Maggie cherishes vacation time and is equally at home hitting the slopes or on the beach.
As a savvy business woman in her family’s successful trucking business, Maggie’s says matter of factly that her skills are put to use “in areas where the company needs improvement”. How does she get along in a male dominated business? “Sometimes you have to be, well, a little - bitchy” she admits. Quite the contrary, I found her both warm and charming. Though her work is challenging, Maggie confides that she is driven in all areas of her life by an OCD personality. Her work ethic led this beauty to a top-10 at the World last year in showmanship with her mare. “Though it’s not my biggest perceived win, it was clearly the most important to me,” Maggie explains.
What do she look for in a man? “Oh, no. My picker is always broken, but they’ve got to be cute.” Spoken like a pro! “Seriously, there’s more to it than that. They have to love family. In the case of my family, you can’t show fear since I have three brothers and a huge extended family.” Spotted recently on the arm of a 2009 hottie, I’m pretty confident that this refreshingly honest and amazing catch is equally comfortable on her own two feet.
I caught Katie Thropp fresh off her 2010 Congress win in Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. Describing her “ideal” man, blonde beauty, Katie let the cat out of the bag when she explained what she looks for in a boyfriend. “Funny, outgoing, motivated, hardworking, and very good looking! He has a nice butt.” That “He” would be longtime love, Erik Martin, a fellow hottie. Pretty sure the two of them are destined for a future spot on the “couples” poll.
No
stereotypical blonde here though folks, this winner is preparing to be the
future CEO of her family’s gas and oil business. And family means everything to Katie. After losing her beloved brother in an
untimely motorcycle accident, Katie has a remarkable outlook. “Every day is a blessing, and you
should try to do your best and think of the people you love.” Do her best she does.
Katie
has expertly juggled halter horses, hunters, and currently the under
saddle. Though she doesn’t really
have a favorite class, her passion is jumping. While noting that winning Rookie and High Point awards were
really cool, she defines that her Congress HUS win might be the favorite! Surprisingly, her favorite ride
occurred after she was thrown off her hunter which nearly broke her back, then
climbed back on to win the 3’6” hunter division! Now that’s spirit!
Her All-American beauty looks effortless, though she admits that she
stays in shape by posting all day in the 110 degree Florida heat. Florida anyone?
As I consider my future college plans, I got some sound advice from our next hottie who is also a fellow Ohio native and aspiring journalist. A history and journalism student at Ohio University, Margaret takes her college courses online in order to balance showing and education. Traditional college lasted exactly two days for Margaret and she freely admits that attending regular college was a “HUGE miscalculation” on her part.
A longtime fixture in the pleasure pen, this reserve Congress champion winner is the longtime girlfriend of last year’s hottie winner Ross Wetherell. Though their relationship is often long distance, she offers a lot of great tips on how it works. “Putting someone else first at an age when you are still discovering yourself is challenging, but essential,” Margaret explains. “You have to talk a lot and be honest all the time. Most people out of the industry don’t understand why you paid all that money for five minutes and often don’t even get your name called out. It is a distinct industry where if you aren’t in it, and you don’t love it, it is really hard to understand.” Well said!
The redeeming quality about this physical beauty actually comes from within. Margaret is the kind of person who would never lose a Miss Congeniality contest. I’ve never seen her without a smile, or when she doesn’t offer a kind word. Reluctant to talk about herself, she is known for routinely turning the conversation around in a remarkable and selfless manner that is rare today. Ross is a lucky guy!
I had several favorite interviews during this year’s hottie campaign, and Nancy was one of them. As I sat down with her at Congress, she was STUNNED to learn that I was there to interview her to talk about her nomination on the hottie poll. A force in the shown pen, Nancy thought I was logically there to talk about her big Amateur Western Pleasure win! I had to assure this modest beauty that she was a winner all the way around.
With her handsome son in tow, the single Mom describes her joy in chasing her “man” around at little league baseball games while accompanied by her dutiful parents Susan and Stanley Scott. Family is everything to Nancy. After the unexpected loss of her late husband, Brad, whom she has described as the “love of her life,” I know that I speak for everyone in our industry in calling this stoic woman remarkable. When asked what she looks for in a man – she immediately points to Luke. “He’s the spitting image of his Dad, and a blessing to me. We talk to his Dad at night during prayer time which brings us both comfort,” and brought tears to my eyes.
A remarkable business woman who is a well known magnate in the horse trailer industry, Nancy asked how I could ever want to interview her after she tried to burn down my parent’s motor home in Florida! After finding giant mysterious burn holes smoldering in our plastic welcome mats in Venice one year, the only explanation we could figure was that the damage was done by aliens. That alien proved to be Nancy’s giant and imposing stainless steel trailer which was reflecting the hot sun like a laser beam on our rugs. After talking about all the “serious stuff,” Nancy’s sense of humor solidified her place on the hottie poll.
Hottie couples are coming up. Here are the guys – you know this is my favorite!!!!!!
In the end, Scott was the winner, but it wasn’t without a horse race. You might be surprised to learn that it was actually his Mom and Dad who helped secure the win! I ran into the charming couple at Jay and Kristy Starnes’ stalls where their son is employed as an assistant trainer. The unsuspecting parents had no idea as they proudly described Scott, that their testimonial would actually seal the deal for their son.
