JULY 2025 THE RIDER / 19 ORHA News Continued From Page 18


the show pen is an experience that you dream about. Larry was an NRHA judge from 1981 to 1992 and judged all


the major events. We showed reiners exclusively from about 1980. From 1980 to 1987, Larry was a trainer. In 1990, he decided to com- pete as a Non-Pro after a two-year training hiatus. I also showed through all these years, but loved reining best. Larry retired from the show pen in 2021. Reining looks a lot easier than it is! Sitting in the stands watch-


ing does not compare [to] being in the pen. Patterns must be learned and become second nature. My advice for anyone looking to get into reining starts with passion. You must have a serious commitment to working hard, physically and mentally. You must be prepared to spend some money. You need to start with a trained horse that knows more than you do, and ride a lot! The best way to learn is to go to the show pen. Think of each run like you are paying tuition for a de- gree that is never finished. I truly believe that everyone should find a professional coach


and commit to their program. This is a life long learning experience. The right coach is a huge factor in being successful. You must also be prepared to meet wonderful people who become lifelong friends because they get you. You must be prepared to fall in love with your horse, who is your partner in every sense of the word. When you and your horse show to the best of your ability, nothing else compares. For us, it has been a lifelong commitment, and we feel so fortunate to be part of this world.


A Legacy of Happy,


Healthy, Honest


Horses: Darby Mailhot


Darby is a pas-


sionate trainer and reiner but even more importantly, she truly loves the horses that she works with. Her patience, determination and stewardship are truly admirable. Darby fosters team spirit and as a member of the ORHA board, she is dedicated to contribut- ing to the growth of reining in Ontario. I started showing


parents horses,


nities for Ontario reiners. She now has a family of her own and con- tinues the tradi- tion of balancing home and horses. Both my rode they


started showing paints, mom in the


English


classes and my dad in the west- ern, then switched to reiners with the ORHA in the 90s. I got my start


in reining early, The Purdie family and Gary Yaghd- jian introduced my parents to reiners and they started using their “all-around” paint horses


Jon Clapham and Thunder As I said earlier, this article feels especially personal, so I fig- Samantha Speed, Reining is a Family Affair before


breeding their own and eventually purchasing their first reiner from Joan Hardy. Sharing this passion across generations is really special. I love


watching my parents and my kids working around the horses to- gether. My dad might miss my classes, but I can guarantee that he does not miss my son’s! And there is always a “well back in my day...” conversation to be had. My parents no longer own horses. However, my father is still


active on the ORHA board of directors with me, and he helps around on my farm, Erie Wind Stables. He can also always be found ring side when my kids are sitting on a horse or showing in leadline. With my mom living in the States, she tries to meet me at shows in the US as much as possible. Coming from a horse family has taught me that family can be


your hardest critics but biggest supporters. Reining has always pro- vided a common interest and is always part of our regular conversa- tions.


From the BBQ to the Show Pen:


Darby Mailhot hooked on the spin


in 2006 at the age of 11. My entrance into reining feels like fate. I come from a mix of English and western family, I was already in- volved in showing APHA starting at the age of 4 and eventually started showing in the pony world. We happened to end up at Ray Nitti’s where he got me hooked from the moment he threw me on and asked me to spin.


Jon Clapham Since I have


Jon and Chistine Clapham at the Spring Fling!


known him, Jon has al- ways played the sup- portive partner for his wife Christine at the horse shows. Always there to dust off boots, pass over a cowboy hat and video every run… not to mention cook up INCREDIBLE meals back at their trailer. For anyone lucky enough to have passed by and been offered a taste, you know what I am talking about! Now Jon has decided to step into the pen! I asked Jon what


inspired him to give it a go and he gave the best


answer, his horse: Honestly it was my horse. When I bought him, I had absolutely


Darby Maillhot and Chic N Pep Pie I’ve always looked up to so many talented horsemen & horse-


women who I wanted to be exactly like, it really molded my life in all aspects and shaped the aspirations and goals I had for myself because I wanted to be them. Reining has taught me that the more you put in the more you get out. It has taught me that life is hard but that’s ok, it’s your mental approach that will set you up for failure and success. Some days just aren’t your day, be happy for others as they are fighting the same battle! Horses and reining have formed such an amazing community


for me. I sleep and breathe horses. My friends are all horse people, as well as my family so for us it’s just simply life. My ultimate goal is to be remembered. I want to leave a legacy


of happy, healthy, and honest horses. I want to teach others about this life. Hopefully, with the right opportunities, I would love to make an NRHA finals at a major event.


