Shooting Horse

Shooting Horse

 

Taffy

 

Owner: Jerry Bestpitch, CMSA SM 5, has had her since she was about one and a half years old. They started off doing trail riding, cattle work, and team penning; after a couple of years they began competing in barrel racing and gymkhana.

 

Particulars: Twenty year old Pinto.

 

Wins: 2006 Overall SASS World Champ; CMSA Overall High Points Champ 2002-2004 & 2007; 2007 MSA Reserve Overall World Champion; numerous state and regional championships in all three organizations.  And that’s not counting victories in other disciplines over the years.

 

Partnership: “I knew she was special early on. But the more I rode her, I gained more faith in this horse than any other. I know this horse is going to follow exactly what we need to do.”

 

What Makes Her Special: Taffy is a tough, athletic horse that’s overcome a lot to be a winner. First, she’s only about 14’2 hands high—so she’s developed an extra long stride for the rundown. And she’s learned how to make very precise turns to make up time.

 

But she had to deal with another handicap.  During her barrel racing career, she scratched her right eye and eventually lost the sight in it. “But that hasn’t really affected her,” says Jerry. “She can turn right or left with no problem.” Her many championships only confirm that. Taffy is all heart.

 

Workouts: “We’ll go on trail rides sometimes. Then at least two days a week, we go into the arena and practice courses and we see how we can shorten things up or make things faster.” Plus, Jerry likes to let his horses play and run in the pasture. And Taffy competes about two times per month, year-round.

 

Diet: A grain hay mixed with alfalfa, or grass hay. “And whenever I’m working her, I feed her some pelleted hay.  It’s got some vitamins and minerals in it that have been formulated for a working horse.”

 

Future: Jerry says Taffy was a late bloomer, so she seems more like 15 or 16 than 20. “She’s slowed down a bit, but then she’s compensated to make up for that. So she’s ended up being just as fast or faster. So I challenge myself with that thought, how long should we keep doing it?  And my feeling is that I know she enjoys doing it or we wouldn’t do so well, why not keep doing it?”

 

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