THE POSTA MEDIA GENERAL MAGAZINE

At work

Horse sitter

Industry snapshot

See how Mechanicsville mannailed his dream job

Who’ll watchthe farm?

Guess how manyhorses Virginia

has now?

Page 10

Page 11

Page 8

Fall 2008

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3FALL 2008 WELCOME

For Horse Lovers in Virginia

Vol. 1 Fall 2008 No. 1

The Post is a publication of Media General Operations Inc.

Douglas A. Forshey Publisher

(804) 649-6998dforshey@mediageneral.com

Joan Hughes Editor

(804) 512-4373ThePost@mediageneral.com

Send your editorial comments and story ideas to Joan.

Skip Rowland Staff Photographer

(804) 512-2402skip@skippix.biz

Contributing WritersAndrea HeidJoan Hughes

Roshun PovaiahAubrey SimpsonToms VargheseSaheem Wani

Advertising SalesPam Sanders

Sales Manager (804) 380-8011

psanders@mediageneral.com

The Post will be published quarterly in 2009 by Media General Operations, Inc., 333 East Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219. The magazine is distributed free of charge in central and western Virginia. This publication is copyright 2008 Media General Opera-tions, Inc. All editorial materials are fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without our written consent. Questions regarding the content should be directed to the publisher.

The Post is published in partnership with the Virginia Horse Industry Board. For more information about the Virginia horse industry or the VHIB, visit www.vhib.org.

On the cover: In this July, 2007 Richmond Times-Dispatch photo, Dreaming of Anna checks out her surroundings at Colonial Downs in New Kent County while waiting to compete in the Virginia Oaks. She won the race. (Photo by Bruce Parker)

Media General is a multimedia company operating leading newspapers, television sta-tions and online enterprises primarily in the Southeastern United States. The company’s publishing assets include three metropolitan newspapers, The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; 22 daily community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; and more than 150 weekly news-papers and other publications. The company’s broadcasting assets include 23 network-affiliated television stations that reach more than 32 percent of the television households in the Southeast and nearly 9.5 percent of those in the United States. The company’s interactive media assets include more than 75 online enterprises that are associated with its newspapers and television stations. Media General also owns a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Company, a manufacturer of recycled newsprint.

This special section was produced by Mindworks Global Media Services, the leading provider of editorial support services to newspapers and magazines worldwide. Web site: www.mindworksglobal.com. Contact Donna Anastasio at donna.anastasio@mindworksglobal.com.

THE POST

FALL 2008WELCOME 4

Greetings to everyone attend-ing the 2008 Virginia Equine Extravaganza. On behalf of the Virginia Horse Industry Board, I

hope your weekend here is both entertaining and educational. Enjoy the beautiful exhibi-tions, learn from the experienced clinicians and seminar leaders, browse the vendors as you look for tack and care innovations for you and your horses, and network with other members of the industry. The Virginia Horse Industry Board (VHIB)

is pleased to return to the Extravaganza and continues to work for you — a member of Virginia’s vast equine industry. Supported by funding from Coggins Test fees and equine feed checkoff monies, the VHIB is committed to the education and promotion of the indus-try in the commonwealth. Since 1995, when it was first created, the board has awarded more than $1 million in grants — reinvesting these monies back into Virginia’s $1.6 billion equine industry. We hope you find this first edition of The

Post informative and educational. The VHIB is supporting this publication and is working with Media General to have similar editions produced and distributed with major newspa-pers throughout the state in 2009. The goal is to provide more information on the industry — and the people in the industry — and to encourage both adults and young people to join and support Virginia’s equine industry. With some 215,000 horses and more than 41,000 horse operations, Virginia boasts a diversity of breeds and disciplines. Virginia also has a long-standing relationship with horses — with the first horses arriving in 1610 — and that tradition continues. Owners enjoy their horses whether trail riding, work-ing in the dressage ring, helping their child with the first pony, awaiting the birth of foals, or numerous other equine activities. Virginia owners are passionate about their horses. No matter how many new technologies evolve, or how quickly things change, one thing will not — Virginia Is for Horse Lovers. Enjoy the show and stop by the Virginia Horse Industry Board booth (No. 215-217) in Richmond Hall. Let us hear your opinion about The Post or visit ourWeb site, www.vhib.org.

