38 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Let Us Show You Our World
By Debra Walkinshaw,
NASMA Executive Secretary
Additionally, we have our amateurs in common. They are our hard working, fun loving, competitive core. Our requirements for an amateur card closely follows other large breed associations. NASMA is equally proud of our Novice and Silver classes.
Shirley Kerr and Rock a Dial Doc
Shirley Kerr and her junior mule, Rock a Dial Doc, have been tearing up the amateur classes the last couple of years. Shirley found herself in the position of no longer being a show mom and wanted a challenge. She knew she wanted to be able to slow down and do a lot of trail riding.
It was in 2011 that she found her first mule and performed amazingly on the trails. She found a true bond with an animal that loved to learn. 2012 was her first show at the Great Celebration Mule and Donkey show in Shelbyville, TN. This year she added English classes to her Western all around schedule and found her newest challenge.
"Mules are very unique and loving. I cherish the large mule family that I have grown to know. I have enjoyed showing as an Amateur and Silver Amateur these last seven years. It has been a very rewarding experience and I plan to continue showing through my senior years".
Becca Garrett of Garrett Mammoth Jackstock
On the other end of our Amateur spectrum is Becca Garrett. Becca has only been an Amateur for the last two years after a distinguished youth career on both mules and donkeys.
For Becca, becoming an Amateur was natural considering she was born into the Garrett Mammoth Jackstock family. One of the biggest challenges for Becca is balancing riding, training her own stock and showing while enrolled in college. Her parents, Bill and Gina, continue to help take care of her animals until she can resume their care on weekends and breaks.
Becca considers herself a very competitive person and sees every obstacle as an aspect of riding, and training as an opportunity to teach her mount something new, even when trail riding or checking fences. "I’ve often been asked why I ride a mule or donkey rather than a horse. Before going to college my answer was, its just what I’ve always done. But I went to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for my first two years of school and I was on the NEO Equestrian Team as well as the Horse Judging Team both coached by the very talented Amanda Burrows Jones. We rode horses that were either donated or leased to the school. I enjoy riding of all kinds but I can now confidently say that I 100% prefer mules and donkeys over horses. Horses tend to get spooked and do dumb thing like buck or run while a donkey in the same situation would assess the situation and take the easiest and safest route out. Donkeys and mules aren’t going to put themselves in a situation to get hurt so therefore they won’t get you hurt either".
Those are two of our Amateurs. Have I mentioned the rest are some of the best people I've ever met? Give us a call and let us show you our world.
NASMA is as multi-faceted as the more well known stock horse breeds.
Becca Garrett
Shirley Kerr