Nikki Miller of Gainesville, Texas, will tell you she has been to a lot of World Shows. She has worked for Carol Rose Quarter Horses since 2002 as the assistant office manager. But for the first time in 2008, she's bringing her own horse as an owner, Shiners Hot Flash, aka "Millie."
Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Nikki grew up showing in 4-H and open shows with horses she leased. When it came time to enter the working world, she took a couple of classes, thinking she'd become a dental hygienist. Then some friends showed her an article on Carol Rose's place in a magazine. "You need to go to work for that lady," her friends said. Two weeks later, Nikki wrote Carol a letter, and her life entered the horse world.
Check in as Nikki shares what it's like to love a horse, entrust her to someone else, and watch her World Show debut in reining. It's a whole new World.
November 21 -- The Show's Almost Over
Last night, Carol showed in the senior working cow horse. Despite going off pattern, Carol had the largest cheering section of anyone there. After such a long break from showing, everyone on the Rose Ranch team was just so proud that she showed. There was a caravan from the ranch to Oklahoma City hauling everyone who works for Carol to come watch. Some who have never even been to a horse show came to cheer. Carol’s mother also made it to be a part of the support system we assembled for Carol. This alone was the greatest part of the day for us.
It might take Carol a few days to forgive herself for going off pattern, but she is such a perfectionist that I think she would be hard on herself even if she won first. But that is just Carol, and that is why she has done what she has done and why it was so special for everyone to watch her show last night. For Carol, she was thrilled to make the finals on a mare she raised herself.
Today is my last blog as I get to go home today. I am of course thrilled with the thought of sleeping in my own bed tonight, but I am sad to see this World Show end. I love the variety of horses, the professionalism of competitors, the entertainment of Team Wrangler and all the people who are involved. That comes with every World Show, but I am more sad this year as I know after this year I will no longer be able say this is my first World Show as an owner. I have checked that off my list of goals. Thank you for letting me tell you about reaching this goal and also my entire 2008 World Show experience. Thank you to AQHA for all you do for the horse industry, I am so proud to be a part of it.
If you are ever in the area, whether it be a horse show or the ranch, I would love to meet you and show you the horses at Rose Ranch.
Happy holidays!
Nikki
November 20, 2008 -- Teamwork Makes It Happen
It’s hard to believe that the 2008 World Show is almost over. I don’t think I slept in months in anticipation of Millie’s World Show debut. When she didn’t have a good show in the prelims, it was a hard thing to swallow. But that icky feeling was quickly replaced with the next goals we are going to set. I’ve still had so much fun that I’ve already started scheming shows I want to go to in order to qualify for 2009.
I also moved my focus to the junior working cow horse and senior working cow horse finals today. One of our trainers, Tyler Merrill, made the junior working cow horse on a customer’s mare. Carol herself showed her own mare in the senior working cow horse and also made the finals. The mares are full sisters. We are so thrilled that both mares showed so well and made the finals. For the Rose Ranch team, this is a big deal. Some might think it’s not a big deal for Carol Rose to make the finals at the World Show, but it is. For Carol, it is the thrill of raising a horse to go on and do something successful. But in this case, Carol is showing herself, and that brings about a whole different kind of nerves and excitement – she has not shown in working cow horse in way too many years. While she can’t remember exactly how long it has been, it has probably not been since before I was born, and I’m 26! I can’t even imagine. From the feeling of the first time to the feeling of trying it again after a long break. That is just too much fun.
While Carol and Tyler are the exhibitors today for the Rose Ranch team, it is a team effort. We all have an important part, whether we are cleaning stalls or cheering from a blue chair in the Jim Norick Arena, and we span in experience from a first-time owner like me to Carol, who has been coming to the World Show since it started 34 years ago. No matter the level of experience or the number of years we have been coming here, we are all on the same team. I’m just proud to be here!
Nikki
November 19, 2008 -- Every World Show is Special
It is funny how sharing my “first” experiences about my mare Millie takes me back to many of my “first” experiences with horses. Watching Mitch Leckey win the 2-year-old western pleasure today really took me back. Mitch is from Indiana, so am I, and I started with pleasure horses. While I never obviously showed at this level with the pleasure horses I rode, I still have my pleasure horse roots that started in Indiana.