As Scott’s friend, I can report
that his best and worst qualities are one if the same – the guy is a
workaholic. A natural hottie with
classic good looks, I couldn’t help but admire that Scott’s level of fitness
just keeps improving. His secret
to looking great is attributed to “work, work, work – nonstop”. No complaints here Jay and Kristy! Scott never breaks his trademark smile
as he describes his long days! “There
is a lot of pressure,” he explains.” “I couldn’t ask for more, or be happier. To learn from
the best will hopefully allow me to be up there someday.”
Reputation is important to Scott, as he blushes but says unapologetically that he does not want to be known as a ladies’ man. When asked why he thinks he is a good catch, he says that he’ll “stick with one girl when I find a good one.” (Let’s hear it collectively ladies...“Ahhhhhh”!) All the while he’s not sure how a relationship will fit into his hectic travel and work schedule. “If they (potential girlfriends) aren’t in the training part of the horse business, they don’t always understand,” Scott explains. “If they are into it, then they understand a lot better. Getting to spend time together is the hardest part.” With an enviable job in a great horse dynasty, this guy is quite a catch. Good luck ladies, the line forms at the rear - LOL!
You know the old saying, “You had
me at hello”? In this case, JR
Wenger, known to his friends as “Joey”, had me a Hola! When I popped into his saddle shop at
Congress, the Marc Anthony look-alike was on the phone speaking Spanish with a
vendor. If I can steal a line from country singer Blaine Larsen, I don’t know what he said,
but I sure liked the way that he said it!
This hardworking and successful saddle making entrepreneur is both fascinating and complex. Winning the novice youth pleasure at the Congress in the early 90’s was just the beginning of what has been an illustrious show career. After accumulating a string of top-10 wins in pleasure under Carl Yamber, Joey diversified and won himself a world champion buckle in roping. Did I also mention the highly competitive Wenger is a martial arts devotee with aspirations of becoming a cage fighter?
After purchasing one of his training saddles at Congress, I am a convert for both his work and charm. He shudders at answering questions about himself, because “I don't like to brag.” I had to push really hard to find out what would make this modest cowboy a great catch. “To me, relationships are the most important thing. I would walk away from everything in the whole business for the right relationship tomorrow.” His vision for the future? Traveling, showing and working alongside that special “someone.” There’s a lucky brunette out there somewhere!
A self admitted ladies man, I was
pleasantly surprised to find an older and wiser Tate Oakley at Congress. Born into horse show royalty, this
hottie seems to have his feet firmly on the ground. “Has Rusty been kicking you into gear,” I asked? “YEP, I don’t do anything but work, ride
and go to bed.” And it
agrees with him. Tate looks
incredible. (His boss is
none other than last year’s hottie, Rusty Green).
Known to be very particular, he notes that his “attention to detail” is what makes him a great catch. “I pay attention to the small likes and dislikes, and I always try to treat someone the way I would want to be treated. You have to realize just how hard this (the biz) is sometimes. You can’t always spend a lot of time with each other going up and down the road.” High maintenance girls need not apply (that takes me out of the running – LOL!) “I want somebody who is forgiving, but willing to go above and beyond to be happy. I don’t want somebody who will always be … difficult to deal with.”
As far as his current position with Rusty and Katie Green, Tate describes his job as “Awesome!!! I couldn’t ask for any better place to be. I couldn’t go anywhere else and be on such a great group of horses.” (Amen!) “We just had one of the most amazing Congress’s that anyone could ask for.” A world champion pleasure horse champion himself, I am pretty sure Tate’s pulling his own weight.
Pretty much anyone who shows pleasure horses, knows Erik Martin. Part of the Haylo Farms winning team, Erik looks great both on and off a horse. As shallow as it may sound, the guy is what many of us envision as a stereotypical horse show hottie. Coming off a great season with a Tom Powers win and Limited rider title, I asked Erik what makes him a great catch which seemed to be the question that made every cowboy bristle and blush! Looking at the ground, Erik says sheepishly, “I dunno. I am sweet and charming – or try to be anyway.” Backing up with embarassment, he adds, “Most of the time I may not be (sweet and charming). I ride horses and am fun to be around. A good guy!”
When asked what he looks for in a girlfriend, Erik describes “Funny, talkative, pretty. Uh, obviously pretty”. “My girlfriend”, he exclaims! That’s what I am looking for!” (That would be fellow hottie, Katie Thropp.) With ambition and a plan, Erik hopes to get his own business eventually, “with a family and a life.” Erik’s favorite things to do when not showing are roping and snowboarding. All the while, looking good, of course!
When I asked what made Chance Worth
a good catch, he gave me a wrong answer! Imagine that! He thoughtfully described that
“Some say my smile, others say my personality. I guess that’s for somebody else to answer.” Let me answer this one ladies! When the guy opens his mouth, that
incredible southern accent could melt an iceberg. I’m pretty sure his drawl is what is causing global warming!
A past President of PHBA Youth, this hottie got a world class start on pleasure horses at Donnie Dickerson’s. Adding to his horse show resume was a position at Bruce Walquist's where Chance worked and kept riding pleasure. Currently, this quietly confident hottie, is riding and selling two year olds and concentrating on a few senior horses. His goal is ambitious – to win the Congress Masters and Reichert Two’s one day.
What do he look for in a girl? “Personality and how well I get along with them. If I get along with them good, that’s all that matters to me. If we have a good time doing small things and big things and everything in between - that’s all I look for.” On that note, Chance redeemed himself from earlier. Good answer!
Photo credit: Tim Finnegan
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