Andrea Heid Program Manager Virginia Horse Industry Board

Virginia Horse Industry Board Program Manager Andrea Heid shows off her horse Poquita, a purebred Andalusian mare.

VirginiA owners Are

PAssionAte About tHeir Horses

FALL 2008 PROFILE5

CATCHING UP WITH

GLENN PETTYWarrenton man’s world now revolves around more than just horses

See page 6

By Roshun Povaiah

Meet Glenn Petty. At 51, he’s done vir-tually everything there is to do with horses except, he said, ride them pro-fessionally.

“We rode as kids in horse shows, but that was probably it. My sister was a much better rider,” Petty said.

Now he’s executive director of the Virginia Thor-oughbred Association and chairman of the Virginia Horse Industry Board.

Petty grew up on a horse farm in Fauquier County and got into horses around age 6. “My father was in the Army serving at the Pentagon. We had a couple of broodmares and a few racehorses on our farm. We did horse shows, 4-H, a little fox-hunting. We did all the work from mending the fences to cutting the grass.

FALL 2008PROFILE 6

PeoPLe wiLL sPenD MoneY on

tHe Horse beFore tHeY FeeD

tHeMseLVes

From page 5

Glenn Petty shares a moment with Merry Legs. Petty is Virginia Thorough-bred Association executive director and Virginia Horse Industry Board chairman.

“I got a lot of experience from the ground up,” Petty said.

However, it wasn’t until Petty finished college with a degree in journalism that he happened on a career in horses. He used to announce horse shows in the summer around Fauquier and Loudoun coun-ties. He would also take pictures and compile show results for the local community newspapers. This landed him a job as horse sports editor for the Fau-quier Times-Democrat.

“It was the perfect job. I knew the business and I knew journalism. I made something like $6,000 a year or something crazy back in 1980,” Petty said. But it didn’t last too long.

After about 90 days, he walked into the office of Ernest Oare. The well-known horseman was looking for an executive director for the VTA in Warrenton, where Petty was (and still is) living. He got the job.

Now he’s on his third stint as the organization’s executive director, this latest beginning in 2001. In between, he’s started a horse insurance agency, worked as a bloodstock agent, managed racing, broodmare and stallion share syndicates and worked

for the Maryland Jockey Club which owns Laurel and Pimlico.

Though the horse industry has its fundraising challenges, Petty said it remains somewhat insulated from the current economic crisis.

“I think one of the won-derful things about the horse business is that peo-ple will spend money on the horse before they feed themselves. It’s amazing how passionate horse peo-ple are. If we get stuck in a three or four year period, it will take a pretty good bite out of the industry,” Petty said. “It gives me another good reason for not buying a pony for my daughter anytime soon,” he laughed.

In fact, it’s Petty’s 9-year-old daughter, Anna Ga-lina, who’s the rider in the family, taking lessons to complement her gymnastics. Her 6-year-old brother, William Anatoly (called Toly), isn’t interested in horses yet.

Petty got into fatherhood late, adopting both his children from Russia with wife Amy, Fauquier Health marketing director. He said he now has very little time for horses, as he’s busy with his children’s football, baseball, soccer, gymnastics, school and

other activities. Petty says renowned

Virginia horseman Noel Twyman gave him the best horse advice he’s ever re-ceived: “One time at a year-ling sale, he told me to look at a horse from the feet up so as not to be influenced by a pretty top line or a fancy pedigree. He was absolutely

right,” Petty said.Over the years, Petty has owned racehorses, syndi-

cated them and participated in various partnerships. Petty said at one time, he and some associates owned and managed about $12 million in horses.

