After nearly thirty-five years with the breed, I’ve done a wide variety of things with my horses. Besides the nights spent on foal watch, the daily chores and the constant repairs and redesigning of the farm, I’ve accumulated some achievements over 20 years of low-level competing, particularly in endurance.
As I’ve gotten a bit older (and creakier), I’m scaling down the bombing through the woods a bit (much to Galen’s disgust) and concentrating on things that don’t hurt quite so much. Last year, I went to the SANA West Rare Breeds Show, in Sacramento, CA with 2 of our CGAT horses. This year, we just returned from the Northwest Equine Expo in Albany, OR.
My new superpower: Sewing.
I finally finished the costume I had started in 2016, but realized it really needs more bling. That is 2020’s project. I also participated in the 2019 ATAA Conference’s dressage clinic with Olympian Megan Lane, on the young Teke stallion Hendrick.
I have plans for 2020, including at least one NW Expo with my horses, a Teke camp in Florida in February (yeah!) and possibly a few other ATAA related things. That, and foaling and breeding, should keep me out of trouble.
Cathy and Galen at 2015 Mt. Adams Limited Distance Endurance ride
Cathy and Galen at Mt. Adams in 2008 in the Limited Distance ride.
Happily, this as a sport where the longevity of your partnership is as important as racing, and every milestone is celebrated.
Recent Awards
Along with competing, the work I have done promoting the breed and participating in the breed organizations has also been recognized.
2016 ATAA Award, presented at the Awards Banquet in Lexington, VA:
Leadership Achievement – a member that shows great skills in leadership, ambition, promotion and teamwork amongst fellow members.
2015 ATAA Awards presented at the General Membership Meeting Awards Banquet for:
Publicity Achievement – any registered horse or member who brings the breed and/or registry into the public eye (magazine ad, newspaper, etc)
Volunteer Achievement – a member that donates their time by helping out in any way to promote the breed and/or registry
Leadership Achievement – A member that shows great skills in leadership, ambition, promotion and teamwork amongst fellow members
As the Achievement awards were awesome framed hand drawn Tekes, instead of giving me three awards, they gave me one big one. Very neat and now in my office.
The big one in the middle is mine.
Fotata (Friends of the Akhal Teke) Achievement Award: 2011 and 2012, Cathy and Galen for Endurance
ATAA (Akhal Teke Association of America) Limited Distance Champion: 2012, Cathy and Galen
ATAA Volunteer Award: 2013
ATAA Leadership Award: ATAA 2013 and 2014
PNER (Pacific Northwest Endurance Rides) Volunteer: 2013-2014 (Newsletter Editor)
ATAA Newsletter – Editor, 2011-present
Akhal-Teke Quarterly, edited and published internationally from 1995- 2003
In 2012, Galen was champion ATAA Limited Distance horse and Magdan was reserve champion ATAA LD horse. The horses were recognized at the AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) meeting and received these lovely matching coolers.
I continue to be a student as well as a teacher of dressage, though I haven’t competed in dressage since the days when I had only a few horses.
I also enjoy my role as a cheerleader for the things other people do with horses I have bred.
Horses in Competition
Heres a summary of some horses that I’ve bred or owned who have actively competed:
Endurance – Astrachan, Galen, Arzuw, Magdan, Asil Tumay, Kamileshen, Sumgait, Mazan
Eventing/Horse Trials- Mazaly
Jumping- Melena, Mazaly, Magdan
Western Events- Asil Tumay
Dressage – Mirijia, Molnija, Astrachan, Mazan, Galen, Magdan, Andymn
Breed Promotion Events
New Horseflicks video I helped organize for the HorseFlicks Video – 2013 – shooting over three days, three locations across the country
First Teke to complete Tevis! In 2011, I did fundraising via the Akhal Teke Breeders Co-op to help Jas Shearer-McMahon and MV Patrickhan compete at Tevis in 2011.
WEG 2010 – World Equestrian Games – fundraising and creating the Breed Booth In addition to organizing the booth, I drove it to Kentucky and worked the booth for two weeks. This was a tremendous experience as there were international competitors as well as thousands of visitors to our breed display, and I was joined by a rotating group of other Akhal-Teke breeders and riders.
I also edited the brochure that we developed for the WEG (and have plenty more copies in the garage, if you’d like one).
Celebrate the Horse Expo – in July 2008, I took four horses to the Puyallap Fairgrounds for a breed demonstration and distributed DVD’s and breed information at our booth in the barn area
HorseNAround Days Expo – in 2007, at the Mount Vernon State Fairgrounds, my daughter and I participated in a breed demonstration.
Horse Expo in 1996, Puyallup Fairgrounds
Champagne Classic Saturday Evening, Astrachan 1995
To support all of these events, you need some promotional materials. I edited the 8-page breed booklet for the WEG booth
Promotional Materials
HorseFlicks DVD 2007
HorseFlicks DVD 2014
Breed Booklet
Our Akhal Tekes have also been featured in magazines and in Aarene Storms’ bookEndurance 101 – a gentle guide to the sport of long-distance riding
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