ASHAV Retirements
Sunday, October 14, 2007
By Design
Terry Wilson gave her beloved By Design
a hug after the retirement ceremony on Friday.
(Editor’s note: The following speech was written by Terry Wilson and read by David “Tuffy” Owens during Friday evening’s session.)
By Design was foaled May 27, 1988, at Happy Valley Farms in Rossville, Ga. She was sired by Merchant Prince and out of the dam CH Beau’s Patricia Peavine. Bred by Marion Hutcheson, “Lexie” was on the road to horse show success – By Design. She left Happy Valley as a three-year-old when purchased by Dawn Steward Wade, who asked her friend, Terry Wilson, to look over the tapes she had received from Happy Valley and tell her what she thought. There were two awesome horses on that tape – Born Rich and By Design. Terry chose By Design and as fate would have it Dawn came home with both mares and Terry ended up with By Design (now very much known as “Lexie”).
With their show career beginning in 1992, together Terry and “Lexie” over the years have won numerous championships in the adult country pleasure division. They earned these championships at ASHA shows like Virginia State, North Carolina State Fair, Roanoke Valley, Bonnie Blue National, ASHAV, Blowing Rock Charity and other shows including West Virginia State Fair, Kingsport and New River Valley. This team earned ribbons at Lexington Junior League and most importantly earned the Reserve World’s Champion Adult Country Pleasure title in 1997. From 1995 until 2005, with two years off to have her foal, Just As I Am, “Lexie” was shown at the World’s Championship Horse Show and came home with five ribbons in eight shows. When she did not get a ribbon she was always on the cards usually tying in ninth right out of the ribbons, for the little horse, with a big heart and stabled in her own backyard in Christiansburg, Va., this was quite a feat!
From day one, when “Lexie” would hit the show ring her attitude was, “Get the heck out of my way…I am coming through,” and that she did, never backing down and always ready to go to a show. In 2002, “Lexie” received the Saddlebred Select Award for ASHA and now has accumulated a record number of 50 points towards CH status, from A-rated shows.
Shown lightly in the junior exhibitor country pleasure division with Whitney Bennett, Sarah Bennett and Christi Van As, who won the Junior Exhibitor Country Pleasure at ASHAV in 2005, Terry would like to thank these special young ladies. “Lexie” and Terry would also like to thank all their many friends who have cheered them on through the years. Much appreciation to all of you that have helped me tonight and especially to my husband, Ed, for always being there, right along with us every step, every trot of the way over the years.
Kentucky Wildcat
Jon Dabareiner led the multi-titled
GCH Kentucky Wildcat out the gate after the
retirement ceremony on Thursday evening.
On Thursday evening the schedule took a break as the multi-titled roadster GCF Kentucky Wildcat was honored with a retirement ceremony. Kentucky Wildcat has called Fish N’ Fun Farms in Hardy, Va., home for the past six years. In 1999, owner Falconaire Farm moved Wildcat to Johnny Lucas and Sons Stables in North Carolina. That year Robert Lucas campaigned him to top ribbons in the southeast and in Freedom aHallHallHHall in the under saddle division. In 2000, Sammye and Johnny Lucas purchased Kentucky Wildcat and Bo Lucas took over Robert’s duties but this time they would campaign Wildcat to the bike, winning at great shows like Raleigh Spring Premier and North Carolina State Championship.
In 2002, under the guidance of trainer Allison Walker, Jon and Lisa Dabareiner purchased Wildcat for Jon to campaign in the amateur division. They burst onto the scene at the ASHAV Horse Show in Waldron Arena earning the Amateur Roadster To Bike Championship reserve title. That was just the beginning. The next year, Fish N’ Fun hired trainer Lisa Lucas and she continued putting together the amateur team. In 2003 Wildcat and Dabareiner raced through the gates of Waldron Arena, winning the Amateur Roadster To Bike class. They would go on that year winning at Roanoke, Blue Ridge and ASHAV and earning top ribbons at Louisville. In 2004 they had another successful year but in 2005 Jon and Wildcat seemed to be unstoppable. They won at Bonnie Blue, Roanoke and Blue Ridge for the third year in a row and this time when they entered Freedom Hall they left with the roses, earning the World’s Champion of Champions Amateur Roadster To Bike and also the qualifying world’s champion title.
In 2006, under the guidance of Ronnie Graham, this team continued their streak including the qualifying win at Louisville. Then in the championship a workout was called for with Kentucky Wildcat, Spill The Ink and Dirt Devil. The teams handled the workout and the cards were turned in. Then with shock it was announced that there was a natural three-way tie and the three were sent out once again. After the second workout Wildcat was victorious in the longest class ever in Freedom Hall.
This year he began once again with a win at Bonnie Blue but as the season moved along the decision was made that it was time for Wildcat to retire. He had done what he was meant to do: teaching Dabareiner the ins and outs of the bike in the show ring and carrying him to a long list of wins. Now he will enjoy his time overlooking the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake from the fields at Fish N’ Farms where he will be loved forever by Jon, Lisa and Marli Dabareiner and all that ever had part of his career.
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