“At one point I was in it up to my eyeballs. It’s something I learned in the [19]80s. Misery loves

FALL 2008

Challenges facing the horse industry

Throughout Glenn Petty’s career with horses

the challenges have remained much the same.

“The interesting thing about the horse in-

dustry in Virginia is that the recreational horse

industry is growing extremely well. But the

business component of it is shrinking for a va-

riety of reasons. One of the biggest is competi-

tion from other states,” Petty said.

Neighboring states like Maryland, West

Virginia and Pennsylvania offer greater incen-

tives to breeders. Those respective states pay

generous bonuses when horses bred in their

states win. The key challenge, he said, is finding

resources to raise more money for the Virginia

Breeders Fund.

Finding resources is a common problem

throughout Virginia’s horse industry, accord-

ing to Petty. “There’s a lot of money spent on

the horses but not a lot of money spent on the

advocacy portion,” he said.

“There are 5.3 million people in Maryland,

who wager $400 million a year on Thorough-

bred racing. This gives their breeders’ group

1 percent of that money which is $4 million to

spend on breeding programs. In Virginia, we

have 7.5 million people who bet $120 million

a year on racing, giving us just $1.2 million to

spend on the program,” Petty said.

One problem is that there are just nine

satellite wagering facilities, and none north of

Richmond, for racing in Virginia compared to

more than 2,000 outlets for the state lottery,

Petty said.

“The horse-racing industry is a funny mar-

riage of agriculture, animal husbandry and

gambling. And it is the gambling that pays for

the agriculture and the animal husbandry. In

Virginia, we have had some issues getting our

arms around the gambling part of it,” Petty

said.

Amy, Toly, Anna Galina (on Merry Legs,the horse she is learning to ride on), and Glenn Petty.

PROFILE7

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. Contact Glenn Petty at vta@vabred.org or (540) 347-4313.

company and it’s great to celebrate when you win so I’m an advocate of owning horses in partnerships,” Petty said.

His most memorable moment in horseracing was when Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. “It’s a John Kennedy, space shuttle, 9/11 moment. You can never forget that,” Petty said.

A career highlight was opening day at Colonial Downs in September 1997. “I was speechless, and that’s saying something. I had been working every day for three months to help get it open and it was very gratifying,” Petty said. He was working for the Maryland Jockey Club and “everybody did every-thing in the last three weeks.”

It’s his passion for horses that keeps Petty at the VTA for the third time. “At the end of the day, it’s probably just the horses that keep me going. It’s the horses and the fact that I always want them to here,” Petty said.

INDusTRY sNAPshOT 8

By Toms Varghese

The equine industry plays a bigger role in Virginia’s economy than people may real-ize. Key to understanding the industry’s significance is the 2006 Virginia Equine Survey Report.

The survey report reveals that in 2006, 15,600 horses were sold in Virginia, generating $107.3 mil-lion. These sales place horses as Virginia’s sixth larg-est agricultural commodity based on cash receipts.

There were 41,000 equine operations throughout the commonwealth in 2006, up 41 percent from 2001 (year of the last survey), and their value on Nov. 1, 2006 was $1.65 billion, up 13 percent from June 1, 2001, according to the report.

The Virginia Horse Industry Board, responsible for promotion and economic development of Virgin-ia’s horse industry, helped fund the survey. It was conducted by the Virginia Field Office of the Na-

tional Agricultural Statistics Service. Based on the survey results, Virginia Horse In-

dustry Board Program Manager Andrea Heid said the board plans to explore new ways to promote Virginia’s horse industry and to continue to spear-head its growth.

She said the growth of the industry since the first survey in 2001 is the most striking feature of the new report. “We went from 170,000 hors-es to 215,000 in five years. That’s a growth of 26 percent,” she said.

David Mueller, deputy director of the Vir-ginia Field Office of the National Agricul-tural Statistics Service, said the report will be used by the state and local govern-ments to make decisions that affect the equine industry.

Those wanting to learn more about the industry may find the report useful as

may equine associations. Mueller said businesses that provide sup-

plies and services to the equine sector will also find the survey very helpful.

