All for the love of horses

By Sean Barron

The show in Canfield was made up of 126 events for owners of all ages.

CANFIELD — If you were inclined to talk about several generations of the Carroll family, such a discussion would be incomplete unless it included horses.

“I lived and grew up on a dairy farm in Richmond, Ohio [near Steubenville]. I’ve always had horses and horses for the boys,” said John Carroll Sr., whose son and two grandsons were on hand Saturday at the two-day Northern Ohio Futurity Quarter Horse Show at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

The free event continues at 8 a.m. today at the fairgrounds.

Carroll got his first horse at 8, and his love for the animals has been passed down through the family, which includes son, John Carroll Jr., the younger Carroll’s wife, Cheryl, and grandsons Justin, 8, and John, 12, all of Massillon.

Justin and his brother had their horse Love Me For Hours take part in the novice youth showmanship, one of 126 events that make up the competition, which is an American Quarter Horse Association- approved show.

Perhaps Justin’s love for horses was instilled in him literally the day he was born, which happened to be when his grandfather bought a horse the family named Awesome. When Justin was 2, his father recalled, the boy wrapped his arms around the animal’s neck as it enjoyed a drink of water.

“He just hung onto him, and they’ve been buddies ever since,” John Carroll Jr. added.

The futurity show was broken into six age categories, and tested horses’ abilities and endurance in numerous classes, which included reigning and showmanship.

The events, with names such as Youth Hunter U/Saddle age 13 and Under and Small Fry Trail 9 & Under, were tailored to participants of all ages who were AQHA members, noted Dr. Denise Igoe, the Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Association‘s secretary.

Taking first place in the Showmanship 13 and Under category was 11-year-old Jordan Gates of Wooster, who came with her father, Marc, her quarter horse, Gilligan, and trainers, Dan and Darlene Trein.

As with the Carroll family, an interest in horses started early for Jordan, who has several other top finishes to her credit.

“When I was a little kid at the [Wayne County] fair, I used to go on the little ponies,” said Jordan, adding that a family friend one day allowed her to brush and pat the friend’s horse, which fostered a love for the animals.

Showing quarter horses has been a constant in the lives of sisters Colleen Kane and Jennifer Harrison, both of Canfield, who brought their 14-year-old horse, Louie.

When both were young, their father got a pony from a neighbor. Eventually, the siblings became 4-H Club members, then their work with horses “kind of went up the ladder,” Kane recalled, adding that she and her sister have taken part in at least six similar shows this year.

A participant in at least 20 such shows each year is 17-year-old Alyssa Campbell of Canfield, who finished fourth in the Showmanship 14-to-18 event with her horse, Good for the Heart.

Alyssa, who came with her stepfather and trainer, Mark Watkins, said some competitions take her as far away as Virginia and Indiana; on the horizon are appearances in Kentucky and Florida, said Alyssa, a Canfield High School senior.

Nevertheless, showing horses is a hobby, not a future occupation for Alyssa, who said she plans to be a psychologist.

Watkins also is working as a trainer for Atty. Elizabeth Bernard of Canfield, whose 15-year-old daughter, Abby Franken, influenced her to enter the ring.

Recent weekends have been quite busy for mother and daughter, who spent all but one this summer at various competitions, Bernard said.

A participant in two Hunter Under Saddle events was Maggie Sturm, 15, of Canfield, who had a 12-year-old gelding.

Most weekends since March have been spent at shows, said Maggie, who also brought Only A Blue, a 2-year-old mare that had just been broken in this year.

“We love having this show right down the road,” said Maggie’s mother, Adrianne, who also praised trainers Hank and Dawn Clason for their work.

The quarter-horse show’s classes were judged on confirmation and performance, and points were given based on the number of horses in a class, Igoe explained, adding that the event was to pay a purse totaling about $30,000 to winners.

The competition was designed for horses that are weanlings to age 3, Igoe added.