Delight of Jet Star
TWHBEA Youth Superior Champion, with Bo Smith
(Written by Bonnie B. Smith,
this article appeared in the May, 1990, issue of VOICE of the Tennessee
Walking Horse magazine.)
After doing the preliminary saddle breaking on Delight of Jet Star in the late fall of 1983, I began to realize that she would
eventually make a good horse for our then seven-year-old son, Bo. My husband Bob and I had been showing Jet Star's Delight, and
young Bo was quite anxious to try his hand at showing, too. He had definitely outgrown lead line classes!
Delight was foaled on the 16th of April, 1982. Her sire is 1984 Adult Versatility Champion, Jet's Star's Delight, and her dam is
the good foundation mare, Heather's Panola M. The filly was born tough and strong, and has remained so!
She is black with a star
that looks like the state of California. She is a stalwart-built mare: wide chest, strong neck and body, standing at 15 hands.
Bo started riding Delight early in 1985. He rode with great determination and concentration.
At last he had a horse to show, and he worked hard with her. His first showing with her was in the Youth E-Z Rider Class at the Trainers' Show in Houston in March of
1985. They won second place in a good juvenile class — Bo was not yet eight and Delight was not yet three!
After my 'basic training,' Delight was pretty well Bo's horse, and he was pretty well her master.
They learned horsemanship and
manners together. Over the course of time, she would give to him as she would give to no one else.
He would ask anything of her, and
she would respond. They became quite a team. Bo showed Delight to fifteen or so versatility points in the years before 1989.
Most of
them were at the big southwest shows such as Big "D" and the Texas State Fair.
Then, in 1989, our 4-H group, the Cooke County Emerald Riders 4-H Horse Club, started having play days and horse shows.
The classes that were offered were just what the "versatility doctor" 
ordered!
The class schedule was structured on those classes which were offered at the 4-H District Horse Show: Halter, Showmanship at Halter, Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Western
Horsemanship (Good Seat and Hands), Western Riding, Pole Bending, and Barrel Racing.
We also added fun classes according to
popular demand: Trail, Water Glass, Egg and Spoon, Rescue Race, and Flag Race.
Bo promised me at the beginning of the 1989 year that he would practice and work with Delight.
I left it up to him. If his horse
was going to get worked, he was going to do it. And he really did get
into it.
With the 4-H class schedule as a guideline, there were
so many different (and interesting) things to do. Practice became fun,
and a challenge.
One area of one of our pastures began to look
like a combat training zone for the armed forces because we put out a myriad of obstacles which we invented and practiced on for the
trail class!
When we practiced western riding, we worked the course simultaneously.
Bo would be finishing up the pattern and I would be
starting it. It was like the grand entry for a rodeo! We were both moving on the course at the same time, being careful not to run into
each other, of course! We found it kept our horses concentrating on their respective riders, and ignoring other distractions.
Delight appeared to be thrilled to work the pole bending
and barrel racing patterns.
It took some practice to work out the
footing and flying lead changes in between the poles.
Once she
caught on, she was "off to the races!"
She runs so fast it's
breathtaking (especially for a mother watching her young son doing
it!). She lowers herself to the ground, stretches her legs out, flattens
her ears, and goes.
She's an aerodynamic wonder!
When it became apparent the youth superior championship was a distinct possibility, we started working on it, hoping Bo could
achieve it in 1989. The Emerald Riders had a 4-H horse show in September with a great turnout.
Bo got some pretty good placings.
After that show, he was just two versatility points away — one in English pleasure and one in pole bending.
We drove down to the
Houston TASHA horse show in November for the English point. After several tries, he got his English point in the Lite-Shod
Championship.
One more point to go! At our last 4-H horse show of the year in November, he got not only the necessary one pole bending
point, but five pole bending points that day! He had achieved his Youth
Superior Championship!
He also got three barrel racing
points, to complete a ninth division in the Youth Versatility Program.
The eight divisions which he counted for his championship were: English Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Western Riding, Model,
Trail, Good Seat and Hands, Pole Bending, and Model. He also completed Barrel Racing, and has points in E-Z Rider, Basic Reining,
and Promotion. He got 82 versatility points in 1989 alone, earning the High Point Awards in seven categories: Water Glass, Western
Pleasure, Basic Reining, Trail, Pole Bending, Barrel Racing, and Western Riding.
In addition to being an accomplished horseman, Bo is a straight "A" student in the seventh grade at Valley View Junior High
School in Valley View, Texas. He has been taking piano lessons for seven years.
He is also an acolyte in his church.
Bo Smith and Delight of Jet Star — the two of them as a unit — they melt and blend together into one.
Bo started 1989 with a lot
of determination to work with his mare. He carried out his goal.
How they improved over the year was phenomenal. They're a team of which to be proud.
And the obvious rapport they have with each other — it's a real love affair!
At the WHTA Trainers' show on March
31, 1990, Bo Smith was awarded a handsome yearling stallion by Pride's Royal
Master, generously donated by Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Arnold, for his
accomplishment with Delight of Jet Star as Youth Superior Champions. We
suitably named this wonderful colt ROYAL AWARD. He remains a treasured
part of our family.
Back to Home Page
Jet Star's Delight, TWHBEA
Adult Supreme Champion
Midnight Sun, World Grand
Champion 1945 - 1946
Iron
Eagles Legacy, TWHBEA Adult Versatility Champion (coming soon!)
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