Heid believes the survey will be used by all seg-ments of the horse industry: “The individual busi-ness owner who’s thinking about expanding his business, a farmer who is growing hay for horses gets to know there are good buyers for his hay in the industry and horse owners may find it helpful in working with their local government.”

However, conducting the survey was not easy.

“We constructed a list of horse owners that lived in Virginia. Since we know that a list is never complete, we also surveyed some 360 land areas in the state for horse owners who were not on our list. We calculat-ed the expansions from both sources to arrive at our estimate. Horses accounted for by people on our list

2006 Equine Survey Reportshows them at 215,000

NuMBER OF hORsEs IN VIRGINIA JuMPs

VirginiA equine oPerAtions sPent

$783 MiLLion in 2006 cAring For Horses

FALL 2008

FALL 2008

NuMBER OF hORsEs IN VIRGINIA JuMPs9

For a copy of the survey report:

Visit the Virginia Horse Industry Board Web

site at www.vhib.org or download it via www.

nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Virginia/

Publications/Equine/index.asp.

Or call the Virginia Field Office of the National

Agricultural Statistics Service at (804) 771-2493.

INDusTRY sNAPshOT

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. To contact Andrea Heid at the Virginia Horse Industry Board call (804) 786-5842 or visit www.vhib.org.

plus horses owned by people not on our list as found in the area equals total horses,” Mueller said.

One notable finding of the survey was that spend-ing on equine activities increased from 2001. Vir-ginia equine operations spent $783 million during 2006 caring for horses, compared to $505 million during 2001. The most money went toward feed and bedding at $99.6 million. Equipment purchases were at $92 million, followed by labor expenses at $74 million, capital improvements at $72.6 and equine purchases at $63.6 million. Expenses covering up-keep-related items accounted for 77 percent of all expenses, according to the survey.

The next equine survey is scheduled to be con-ducted in 2011 with the results expected in 2013.

“It would be ideal to have it [the survey] done on a yearly or every two-year basis. But there’s an awful lot of work involved, lots of data has to be gathered getting people’s names and addresses. It has to be checked, interpreted by the statistical service and the real bottom-line is the cost. It is too cost-prohibi-tive unless we get a corporate sponsor. We are really grateful that we now have the support of the Gen-eral Assembly in getting this done every five years,” Heid said.

FALL 2008AT WORK 10

By Saheem Wani

his life is all about hands and feet; far-rier hands shaping and trimming horses’ hoofs. Farriery, from the word ferrum or iron, is an ancient art, and farrier Chat Dodd is an artist of iron.

The 28-year-old Mechanicsville resident’s job pri-marily consists of trimming a horse’s hoofs, balanc-ing the foot at a correct angle from the ground, and finally shoeing the hoofs. It also includes dealing with injured or diseased hoofs.

“Many people have a tough time selecting their career, but luckily for me, I always knew I had to be-come a farrier. Ever since I’ve known myself, I’ve known horses,” he said.

After graduating high school, Dodd attended Ken-tucky Horseshoeing School and then worked as an apprentice in Virginia for four years. “For anyone as-piring to become a farrier, both are necessary. While school teaches you everything from basic horseshoe-ing techniques to the advanced anatomy of equine limbs and veterinary science, working as an appren-tice gives you field experience, which you need be-fore you can start your own business.”

After completing his apprenticeship, Dodd started

his own business. From racehorses and rodeo horses to trail horses, Dodd can shoe them all. His fees gen-erally range from around $110 per horse.

Dodd divides his time between work, his farm, his 22 horses (mostly quarter horses and some paints) and his family (wife Roxanne, who trail rides, and daughters ages 11 and 16 months). “Though it’s sometimes hard to balance the personal and profes-sional fronts, the feeling that someone is waiting for

you at home is awe-some,” Dodd said.