I always knew what I was doing in Indiana wasn’t for me, but I could have never told you in a million years I would be doing what I am doing now and living happily in Texas. I sure never thought I would be doing THIS – telling you about my first World Show as an owner! While so minor to so many World Show veterans, the feeling of qualifying for the World Show for our first time and watching my mare grow up the way she did this year has just been great and a feeling I could never replace. It is more the feeling of just knowing you can do it.
Working for Carol and coming here year after year has taught me that each and every World Show can be special in its very own way. Especially this year! Carol is showing in the senior working cow horse on a mare she raised. She even made it to the finals, which will be at 7 p.m. Thursday. While you might not think that is too big of deal for a horse show veteran like Carol, it is a HUGE deal for her and even for the rest of the team at the Rose Ranch.
An added plus to this year’s World Show is since Carol has made the finals, her 97-year-old mother is coming to watch! She is flying in all the way from Wyoming. That just shows you, for all the records Carol has broken, for all the things she has won – every World Show is as special as the first one.
I think this shows that one thing in common with every World Show is that there are always memories to be made and goals to reach for and someone to share it with
Until next time,
Nikki
November 18, 2008 -- More Firsts
Oops!
I had thought Millie’s first World Show would be a little better than what it was. She was great the night before and the morning of, but when it came time to saddle up to go show, I could tell she was just a little off. It was just like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something.
I prayed for the best anyway, and off we went. I’ll leave it at that, because I’ve already had my couple of hours to cry and pout about it, and that’s over. I know Millie is better than what she showed yesterday. We will just have to wait for another time for everyone else to see that.
I will say that I think my “lucky” blue sweater is getting retired. It was given to me almost 10 years ago from a close friend for Christmas. I loved that sweater because it was pretty and comfortable. The first year I wore it to the World Show, one of Carol’s horses won a world championship. While I’m really not superstitious, after that I just couldn’t stop wearing that sweater during the finals when we had horses showing. I’ve worn that sweater through a few finals that resulted in the Rose Ranch team winning a world championship, a reserve world championship and a few top-10 placings. I’m still not sure if I want to wear that sweater again – at least for this week. Maybe it was lucky yesterday, ouch!
I’m grateful I do not have to be reminded about the junior reining any more. The halter horses, the pleasure horses and so on take my mind away from it. I do enjoy watching everything, especially since it’s not something we see on a day-to-day basis.
I’m also focused on getting home from Oklahoma City and going on with Millie’s training. We might continue to do the reining, and we might switch gears and try the working cow horse. I’m going to leave that decision up to her. I know she could be good at both; I just want her to be happy with her career. She has also already started a career with me doing showmanship! I LOVE showmanship, so she doesn’t get the option there – and yes, I am keeping her mane long.
The other job Millie has, that is maybe most important to me at the end of the day, is her job as a broodmare. I’ve already semistarted it. She has a 2008 chestnut gelding sired by Nic It In The Bud that was born via embryo transfer. A friend helped me name him Nikki And The Bud, but I more affectionately call him “Cosmo.” There was no thought to that nickname; it was just fun.
This is another first for me. Millie is my very first American Quarter Horse and my first broodmare, making me a first-time breeder! I did not breed her this year since we were so busy with her training, and I might even have to hold off in 2009. But nonetheless, another first! Maybe Cosmo will be the first I raise and bring to the World Show …
So many firsts. They are all a part of the countless blessings in my life!
-Nikki
November 17, 2008 – Anticipation and Nerves
I’ve been to the World Show a million times but never as an owner. How we got here seems to be a trend I’ve started of accidental firsts.
I grew up like many others showing 4-H and open shows, and I showed whatever my horse would do. When it came time for me to grow up, instead of finishing the dental hygiene program at the community college in South Bend, Indiana, I packed my bags and moved to Gainesville, Texas, to work for Carol Rose Quarter Horses. I work in the office and breeding barn.
