BRIDESMAID BECOMES A BRIDE AS MARGARET SUE MULFORD FINALLY WINS.
BY LARRI JO STARKEY, COPY EDITOR
Margaret Sue Mulford of Georgetown, Ohio, had a game plan for a nice, safe ride in the pleasure driving. Her 4-year-old bay gelding, Suchafine Investment, "hasn't been to town much." Margaret's husband and trainer, Dennis, told her that her experience in driving would balance out "Newbie's" inexperience. Dennis was right.
Q: Tell us about your run.
Margaret: It was great. It was great. I was a little nervous going in because “Newbie” is so new at it. He’s only a 4-year-old, and he’s been to maybe six or eight shows, so the run was beautiful. He did exactly what I asked him. He hasn’t been to town too much, so I was a little bit worried. He got a little impatient in the lineup, but he was a good boy. I was very proud of him. Very proud.
Q: How long have you had him?
Margaret: We’ve had him – We bought him sight unseen as a 2-year-old, unbroken 2-year-old, and my husband does everything. He did the training, he did the shoeing, we do the grooming – we do it all ourselves, so that means extra pride.
Q: How long have you been driving?
Margaret: About 10 years, I think. It’s just something I always wanted to do. I love the hats; I love the way the horses move. I said I wanted to drive, and my husband – well, first we started driving an old stallion, and played around with him and drove him, and then we had a mare that we drove just at local shows, then I had Art I Expensive that I was reserve world champion with two years in a row, so I feel like I’ve been the bridesmaid a long time, and I finally got to be the bride with Newbie. I’m tickled to death with him.
Margaret Sue Mulford of Georgetown, Ohio, handles the reins for Suchafine Investment, aka "Newbie."
Q: I understand you had to overcome some adversity to get here.
Margaret: Two years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer, and it put a little bump in our road for a while, but I still came. I was off at a horse show when I got diagnosed, and I spent most of that horse show in North Carolina in the hospital. I took chemo for 12 months. I still came that year and got a reserve champion with my driving horse, and I was really, really pleased then. That was probably my most memorable and most emotional moment in my Quarter Horse showing, because I didn’t think I was even going to be able to be here – to be anywhere – and then pulling up for a reserve world champion was wonderful, and I owe it to my husband. He got everything ready, got the horse ready and it was really, really a great time for me. Probably one of my most memorable. moments.
Q: What was your game plan going in?
Margaret: Just to have a nice, safe drive. That was my goal, with Newbie being so new. He hasn’t been to that many shows – very inexperienced – and my husband said my experience would make up for his inexperience, but I was very pleased with him. He did everything I asked him to do just right.
Q: Is there anybody you’d like to thank?
Margaret: My husband. My husband and my children and God for being here and letting us have such a good time with our animals. My husband Dennis – I call him Denny, very affectionately – does everything. I couldn’t do it without him.
.Fun Fact: Margaret bought her show jacket several years ago on sale. When she started planning to come to the Bayer Select World, she looked in her closet and rediscovered her sale jacket. She went to a department store and found a matching hat for $10 that a friend put sparkles and a ribbon on.
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Suchafine Investment Pedigree: 2004 bay gelding by Artful Investment x Sucha Fine Time by Scotch Bar Time Exhibitor: Margaret Sue Mulford, Georgetown, Ohio Owner: F. Dennis Mulford, Georgetown, Ohio Trainer: Tom Foran, Simi Valley, California