Family Affair: A Multi-Generational Reining Story: Samantha Speed


Samantha Speed grew up in the ORHA and she now serves as


President of the association. She is a great example of the dedicated people who make reining a priority working hard to foster opportu-


no plans on showing at all. Once I started riding him and getting to know him, we were having so much fun that I decided to try my luck in the pen. We also have some very supportive friends who have been trying to convince me to start fr years now, so I figured why not? I am extremely green, but we found an amazing coach in Jason


Richards which has really helped me progress and feel confident enough to get in the show pen this year. We have been involved in the ORHA for 5 or 6 years now with my wife showing, so we have gotten to meet all the trainers and coaches over the years, the ORHA has so many great options in coaches and trainers available to learn from.


The biggest challenge is setting the time aside to ride consis-


tently. With work schedules, it’s tough to find and make time; but it is also the most enjoyable part of my week. For me, the most rewarding part always comes back to the same


thing: the people we have met in the ORHA are absolutely amazing. The new friend group we have made from showing together is in- credible; it’s like one big family. We get together often and ride, visit for weekends, have family dinners for holidays and special occasions like birthdays, watch parties to live stream big events going on in the states. It is really an incredible group of people. If you are on the fence about giving reining a try my advice is


to get out there! Come out and watch some shows, get to know some people and see what it’s all about. Getting to know the great group of people at the shows and seeing how everyone supports and cheers for each other is contagious! It’s a very fun sport with some great people around, and even better animals!


ured why not interview the husband? Jesse, otherwise known in the reining community as “Superdad” has been THE reason that I could really invest in reining. He’s the reason we arrive at the shows safe and sound and make it home in one piece. He has moved on from husband horses right into the show pen.


What was your initial impression of reining when your partner first introduced you to it? I thought it looked like a lot of fun! But I also thought it looked


easy, in comparison to racing or jumping, I thought it looked pretty simple… I was wrong!


What made you decide to give reining a try yourself? I didn’t have much of a choice! Early in our relationship I told


my then girlfriend if she ever wanted to see me in the winter she had better start snowboarding. Well, winter turned to spring and she used that same line against me with riding. I did the husband horse thing for about 20 years and then decided I was wrong when I thought it was easy, but I had better give it a shot.


How did your partner encourage (or convince!) you to get in- volved? She gave me her horse! Technically she bought another one. Something tells me this pattern is going to continue.


What was your first ride or first reining competition experience like?


It was great! Mike Joslin let me ride Phoenix in the intro to rein-


ing class at Clinton in the spring of 2024. Phoenix was great, and Gavin Purdie helped me before the pattern, everything went well, except I overspun… I guess it isn’t that easy!


How has being involved in the sport affected your relationship? We schedule our lives around two things, our girls and our


mares. I couldn’t be happier or feel more involved with each other. We are a team (yes, she is the author of this article, and no, I did not write this under duress of any kind).


Do you and your partner ride together or take lessons together? What’s that dynamic like? We have a lot of juggling to do between the kids and the horses


so we usually ride separately. We also get the girls on their horses and ride together, though our youngest requires a hand from the ground. We have been taking lessons with Jason Richards; if babysit- ters align, we ride at the same time, otherwise he is often able to schedule us one after another. The ride home is a couple hours and often we are buzzing talking about the good, the fixes and our goals well after unloading the horses.


What’s something your partner helped you understand or ap- preciate about horses or the sport? That I need to be consistent and patient. Often my personality


is to work hard, expect results and move on. I had to cut the last step out and realize that expecting results was just goal setting.


What part of reining do you enjoy the most now that you’re ac- tively involved? I used to just enjoy the people in the stands and chatting about


horses, hay and guessing scores. Now that I am riding I like watch- ing trainers, seeing how they add a touch of finesse to a horse during a run is impressive. I try to picture myself running a circle like them.


What advice would you give to another spouse who’s on the fence about participating? Get out of your head and into your boots! There are lots of peo-


ple out there to help you get started; it never hurts to throw on a cowboy hat!


It’s Never Too Late to SLIDE: Barbara MacDonald


I thought we should end with a spotlight on ORHA member,


Barbara MacDonald. She is an incredible example of pushing limits that you thought you had and the power of pursuing a dream. I am turning 70 this year and thought it is time to confront my


fear! I have been reasonably accomplished in most endeavours I try but because I started riding in my late 30’s and it is not an easy sport to learn, I always had confidence issues with riding and particularly


Continued on Page 20


“Along for the Ride… May as Well Grab a Saddle! Jesse Gregoris


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