POLE BENDING CHAMPION

SELECT STEPPING STONE

BY CANDACE DOBSON, FIELD EDITOR

Rick Neff had a rough start to his Bayer Select World Championship Show after a minor traffic accident on the way to Amarillo. And to add insult to injury the West Texas wind blew his hat in a puddle of water right before he entered the arena to make his run at a world title.

“I really didn’t expect to do that well,” Rick said. “I wanted to show at the Bayer Select to put a little more pressure on myself. I’m using this as a stepping stone to prepare for the 2007 AQHA World Championship Show.”

Rick and Glider race for home during the pole bending finals.

Rick and his wife, Abigail, raised Electric Glider on their farm in Galt, Missouri. The black gelding earned his name after he ran through an electric fence as a colt, and “Glider” for how he moves.

Rick has been bending through poles for more than 20 years and has learned a thing or two about how to improve his performance. In order to adjust to his riding at his age, he made a unique adjustment to his saddle by taking off the saddle horn.

“When I started getting older, I had trouble keeping my balance while I was riding, so I developed a new style of riding,” Rick said. “I lean forward in the saddle to center my balance and I was hitting the saddle horn, so I just decided to take it off. It works great for me and has really helped improve my riding.”

Rick plans to keep running Glider toward the 2007 World Show and shoot for the chance to add a second gold trophy to his shelf.

“Someone offered to buy him this morning, but I’m looking for a world championship,” he said. “You can’t buy those.”