Dodd’s job has its highs and lows. He re-called the time he shod a horse expected to go to the Olympics when it had an accident and died. “These are life’s ways of teaching you wisdom. There’s joy

when people love your work; in fact, word-of-mouth has worked as the best advertisement for me. And there is a dream of doing what I am doing, 20 years from now, and loving it as much then as now.”

IF THE SHOE FITs...Mechanicsville man has always known he was going to be a farrier

In farriery, experience plays as important a role as learning techniques and equine anatomy at the horseshoeing school.

FArrier cHAt DoDD is An Artist oF iron. FroM roDeo Horses to rAceHorses, He cAn sHoe tHeM ALL

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. To contact Chat Dodd call (804) 677-9651.

By Saheem Wani

The best horses are mothered into glory. They are broken over time and need con-stant care. Or else, thousands of dollars and dreams could go to waste. So when they want or need to get away, horse own-

ers worry who they can get to take care of their ani-mals.

This can affect vacations and other outings.But people like Paula Almond offer hope. A year ago, the 36-year-old Powhatan resident

started Horse & Hound. Owner of three horses and 11 dogs, Almond believes in “treating thy horse as thou wouldst treat thyself.”

“Love for horses is a prerequisite for this profes-sion. This and your experience in handling various types of horses are the criteria that determine your horse-sitting worth. Unlike farriery or other horse-related pursuits, there is no formal training or certi-fied course for horse-sitting,” Almond said.

Almond started thinking about working in the horse industry when she was 28.

“I would accompany my elder daughter when she started riding at 6. I had some experience in dealing with horses but this was different. Just being there made me realize how much I wanted to be there for good. My transformation from a passive [horse]

lover to an active participant in the equine world had begun.”

The gap between hors-ing around and starting

a business later closed.“My family had

planned a vacation and I had a terri-ble time trying to

figure out who would take care of my horses. They are large animals so people tend to get intimidated. In such cases, one prefers a professional. After a ha-rassing search stretching over several days, I was unable to find any. I found that I wasn’t the lone suf-ferer; many horse owners were in a similar fix.

“Naturally, the idea of starting a horse-sitting business emerged,” she said. When her children were in school and after contemplating a return to a previous office job, she “realized the idea and scope of a horse sitter.”

“Most of my friends envy me. They are ani-mal lovers stuck in 9-to-6 jobs. Some, in-

cluding my daughter, plan to become horse sitters. It is easy to start your own business. All you have to do is apply for a license [a business license from

the county] and get insured [for liabil-ity and accidents]. You don’t even need

to be bonded. It is the appeal of being around horses and getting paid for it at the

same time that makes horse-sitting irre-

sistible.” Almond’s fees vary according to a client’s needs.

The basic fee is $23 per visit for feeding two horses. That increases for extra horses or additional services such as brushing and grooming or cleaning stalls.

“I stick to Powhatan and its surrounding counties which include Chesterfield, Amelia, Goochland and Cumberland,” Almond said.

Almond has support from her husband as she jug-gles home, children (ages 14, 10 and 4) and horses. He “shares half my chores. He takes care of the kids when I’m away. Without my family rooting for me all the time, I could not have come this far,” she said.

Powhatan woman can step in when you want to step out

LoVe For Horses is A Prerequisite For tHe ProFession oF

A Horse sitter

hORsE sITTER11

WHO’LL WATCH ThE hORsEs?

Tips on working with a horse sitter

Set up a consultation. Provide instructions in writing. Be prepared to provide contact and

veterinarian information. Provide extra keys to the house and

“triple-check” that they work. Check in with the horse sitter periodi-

cally when you are away. Before leaving make sure there are am-

ple supplies of hay, feed and shavings and other materials needed to do the work.

FALL 2008

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. To contact Paula Almond call (804) 403-3463 or (804) 837-3517 or e-mail her at pmalmond@verizon.net.

With the help of her daughter Erin, Paula Almond leads Smooch (from left), Slinger and Whiskey on her farm in Powhatan. Below: Paula Almond and Slinger.

