Judi resides in Chelmsford, a small town 20 minutes north of Sudbury Ontario. To have Sherry Newbigging tell it “you must flip the map of Ontario OVER” to find the Woodleys. Judi and her husband of 26 years Blair (who she met at a horse show) have two children Justin and Jenna. They run a small boarding facility with 10 stalls and an arena (very necessary in order to survive the long cold winters), in addition Blair and Judi both hold down full time jobs.

Their Australian Shepherd Jake ranks highest in the family pet hierarchy followed closely behind by their former stallion Tomboy Command. They also have a Yorkshire Terrier, which most of the Woodley’s horse show friends have not met. The “Princess” spends much of the horse show day lounging on the top bunk of their trailer.

Judi started showing at a young age on the hunter/jumper, pony club circuit. She then progressed to showing WHA and the Northern Ontario Quarter Horse Show (yes folks there was a time when Sudbury actually had a Quarter Horse Show). In 1992, they hauled to the Ontario shows with her grey mare “Sheza Star Bars” fondly remembered as “Cupcake” purchased from Rick Skelly of Wisconsin. That year, Judi was the “High Point All Around Novice Amateur” for Ontario and Justin and Jenna were Reserve High Point in Walk/Jog and High Point in Lead Line. They lost Cupcake that winter when she broke her leg in a pasture accident. Judi went through many horses before she started to show on the quarter horse circuit again in 2004 with the purchase of Total Intrest (Elwood) through Diane Howe from his breeder Donna Zeigler.

Last year, she was fortunate to share Elwood with Jenna - she showed in Novice Amateur classes and Judi showed in Amateur Classes. As Elwood has a busy mind he is happiest doing more – so he was entered in as many classes as possible and even began his western riding career with his trainer and my husband Blair. They all had a very successful year and Judi will miss not sharing Elwood with Jenna as she always had him braided and ready to go. Not to mention that she will now have to compete against Jenna!!

Judi tells a great story of her most vivid horse show memory - not necessarily the best memory, but certainly the funniest looking back on the day. “While I was running for High Point Novice in 1992, it was pretty much a neck in neck race with another competitor. Each show we were one upping the other by a point or two so neither one of us would miss a show. We were in Orono and the rain was teeming down – we had to show on the race track as the rain had turned the ring into a mud bath. At this point the other girl and I were tied in points and I approached her to withdraw from the day, as we were the only two still showing in the novices classes on account of the rain. She refused saying she would show anyway. Well I could not just let her walk away with those Ontario points so we showed – by the end of the day the rain had penetrated my rain cap and sent black dye from my hat down my head through my blonde hair, down my back on my white show shirt and over my grey horse’s hind end. It cost me $150.00 for a new hat, $50.00 for a new shirt (no bling back then), $200.00 to have my hair stripped of the black stripe and my mare had to wait months to get out of her stripes - but earning those extra points that day was priceless.”

Judi says, “What I love most about showing is the friends and acquaintances we have met over the years. The fact that my kids are now 23 and 20 and still want to go to shows with us is proof that horse shows are a great family sport!”

Thanks Judi for sharing your great horse show memory!!! May the sun always shine on your horse show days – shirts are way more expensive 25 years later!