09/15/2026
🤠➡️🎩 FROM THE RODEO/BARREL ARENA TO THE DRESSAGE RING! 🐴🔥
We changed gears this past weekend and headed to the Southern Illinois Dressage Classic in DuQuoin, IL — and these ladies absolutely ROCKED their first-ever dressage show!
This weekend was about so much more than ribbons and placings. One thing I take a lot of pride in with our program is that we build well-rounded horsemen — not just passengers sitting on fast horses.
Control. Feel. Balance. Communication. Horsemanship.
Those things matter whether you’re running down an alley, turning a barrel, riding a rail, or entering at A. ❤️
We spent two days in DuQuoin, and this crew definitely understood the assignment!
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🏆 KINLEY & LEGEND
Weekend Awards
• CHAMPION — Western Intro Youth
• Reserve Champion — Western High Point Youth
• 4th — Classical High Point Youth
Saturday
🥉 3rd — Classical Intro Level Test A Jr
🥈 2nd — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
Sunday
🥇 1st — Classical Intro Level Test A Jr
🥇 1st — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
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🏆 ARWEN & SCOTTIE
Their very first show together, and this little mustang showed up!
Weekend
🥈 RESERVE CHAMPION — Western Intro Youth
Saturday
🥉 3rd — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
🥈 2nd — Western Intro Level Test 2 Open
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🏆 BEV & SINATRA
This one deserves a little extra recognition. ❤️ Bev is one of our adult team members and didn’t even start riding with us until she was in her 60s!
If that doesn’t prove it’s never too late to try something new, set new goals and keep pushing yourself, I don’t know what does.
She went from stepping into the show world in her 60s to taking on her first dressage show and bringing home some pretty awesome results!
Weekend Awards
🥈 Reserve Champion — Western Intro Adult
🥇 CHAMPION — Western Intro for her age division
Saturday
🥇 1st — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
🥇 1st — Western Intro Level Test 2 Open
Then Sunday threw her a curveball and she had to jump ride Legend — and still got it done!
Sunday — Bev & Legend
🥈 2nd — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
🥇 1st — Western Intro Level Test 2 Open
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🏆 CLARA & CHARLIE
Talk about improvement! These two earned $100 for the MOST IMPROVED SCORE from Saturday to Sunday! 👏
Saturday
4th — Classical Intro Level Test A Jr
4th — Classical Intro Level Test B Jr
Sunday
🥈 2nd — Classical Intro Level Test A Jr
🥈 2nd — Classical Intro Level Test B Jr
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🏆 ABBI & DEZI
Super proud of this girl here! Not only her 1st time showing in dressage but she rode our little mustang Dezi in her 1st ever one as well and did amazing!
Saturday
5th — Classical Intro Level Test A Jr
5th — Classical Intro Level Test B Jr
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🏆 JONAH & THUNDER
Weekend
4th — Western Intro Level Youth High Point
Saturday
4th — Western Intro Level Test 1 Open
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I could not be more proud of this crew for stepping outside their comfort zone and showing that good riding is good riding, no matter what kind of saddle you’re sitting in.
These kids spend plenty of time chasing speed, but weekends like this are exactly why we put such a huge emphasis on the foundation underneath it — control, confidence, consistency, balance and true horsemanship.
They traded barrels for letters, speed for precision, and rodeo dirt for the dressage ring — and they proved they can hang in BOTH. 💪🐴
We aren’t just building rodeo riders. We’re building horsemen. ❤️