FALL 2008hORsE RADIO 12

By Toms Varghese

Carol Holden couldn’t help laughing as she recalled the first episode of “Trackside” back in April 1988.

“I had done television interviews [but] I had never done radio work before.

This was a little station in West Virginia. Someone bumped on the leg of a table and the microphone and all our notes were falling over. [Our guest] was the only person with radio experience and he just kept talking while we all tried to keep the show going.”

Twenty years later, Holden and co-host Sam Huff are still going strong with the hour long show on Thoroughbreds. “We’re glad we could keep going with it,” Holden said. “It’s been great to have so many top people from the industry coming for our interviews, to see the industry progress and to do a

fine job getting knowledge and information out of people interested in Thoroughbreds.”

The “Trackside” audience is “anybody that’s inter-ested in horses,” Huff said.

Holden comes from a family that was in the horse business and she developed her love of horses early in life. Huff is from a coal-mining family. He is a Pro Football Hall of Fame member who later became interested in the horse industry.

Huff came up with idea for “Trackside,” Holden said. “We put on the West Virginia Breeders Clas-sics, which is a showcase for West Virginia horses. Through Sam’s contact in radio and television in Washington, Channel 9 came out to [cover] the first year we did the Breeders Classics in 1987. They interviewed me, and Sam saw the interview and thought that I handled it very well. My whole life revolves around horses and he came up with the idea

For many years, Sam Huff and Carol Holden have been talking horse to Northern Virginia-area radio listeners

RIGHT ON

TRACK

that if I talked about horses all the time, I might as well get paid to do it.”

Holden and Huff started “Trackside” radio from a small studio in Charles Town, W.Va. They also did the show for a couple of years from Warrenton. This continued until they got their own studio, Middleburg Broadcasting Network, in Middleburg in 1995.

“Having our own studio, our own engineer and our own equipment has been a great thing as we didn’t have to deal with the idiosyncrasies of small private stations,” Holden said.

“Trackside” isn’t just about handicapping races. The show provides coverage on local, national and international racing events, Holden said. “The ma-jority of the programs about racing are about handi-capping. We deal with industry issues and the people [involved] and what is happening in the world of racing.”

Holden has been to Dubai to cover the Dubai World Cup and has done shows from England, France and Ireland. (The international shows she does live by phone.) “We’re trying to cover the entire racing in-dustry,” Holden said.

A lot of preparation goes into every show. Holden said she tries to keep in tune with the major happen-ings in the industry.

“I do a lot of reading. I go through Thoroughbred Daily News every day and Daily Racing Form and

all info on the Internet. If there is a major happening I try to keep up with it.

“Sam and I are also involved in the industry. Like we said, we do the West Virginia Breeders Classics and we also breed and race horses. So we have a lot of personal contacts also.”

“Nobody knows more about horses than Carol Holden,” Huff said. “She can tell you the first one that stepped off the boat from Europe. She is amaz-ing. She has a great memory for horses. I’ve never seen anybody like her.”

Running a show for 20 years can have its chal-lenges, including maintaining listener interest.

“We try to have different guests and topics,” Hold-en said. “We cover issues such as medication and safety, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and new careers for horses.” The show also gives infor-mation about trainers running horses in major races.

“Trackside” has a casual approach that Holden said comes naturally. “It’s something like sitting at the kitchen table [and chatting]. It just kind of hap-pened. Just kind of the way we are normally.”

13

we’re trYing to coVer tHe

entire rAcing inDustrY

-CAROL HOLDEN

noboDY knows More About

Horses tHAn cAroL HoLDen... sHe HAs A greAt MeMorY For

Horses-SAM HUFF

FALL 2008 hORsE RADIO

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. Contact Carol Holden or Sam Huff via e-mail at wvbcmbn@verizon.net or call (540) 687-8000.

To hear ‘Trackside’

The listening area for “Trackside” and “Track-

side Daily,” a two-minute show Carol Holden

hosts Monday through Friday, is Northern Vir-

ginia, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia

(Charles Town, Martinsburg, Berkeley Springs)

and up into Maryland, Holden said.