Because I was around so many horses every minute of every day, a dream come true, I thought I didn’t need a horse of my own. However, after a couple years, I changed my mind, and I wanted a project of my own. I looked at everything from yearlings to broodmares, suited for many disciplines. I either wanted a really nice pleasure horse or a really nice performance prospect. It was wide open, and of course, I had a limited a budget for what I wanted.
In the fall of 2005, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to find what I wanted, and my hopes hadn’t been so high when we headed to the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nevada. We took four really nice yearlings from the ranch. Any one of them anyone would be proud to own and most usually, people are not shy when it comes to bidding on horses Carol takes to the sale. My saving grace was it was meant to be that I would own one of them.
Shiners Hot Flash was very early in the sale -- I think the third horse. Many people were still finding their seats and settling in when she walked in the sale pen. I didn’t even watch for a little bit, I really expected her to be a high seller since she was so pretty and her big sister had been such a great show horse in the NRCHA.
However, it was taking a little while, so I peeked in behind the curtain to find out how she was selling, and I was shocked to see her price tag at only $15,000. Still more than my budget, I bid without even blinking. I couldn’t believe I did it; my heart was racing! When the other bidder bid $19,000, I thought there was no way I would lose her for that, and I would feel way better if I lost her for $20,000. So I bid $19,500, thinking there was no way the other bidder would not buy her for $500 more.
When they said last call, I broke out in hives. I could feel my heart about to beat out of my chest, my face was beet-red, and I think I covered 100 feet in about two steps. I somehow managed to scribble my name on the buyer’s ticket and off I raced. Honestly, after that I was so excited I remember very little, but I remember I nicknamed her right then and there -- “Millie” – after my late grandmother, Mildred Miller.
I made all kinds of plans for Millie. I started her all by myself and really rode her most of her 2- and 3-year-old years myself, getting a little help along the way. I made the immediate decision not to show Millie in the cow horse her 3-year-old year since I knew nothing about working a cow, so I made plans to show her in the non pro division at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity.
Millie turned out to be perfect for me. I do not feed my horses treats, but Millie sure did pick up the pet portion of her job just fine. She “talks” to me and will come running when I call her, and, boy, is she talented! She can stop and turn around and all the great things we want these performance horses to be. The worst thing that ever happened to her is she was mine and she had to deal with me.
That showed true when we got ready for the non pro last year. I just couldn’t get things right, and I had to scratch. I was bummed, but I had relief in knowing everything that kept us from getting the job done was my fault. I can fix that. When we came back in December from Oklahoma City, I went back, and started going back to basics.
Come February, I was still cruising along and was just fine with that when Carol hired a new 2-year-old trainer. Adam Johnson had been a friend of mine for a while. We started getting super busy with breeding season, and I asked him if he would ride Millie for a few days since I was so busy. I ended up being busy day after day and it was just so convenient to ask Adam to ride Millie.
I do not let just anyone ride Millie since I am so protective, but Adam really got along with her, and he took very good care of her and spent a lot of time on her which made it easier for me to allow it. When things quieted down, and I had more time to ride, I just couldn’t bring myself to take Millie away from Adam. With that said. I haven’t ridden Millie myself since February!
When that started working out, I thought maybe we could make a goal for Adam to show Millie in 2009 in some limited events. However, come June of 2008, we decided to take Millie to an AQHA show just to get a progress report. We got a great grade. Millie won under one judge and earned a few points! I hadn’t thought ONE time about qualifying for the AQHA World Show this year until then. I was so proud, though, that my first Quarter Horse won her first AQHA points.
We went to one more show and won first under one judge again, which earned Millie enough points to earn her Register of Merit and also to qualify for the junior reining! I was so excited.
For Adam, it was his first also – his first time to qualify a horse for the World Show. It was my first time to own a horse to qualify for the World Show; and it was the first time I started a horse that qualified for the World Show - even though Adam really fixed what I messed up!
So, here we are. Ready…set… go… Millie is draw 24 in the junior reining today. I want to tell Adam good luck, but I’m so nervous I’m steering clear of the barns to keep everyone else calm for me!
Until next time -- Nikki
