"Wildfire the Champion"

2006 - Wildfire is my 28 y/o sorrel & white paint pony. I've owned her since she was a weanling at "Sugar's" side. Wildfire's mother, 35 y/o or so still lives at my mom & dad's house. Wildfire's only offspring was a tri colored paint stud "Spitfire" who died of colic several years ago. Skyfire, my sorrel & white paint pony with two glass eyes who is deaf is her grandson.

When I was 4 y/o, my sister & I begged and pleaded for another pony until we finally broke our parents down. The first months my dad had to lasso Wildfire to catch her. That pretty much describes her personality to this day. Considering several of my 9 broken bones are attributed to Wildfire, she's always been a little (or a lot) cranky & crazy. At 6 y/o, we began competing in Little Buckaroo & Beecher City Saddle Clubs & Neoga Days Horseshows. Back in those days, we weren't pretty or fast, definitely beginners! We practiced barrels & kegs in my parent's backyard using chemical jugs for kegs. It wasn't long until my parents regretted ever taking us to our first horseshow. What started as a fun day turned into a long, hot habit of show after show. When I turned 16, my dad handed me the keys & said "Good Luck". We advanced to rodeos & State Shows. Wildfire has won at least 10 or 15 High Point Year End Awards as well as a couple of All Around Horse & Rider Awards. Our biggest accomplishment was 2 Time Illinois Jr State Champion Barrel Racer. What I remember best about our competition is how everyone would "oh & ah" about how cute the pony was when she stepped out of the trailer and how they would be astonished and mad when that little pony beat their $10,000 registered, professionally trained horses. Wildfire & I barrel raced until she was 23. Over the years she has been used a little for riding lessons "when she is in the mood", but never, ever with barrels, poles or even cones set up in the arena. She still has it in her the minute she sees those! Recently she has mellowed out enough to give a few trail rides on. I remember sneaking out my bedroom window at night when I was a teenager to go trail riding. My boyfriends in high school were always very jealous of my horses as I would rather stay home & practice for a horse show than go to a party!

I've learned so much from Wildfire, she is 1 of the 3 best horses I've ever owned!

10/2006 Update - Wildfire has officially retired to my mom & dad's pasture along with her 35 y/o mother.