Listen to “trackside” saturdays on the

following stations:

WTFX-AM 610 (Winchester): 7-8 a.m.

WAGE-AM 1200 (Leesburg): 7:05-8 a.m.

WEPM-AM 1340 (Martinsburg, W.Va.):

6:05-7 a.m.

WRNR-AM 740 (Martinsburg, W.Va.): 7:05-8 a.m.

For audio downloads of current and recent “Trackside” and

“Trackside Daily” programs visit www.tracksideonradio.com.

FALL 2008shOW TIME 14

By Aubrey Simpson Courtesy of EquuSSource

As one of the few African-American train-ers on the horse show circuit, Junior Johnson has been a pioneer in bringing diversity into the ring.

“I’ve been working with horses all my life, basically ever since I was big enough to work with them. My dad worked with horses and that’s how I first got inter-ested. You could say that it’s part of our family tradition. My son DJ, 25, competes as well as teaches les-sons. He’s really good and doing very well. A grandson is com-ing along and getting into horses like DJ did,” said Johnson, 56.

When asked if his wife, Jackie, or his daughter Tonya compete, the Goochland County resident laughed. “No, neither of them ride. I guess it’s a fam-ily tradition that just interests the men.”

Starting in the mid-1970s, Johnson worked and trained with Kenneth Wheeler for 10 years at Cis-mont Manor Farm in Charlottesville. “I worked with the best, Kenneth Wheeler. He’s the person to learn from. I re-ally respect him and he gives me a lot of respect. I stood back and watched him and I learned a lot. But, I tell you what, he’s tough to compete against.”

There is no denying how much John-son has achieved as a trainer and han-dler. His career really started in the early 1990s while working for the for-mer Amber Lake Farm in Manakin Sabot. He won his first class ever at

the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania with Secret Blade in 1994. That horse, and others, have won con-sistently for Johnson.

Over the last couple of years, Johnson’s abilities have garnered him quite a reputation and numer-ous impressive wins. For example, in 2006 alone, at various shows, the horses he handled received Best Young Horse titles 13 times and reserve Best Young Horse titles 11 times. At the Devon Horse Show and

at the Keswick Horse Show, horses he han-dled won Best Yearling awards. Then he won the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association Yearling Futurity and was Leading Handler at the International Hunter

Futurity Eastern Regional competition in Warrenton and at the Sallie B. Wheeler East Coast Champion-ship, also in Warrenton. In addition, Johnson was Leading Handler at the International Hunter Futurity Finals in Kentucky.

Many more honors have followed.“This is a very competitive sport,

but I like a challenge. You have to pay your dues and eventually horse people and the judges get to know you and the quality of your work. When I first started back in the [19]90s, I was the only African-American trainer on the circuit. At first it was a tough row, but people are com-ing around. Today, there are two of us, plus a couple of jumpers, and more African-Americans

are becoming interested in the sport. Things have really changed

through the years and I hope that I have helped to make it easier for

minorities to make their mark in the sport I love.”

A MAN OF MANY FIRsTs Goochland County trainer brings experience and diversity to the show ring Johnson explains what makes a

trainer successful:

good horses and good customers: “I mainly

work with show hunters, show-in-hand horses,

and train ponies. People know I have good

horses. You have to know what to look for.

There’s no such thing as a perfect horse, but

you want them to be as perfect as they can be.

“Boarding and training horses from all

around the country, I get some top quality

horses. If it weren’t for the quality of the hors-

es, I wouldn’t be where I am today. This is an

expensive sport; you have to have good cus-

tomers and backers. I’ve been lucky to have

great customers from all over the country.

“Once you have good customers you have

to find strong contenders if you want to be

successful. You look for horses with good

dispositions. Then they need to show good

movement and good coordination; you can

see it in the build of the horse or pony. Horses

and ponies are pretty much the same, the only

difference being their size.”

time and patience: “The second thing a

trainer needs is to be patient and willing to

take the time to work with the horse or pony.

