Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Kyla Myers of Clovis won four top 10s at her first trip to the 2010 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show. That means she ranked in the top 10 in four competitions.
The 14-year-old Clovis native has been riding horses since she was 5 years old and hopes to work with the animals as a career.
What you got: I got top 10 in Western Pleasure, in the 13-15 year old class and in the novice class, English showmanship and Hunter Under Saddle events. The show includes riding and showmanship events. You are judged on how pretty it looks when you control the horse, easy transitions, things like that.
Ride ‘em: I’ve been riding since I was 5 when I got my first horse. We went broke from me wanting pony rides at the fair. Instead we bought a miniature horse. I began competing just because I loved it so much. I wanted to learn how to ride properly and it started there.
Competitive streak: I like everything about the competitions. I like the teamwork. It’s not a big team but it’s a team of two. It’s different to have a horse as a teammate. A horse doesn’t have an opinion and you have to work together a while to read each other. This was the biggest competition I’ve ever been to. Everyone was telling me not to get too excited because it was my first year. When they said my number I was surprised and excited. I had to check my number.
Learning a lesson: Working with horses keeps you out of trouble. You learn confidence, consideration of people and animals. You have to have patience with horses. Some are harder to read than others. Sometimes it’s easier to work with a horse because you can learn each other more than a person.
Hobby horse: I play sports for Texico, hang out with my friends, volunteer with the Special Olympics and participate in Future Farmers of America.
Appaloosa girl: Appaloosas are colorful horses. They are bred to be versatile to do whatever the rider needs. They are strong and tough and can do hard work. And they are capable of being your best friend. Horses are my favorite animal. You really have a connection with a horse that you can’t have with any other animal.
— Compiled by CNJ staff writer Liliana Castillo
