What Got Me Into Reining
By Kathleen Keating
What got me into reining...actually, it was Kevin Tienkamp
and Superslide. What's kept me interested, and got me into showing, which
I never dreamt I'd do, is Lynda Smith.
I'd been doing casual trail riding for a few years on a nice little mare who was gradually "unlearning" all the good things she knew when I bought her. I wanted to learn to ride, but I didn't know anybody who could help me. In one of the local horse magazines I saw an article about a new trainer from Alberta who was giving reining lessons and I went to see him. I told him I didn't know anything about reining, so he told me that Superslide was coming up and I was to go there and watch and then come back and talk to him. I went to the show, and I was transfixed. This was what I wanted to do.
My first lessons with Kevin were on Albert, and they were humiliating. I'd been sitting on a horse all these years and I couldn't ride worth %$@! But when I did manage to get something nearly right, Albert's response astonished me. Next, I brought my mare, Fancy, to Kevin. I went away for a couple of weeks and asked him to put some training rides on her. When I returned he told me "I'm embarrassed to take your money - your horse already knows everything she needs to know. It's YOU who have to learn!" Knowing Kevin, you can imagine that some of our lessons were grueling - more than once I was reduced to tears - but some things really did improve and I was loving it.
It was very disappointing to me when Kevin left, and I knew nobody else around who could work with me. Then somehow I heard that Shawna Sapergia was giving a clinic in Maple Ridge and this person named Lynda Smith was organizing it. My first meeting with you was that rainy morning when I pulled into Cheshire park, horse and trailer in tow, and you came to turn us away, telling us the barn was in quarantine and we'd have to find our way to the MREC. That was also the day I first laid eyes on Kinky and fell in love with him. The rest of the story you know, because you've been very much involved. (editors note - Kinky, named because his tail is kinked, is the AQHA gelding 'Major See Me Go', a 3 yr. old at the time trained and owned by Lynda Smith)
When I was reading your account of your year with Lacy I really identified with the feelings you expressed on finding yourself riding in that arena in Oklahoma. I felt the same way in September, riding at Heritage Park at the PRHA show, when Jack gave me such a good run in the Beg. NRHA class. I know it wasn't Superslide, but there I was, riding in that big arena against some good competition, and realizing that I was doing okay! (Winning the class was just icing on the cake.)
As a kid in Pony Club, I don't recall that I ever even dreamed of being one of those kids doing the show circuit with my own horse - it was so far beyond the realm of the possible. Then here I was this summer, with my horse and trailer, hitting all the shows and having a blast. I had to keep pinching myself! I really thank you for encouraging me to do it.
Last year I showed Jack at Maple Ridge about 2 weeks after I got him and we won the Green as Grass class. So, I aimed to be competitive in the Beginner B class for this past year - our first real show season. And look what happened! We won 3 out of 4 classes and came out High Point Champions.
But it's not just about the competition and placings in a class - though everyone likes to do well. What keeps me keen on reining is that it allows me to track my progress and keep improving. Each time out I learn something new, about my horse, about riding a pattern, about me. Every ride was not always better than the one before, but each time I think I managed to fix something, or do something better than I did before.
You helped me to focus on achievable goals.This year I wanted to zero my circles and my spins, and I often achieved that. In the last show, after seeing you get a +1/2 for a spin I said I wanted to do that to - you showed me how, and it worked!
It really helped me this season to have you showing Jack in one class each show. It gave me confidence to see you on him, and something to aim for, seeing how he would go for you. You won Beg. Horse Open on Jack twice (and I think you got the highest score and the second highest score on him in the other two shows: if only the judge had been working on the same pattern you were, you'd have been Champion!)
I also appreciate the camaraderie of the WCRA group. Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive, that even with the "show nerves," each time it's a really fun experience.