Nationals Memories:

     Throughout our years together, we have been blessed with many WONDERFUL clients that we consider friends as well, and many diverse and amazing horses. Unfortunately, some horses are limited to what level of showing they can compete at, due to confirmation and ability. Fortunately, showing is not everything to all people. More and more people are interested in enjoying their horse to the fullest through a variety of venues and experiences. This is what allows us to enjoy these horses through the training process, as the "whole world" isn't expected of them, just the individual goals their owners would like to achieve as a team with them. We've had soo many wonderful experiences through out the year that it would be impossible to share them all with you. We would like to share some memories from those people and horses who were able to reach that "National" show and live their dreams.

     Our first National experience as Lewis LTD was in 1998 in Louisville, KY. We had two wonderful friends/clients going with their horses. Gail Therrell and her beautiful mare Magnificoos Echo (an Echo Magnificoo daughter) were competing in Mare Halter Adult Amateur Owner to Handle. Barbara Hibbard and her elegant gelding O Break Danser (an O Dirty Danser son) were competing in Arabian Gelding Halter Adult Amateur Owner to Handle.

     Both ladies put in the hours throughout the year to work, practice and campaign their respective horses to get to the National show. We were thrilled to have their numbers called for the Top Ten Awards for each of their classes! A dream (two dreams) come true! What a thrill it was to watch the partnership between horse and handler as they posed and pranced there way around the ring with a happy and "look at me" attitude!

     It was a great trip and still is one of the highpoints of our careers.

     Another special experience for us started with a good friend and client, Lynne Rowlett. We had worked with several of Lynne's horses in the past, but it was a treat when Lynne decided her daughter, Jessica, could work with and show her mare, LR Psyren (Padrons Psyche).

     "Scarlet", as they called the mare, was very much a "princess", and she and Jessica had a very special relationship. "Scarlett" was bred by Lynne, and foaled out at their house, so she'd been part of the family from day one. Jessica worked hard and worked her way up through the Regional level in the Mare Halter Amateur to Handle Division.

     In 2001, we headed off to Albequerque to the Youth National Show. It was exciting, as it was our first year for the show to be in Albequerque! Jessica and "Scarlet" were to compete in the Mare Halter Jr Owner to Handle 17year and under. Jessica and "Scarlet" went out there and "nailed it!" They were such a team, and each was in tune with the other, with seemingly no one else in there world.

      The Top Ten was announced and LR Psyren was among the award winners! But. . . could they possibly do even more? YES! Reserve National Champion Mare Halter JOTH! Go Jessica! Go Scarlet! What a pair! Lynne and Louis were brimming with pride as they watched "their baby" show "their baby" to a Reserve National Championship! It doesn't get much better than that!

In 2002, Jessica and Scarlet returned to Albequerque and were National Top 10 Mare Halter again! What a great trip they had!

     Another very special memory we have is more personal for us as trainers and parents.

     In 2003, our son Lance at the age of 6 yrs old, embarked on a journey. He started showing his grandmother's horse, Serr Signature in Gelding In Hand and Showmanship. In March, 2003, Lance showed in his first classes at the Freedom Classic show in Waco. He won the Showmanship class 13yr and under that had 18 horses in it! I remember him asking me while he was standing on the rail, what he was supposed to do if he won. My famous (or infamous) quote was, "Don't worry about it, you're not going to win your first time out." I've yet to live that down. He turned around and went back in to win the Gelding In Hand class as well! 

     At Region 9  inJune of '03, Lance was Reserve Regional Champion Showmanship 13y and under (at the age of 6!) What a special moment that was for all of us!

     We headed for Albequerque that July and showed in both classes. He made his cut in both, but did not go Top 10 in either. We had a wonderful experience and he met a lot of new people that were kind enough to stop and talk to him. One of his highlights was having Greg Gallun stop and shake his hand and tell him how great he did!

     The following year, Lance again started the season at the Freedom Classic. Taking the blue in a 25 horse Showmanship 13y and under class as well as the Gelding in Hand Class! Again, it was on to Albequerque! We were hoping for performances as good as the last year.

