Member Spotlight: Lindsay Singleton McknightThe Singleton family has been actively involved with PPHC for as long as many of us can remember- Lindsay showed as a youth and continues to show as an amateur, and her dad Glenn is our show manager and gate keeper. 1. The Singleton/McKnight family has been involved with PPHC for as long as I can remember- how long has your family been members, and how did you first get involved in the club? What were the shows like when you first got started? We started showing PPHC in either 1998 or 1999. I started riding with Rona Jacobs and she quickly introduced me to the paint shows with my first paint, Slip By Trouble. After a few shows, I was hooked. From the beginning, the PPHC team has been my second family, and some of the best friends I have are directly connected to PPHC. Shows weren't huge when we started. I can remember showing at the fairgrounds in Columbia with probably 4-5 youth in a class. The entire show was run in one day. When I started showing all around events with my youth mare, La Nina Amberina, we'd start in the first class and end with the last class-sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. Eventually, I got to show at Clemson and later Camden when it was Westfall Arena. As I got older, the class sizes grew and the competition got tougher. Eventually we saw youth numbers with more than 20 horses in a class at the 4 judge shows. Thanks to the economy, the class sizes aren't as big, but I can say PPHC still has that family feel. 2. What do you enjoy about showing APHA horses with PPHC? I've always enjoyed the family atmosphere the PPHC shows offer. I've never had anyone neglect to help me when I need it. There's always a willing and helpful hand nearby--even if it's your competition offering advice! 3. You have shown in almost every event offered by APHA- what are your favorite events to compete in? What event do you enjoy most with your current mount Bowman? Pattern classes have always been my favorite classes. I've never had a horse that could win the rail classes, so I tend to lean toward the pattern events. I feel that Bowman has the potential to be great at everything, but for now I'm just enjoying the ride. This year has been about getting back into showing with no pressure to win, so I can't really pick a favorite class with Bowman (yet). I've enjoyed being able to see and feel the progress at every show and appreciate that PPHC and APHA offer events for me to take a green horse in just for a learning experience. 4. For fun- can you give me a list of names of horses you have shown at PPHC over the years, and some of their 'greatest hits' awards or prizes? I have been beyond blessed to have amazing horses in my life to teach me lessons. My mom and dad sacrificed so much to keep me on a horse's back and in the show ring. Below are the horses I've had the pleasure to show. Slip By Trouble: Trouble was first paint I showed who taught me more lessons than I can count. She was a saint who put up with more than any horse ever should. Her resume was quite long before she became mine. La Nina Amberina: I had the privilege of showing Amber throughout my youth years. She too had a lengthy resume and was proven before I was lucky enough to be kid. I'd show Amber in everything just going after the all around win. I was lucky enough to earn the APHA Versatility award with her in 2001. I remember chasing the final point to earn a superior in Senior Western Pleasure for what seemed like a year or more. We would be just out of the points every time! Impressions Lucky: I did the gaming events on Mary Jane for about 3 of my youth years. I decided I wanted to run barrels, and my parents told me to pull her out of the pasture and make her a barrel horse. We sought the help of a local barrel racing trainer to teach me the basics. His help and combined with Mary Jane's spunk allowed us to earn 196 youth points (combined between barrel racing, pole bending, and stake race) and 154 open points. Her open points also include Team Penning. Dad also showed in the team penning on Mary Jane for several years! HLF Dowanza Tradition: Blue, my partner for my final 2 youth years and my early amateur years. Tess McConnell broke Blue and with the help of Rona during weekly lessons (along with some tune ups along the way when I screwed things up), I did most of the riding to get him broke and show ready. Blue taught me the value of hard work and gave me a confidence boost. I even skipped my proms to go show him with PPHC. Blue and I earned our APHA Championship and 2002 and Versatility in 2003. Final Sensation: Gator was a brief flash in my life, but I learned so many lessons from him--mostly life lessons! We only showed in a handful of shows and only earned one point. But the life lessons I learned throughout his purchase, lameness, and colic are those that will stick with me for life. HLF Zip This Hit: Goose was our first "home-grown" horse that I broke myself. While we only showed just over a year, we were able to get several western pleasure points, which has never been my strongest event. I may be more proud of those points than any other points I've earned--Amateur Pleasure points are hard to get!! :) Hit From the Eighties: I opted to stop showing Goose to show Maverick. Maverick was one of the most wiling and hard working horses I've ever ridden. He may not have had the best conformation or stamina, but he'd give me everything he had! Maverick is another horse I was able to put most of the training in myself, along with various trainers along the way (Jeremy May and Julie Kennedy). Maverick was never a horse to win everything, but I always felt like we held our own among the tough competition at PPHC! I did learn to watch out for the air brakes on the water truck and all my future horses will be water truck broke!! HLF Hit Mans Top Gun: Between pregnancies, I pulled our (at the time stallion) out of the pasture who hadn't been ridden in 6 years and 2 months later we went into the show pen. I was able to show Gus in events that he had never done before and get a piece of the pie. He's back to being a pasture puff now, but you never know when he may make another debut! Its All Right Now: Bowman is my current horse that I swear was sent to me by divine intervention. Bowman is the most talented, willing, goofy horses I've ever had and I'm enjoying the journey with him and can't wait for the future to come with him!
Fun fact--dad also showed a little bit. He showed Gus in the yearling lunge line and even in a handful of pleasure classes. He also showed a breeding stock mare one year in the pleasure. He was the only one in the class all year, but somehow got a year end award that said he was Reserve!
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