 |
Patrick with Wendy Hunter-Vaughn aboard in the 2006 amateur western riding finals. |
Wendy Hunter-Vaughn of North Canton, Ohio, has a cowboy in her barn. Equitable Asset or “Patrick” holds his rope between his teeth because he has hooves, not hands.
“When he is bored, he will grab a lead rope and start twirling it,” Wendy said. “He gets going really fast so it looks like it is twirling like a lasso.”
Patrick has always been a character. He likes attention and making people laugh.
“He’s got a really good sense of humor,” Wendy said. “If he was a human, he would probably be Jim Carrey.”
You have to keep a constant eye on him. He could implement a new scheme at a moment’s notice.
“Tina, who’s stalled next to us here at the World Show, couldn’t find her one leg wrap,” Wendy said. “The next morning she kept looking for it, and she finally found it in Patrick’s stall. Somehow, he’s able to grab and sneak things through even when you think they’re safe.”
In addition to leg wraps and lead ropes, Patrick has an affinity for hooded sweatshirts.
“If you lean up against his stall with a hooded sweatshirt on he will grab it and hold it,” Wendy said. “He won’t chew it, he won’t bite you, he just won’t let go until he’s ready to let go.”
If he’s not interested in his surroundings, Patrick’s cowboy imitation can add a touch of difficulty.
“It makes showmanship a challenge,” Wendy said. “It is something that isn’t interesting to him. He sees me and that lead rope right there and his instinct is to go for it.”
The key is keeping him occupied.
“He really likes western riding,” Wendy said. “His mind is always on business. He likes the trail a lot. We just started that a year ago.”
Wendy thinks Patrick is the perfect horse for her.
“He was definitely made for us,” Wendy said. “I’m pretty laid-back, mellow and I like to laugh. He definitely makes me laugh.”
However, she is thrilled with what they have accomplished.
“I am real proud of him,” Wendy said. “It’s our first World Show, and we are in the finals. I’m really happy that we made it, and we will be back again.”
