Does this sound familiar? Cathy says she has no time for hobbies as she – eats, sleeps and dreams horses – Quarter Horses of courses!!!!!! She started showing Tabu On You (Tabi), four years ago in Novice Amateur events. Cathy hadn’t anticipated entering the show ring, but when her daughter Laura decided to take a break from showing, Cathy was told that Tabi was too good a horse to become “a horse of leisure” - SO would she sell Tabi or ride her? In the two years Laura had shown Tabi, Cathy had never ridden her, but she just couldn’t sell her.

Tabi had been strictly a western pleasure horse and when Cathy first started riding her, she couldn’t get her to move out of a slow jog. After many hours, days and years (4) – Cathy with the help of trainer Blair Woodley, have turned Tabi into a great all around horse. And Cathy adds that Blair still has some hair left. Cathy was the 2005 Ontario High Point All Around Novice Amateur and won many individual show high-point novice awards. In 2006, Cathy and Tabi were Area 3 Reserve Champions in Amateur Western Pleasure and Area 3 Champions in Novice Amateur - Western Pleasure, Trail and Western Riding.

Cathy will be showing in Select Amateur classes this show season and is really looking forward to the new challenge. She enjoys all the classes, but says her favourites are Trail and Western Riding. In 2006, she showed at the Quarter Horse Congress and says she will never forget the scary feeling she experienced prior to her class. In 2001, Laura was a member of the EOQHA Youth team competing at the Congress and she had told her mom how nerve racking it was showing in the Coliseum. Cathy had called Laura the night before her class and told her she was fine, but that all changed the next day when she wanted to die before entering the ring. With a good amount of encouragement Cathy made it into her class.

Cathy, her husband Garry Frederick and Laura live in Val Caron which is close to Sudbury. They have 2 King Charles Spaniels and a Pomeranian, Baxter that travels to the shows with them. Cathy is a buyer for Metalac Sudbury Inc. where she has worked for 18 years. Living up north has some advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages for Cathy is that she is close to trainer Blair Woodley and his family. They have been great to show and travel with for the last two years. The disadvantage is the distance they travel to the shows – between 4 and 7 hours one way. Cathy and Garry love the shows – so they don’t mind the time they spend on the road. Garry enjoys the horse shows just as much as Cathy!! Laura will be joining them at the shows this year with her 3-year old, One Hot Fudge Sundae currently in training with Blair for Hunter Under Saddle.

There is a great team effort that goes into Cathy’s show success. Garry is a tremendous support, Laura looks after their boarding facility when Cathy and Garry are away, Blair is a wonderful trainer and friend and the entire Woodley family always offers encouragement. A big thank you to all of them for making everything possible.

Cathy’s goal is to show at the Select Worlds. She says that it is a dream and with the support of family and friends and a great horse to show – any dream is possible. You never know!!!

Good luck in the Select classes in 2007 and don’t you know a woman should never reveal her age?