     Lance and Serr showed in the first cut of the Gelding In Hand class and were called back. In the Finals class, Lance and Serr were called as Top 10! Wow! They looked awesome! As parents, we experienced something completely different during that accomplishment on top of being the trainers! What an experience!

     Then, after advancing to the finals in Showmahship 10y and under, Lance was announced as Top 10 again! Wow, twice in one show! But wait. . . they are calling his number again! Reserve National Champion! Hurray! Everybody run down to be in the picture! Grandma and Grandpa were there too, and ran in the arena with us, as well as Lynne and Jessica Rowlett! Albequerque definitely was everything and more than we could have ever hoped for!

     We decided to take 2005 off from Albequerque and made plans to attend in 2006. Lance started the summer of 2006 with a unanimous Championship Region 9 Showmanship as well as Reserve Regional Champon Gelding In Hand JOTH 17y and under! Entries and reservations were made and in the beginning of July, Lance broke his finger in a baseball tournament and had to have surgery! No Alberquerque for him that year.

     He was a great sport and we went after it again as soon as his cast was off and 2007 reaped him a Reserve Regional Champion Showmanship award and no injuries in baseball tournaments!

     Albequerque is always such a special place and this year Lance got to show Serr under saddle as well as in Showmanship. Equitation, not being his strong suit, nor his favorite, was the first cut he missed. His ride was pretty, but he equitated like most trainers you know! (Ha ha!)

     He made the first cut in his Hunter Pleasure class with an absolutely gorgeous ride, but circumstances had Serr a little strong for the second class and he just missed the cut.

     Showmanship was all that was left. They held the class in Tingley Coliseum which was new for Lance, but fun to be in the main venue of the show. The class was huge AND strong and when it was all said and done. . . Reserve National Champion AGAIN! What a way to end his 10 and under career! We were so excited to be able to relive, yet again, such a wonderful experience and we are SO PROUD of the horse and our son working together as they do! Way to go, guys!

     2008 was the start of Lance's Walk-Trot-Canter Career. He also started showing a new horse, Lyte Bey. It was a transition year for the both of them and they gained in consistency and confidence as the year passed. It also reaped them the Region 9 Reserve Regional Champion Gelding In Hand 17y and under. Not a bad way to start your show career with a new horse.

     Fall reaped Lance and LB the High-Point Scholarship at the NTAHC Shoot-Out Show. It had all come together beautifully there for them. Spring brought the Freedom Classic in Waco. They were on fire in there classes and they brought home the 12yr old High Point Scholarship!

     Region 9 was to be the highlight of the summer for Lance and LB. They worked hard and came away with Regional Champion Showmanship and Western Pleasure, a Reserve Regional Champion in Western Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure and a Top 5 in Hunter Pleasure! Whoa, it was just to amazing to imagine!

     The positive Regional show boosted us to go ahead and go on to Albequerque to the Youth Nationals. The Western Pleasure Class was tough and the finals were held (literally) in the middle of a major storm. The horses were really having trouble focusing and it was a tough place for all of the exhibitors to perform at there best. When the class was called to order, kudos to all of the riders for pulling it together and putting on a great class. We were so proud of Lance for keeping their act together through all that adversity! We couldn't wait to tell him how proud we were of him! We had to wait, though, because he was called out as TOP TEN! What a wonderful way to reward that effort!

     The Showmanship class was 3 cuts deep and extremely tough. The final cut was held in Tingley again, and Lance and LB performed their pattern beautifully, trotted back to position in line and LB promptly stretched out and urinated. Lance wasn't sure what to do about it, so he let him finish and just went back to work.

     Apparently, that didn't hurt his performance, because when they said the National Award would be travelling to Van Alstyne, TX, Lance leaped in the aire (as did his parents) and went to receive the roses! What more can you ask for? Way to go, Lance!

     One more class to go, the Hunter Pleasure final was on the last morning of the show, and it was also three cuts deep. The horses in the class were phenominal and we were thrilled to be in the ring competing against them. Lance and LB had an amazing ride and came away with another TOP TEN!

     We're so very proud of Lance and LB and it's great to be able to perform in so many divisions and have success! The Arabian horse is proved yet again to be "the Versatile breed!"