BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR
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| Nancy Ayers-Sallows of Adrian, Michigan, with her palomino gelding, Ima Copperscotch, and trainers Troy and Jodi Prime. Nancy battled bad knees to place in the top-10 in 3-year-old geldings at the 2007 Bayer Select World Championship Show. |
Nancy Ayers-Sallows of Adrian, Michigan, sat on a folding chair in the dirt aisle leading into the arena at the Amarillo National Center – eyes closed. She was focusing.
“I’m nervous about making it through the pattern,” she said. “Because of my four knee surgeries.”
Her halter class was coming up fast, and she had to lead her 3-year-old gelding, Ima Copperscotch, down a long line of green cones, showing him to five Bayer Select World Championship Show judges.
“I just had one (surgery) a couple of months ago that probably wasn’t 100 percent successful,” Nancy said. “I’ve been gimping around, and I am very concerned about being able to do the length of the pattern.”
Nancy ended up at the Bayer Select World on a whim. Her dear friend Patty Hall qualified to come but couldn’t go alone. Nancy got qualified at the very last show before the cutoff date.
“I don’t show this horse, almost never,” Nancy said. “My daughter, Erin, shows him in amateur, and (my trainer) Troy (Prime) shows in open.
“I am not a show-er. I’m a watcher.”
But not August 29. She was just aiming to make it through the class. Her friend, Patty, would be right there with her, showing CW Cowboy.
Forty-five minutes later, Nancy marched out of the class with a huge smile on her face – her knees had made it through the class and she placed ninth out of 21 entries.
“God took good care of me,” she said breathlessly.
“I spend a lot of time focusing,” she continued. “I get a lot of encouragement from my trainers. I try to take it seriously yet keep in mind that it’s supposed to be fun."
Nancy and her daughter, Erin, just started showing Quarter Horses this year. She bought Ima Copperscotch because she thought showing halter was something she could do – she can’t ride because of her knees.
“This horse thinks he’s the most beautiful gelding on the planet,” Nancy said. “He’s very spoiled. He likes to gnaw on you. Part of that is my fault because I like to play with him all the time. That’s the hardest part about showing him – keeping him focused.”
The determined woman who sat with her eyes closed, focusing, has become bright-eyed and smiling with confidence.
“Now I’m going to go home, lose weight, get in shape and really take this really seriously,” Nancy said with a laugh. “Now I’ve got the edge, I’m a competitor. I’m very excited. I still want it to be fun, but now I’m serious!”
She wants to come back and aim for that gold trophy.
“I think this Select thing is great because it gives people like me, over 50 who may not be in the greatest shape or health, yet we can still go and compete and have fun,” Nancy said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
