Reserve High Point Amateur
Morning Reda and SR Melody
2002 mare by SR Hallmarked out of Solanos Melody
History of SR Melody
“Susie Ray” was purchased in Kentucky from Dowell Performance Horses. “In late 2006 I sold my English horse and wanted to get into reining. As soon as I saw Susie Ray I knew she was the one. My original intent was only to show in reining but I soon realized that she was capable of much more. “Susie Ray” is the kind of horse everyone dreams of having. She loves her job, she loves people, she gets excited every time she sees you. I love walking out to the barn because she just starts talking to you as soon as she sees a human, not because she wants to eat, but because she wants you to come over and hang out with her. I am not sure of an event western or English that Susie Ray would not give her best to.”
Thoughts on winning this award:
“It was so special to me because Susie Ray was thrown into just about every class and placed consistently in just about everything….except barrels…still working on that!!”
Events competed in:
Barrels, trail, halter, horsemanship, ranch riding, ranch reining, reining, ranch cutting, working ranch horse.
Special memories:
“One of my favorite memories was going into the Working Ranch Horse class. I had not done it before but I was going for the High Point so I decided to go in at the last minute. Susie Ray had been worked a few times on cattle for the Ranch Cutting but we had never run a cow down the pen. It was scary for me but Susie Ray was having a big time because she wanted to EAT the cow. The photographer caught the sequence of Susie Ray biting the cow. I know it is not good, but it sure was funny. I should have practiced before I tried it! Then when it was time to try to catch the cow, Susie Ray was keeping it right where I needed it to get the rope on it, except I had never roped a cow and did not want to catch it. I kept saying to myself, ‘please don’t catch it! Thankfully, I did not.”
Morning adds, “This show was the most fun I have had in a long time. Thanks to Carrie Dowell and Katie Hayes for all of their support.”
Future Plans:
For the rest of this year Morning intends to keep showing. She intends to return to the 2008 ARHA World show and try for the High Point title and also to qualify for the NRHA Rookie class in Oklahoma City in 2008.