When you first enter a horse into the ring

they get real quiet. They’re afraid. You can’t

just go in there and expect them to perform.

The main thing I do is to put them on a longe

line and teach them to walk, trot and canter. I

groom them and work with them so that they

get comfortable being in the public. You get

them used to being around people, get them

used to people handling them all the time. You

handle them a lot and they work better.”

The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. To contact Junior Johnson call (804) 901-7234.

tHis is A VerY coMPetitiVe

sPort, but i Like A cHALLenge.

FALL 2008 PROFILE15

THE HORSE

INsuRER

Hassle Free Mortality program It costs an average of 3.5 percent of the

value of a horse for mortality insurance (a client must have this to get medical/surgical coverage). This program is for horses up to $30,000 in value. There is a minimum mortal-ity premium of $200 for horses with a value of less than $6,000. For medical/surgical coverage there is a flat

set premium (as opposed to a percentage of the value of the horse) of $319. Liability coverage with a $1 million limit

is $85. So, insurance for a year for a horse valued at $10,000 would cost $754 ($350 mortality plus $319 medical/surgical plus $85 liability).

More on Mary Ann KeanPhilosophy: “You need to enjoy the opportu-nities given to you and be grateful for them.”what people would be surprised to learn: “I don’t like to travel but I do it all the time.”career highlights: “The time I flew from the States to England with three horses. They were horses we insured and they were going to England for training.”Another career highlight: “Probably being part

of the Deep Run Horse Show [in Manakin Sab-ot] for more than 30 years and managing it for more than 20 years. To be involved with that part of Virginia’s horse history.” (Kean said the Deep Run Horse Show is probably more than 50 years old and the Deep Run Hunt Club was established more than 100 years ago.) best horse advice ever received: “Stop when you’ve made progress.”

Richmonder Mary Ann Keanhas been dispensing advice onhorse insurance for 20-plus years

By Joan Hughes

You could call Mary Ann Kean a “Dear Abby” of horse insurance.As director of mortality underwriting for the Glen Allen-based Markel Insurance Co., Kean said potential and existing

clients call her for advice associated with such matters as buying a horse, the birth of a horse and claims. “All the different horse people have common concerns and problems,” said Kean, a licensed property and casualty agent and a Markel employee for more than 20 years. As director of mortality underwriting, Kean is in charge of the mortality programs Markel offers. People need equine insurance “to protect themselves in the event of a loss – the same reason you buy any kind of insurance,” Kean said. A big misconception, and the big difference between health insurance for people and horses, Kean said, is that people think horses are covered for pre-existing conditions when they are generally only covered the first time there is a problem, such as founder, West Nile Virus or EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis). Kean also plays the role of a “Dear Abby” to a large group of equine specialist agents out in the field. “By providing resources, backup, supporting services, etc., we [Markel’s Agriculture Department] enable these specialists to focus their time and energy by being out with horse owners at the horse shows and events. “These specialists are well-known horse experts in all breeds and disciplines and are the foundation of our program and service to horse owners,” Kean said. When Kean is not dispensing advice she’s

traveling to horse events, which she said she does 12 to 15 times a year for Markel, a specialty insurance provider. “We service our clients. We prospect new business,” Kean said. The contact with the different types of horse people and the different types of events are what Kean said she enjoys most about her job. But, if one wants to do business with Markel via the Internet, that’s also an option. “We’re the only company I know of where you can get immediate mortality coverage online,” Kean said. The Hassle Free Mortality program “will package it all together for you.”

“It will package your mortality and your medical and your liability” for a one-horse owner, Kean said. “It’s for horses up to $30,000 in value and there are a lot of those out there.” The Standard All Risk Mortality & Theft program, which has an online application, tends to be for more expensive horses and/or those with a pre-existing condition, according to Kean. The Post welcomes feedback and story ideas. To contact us, e-mail ThePost@mediageneral.com or call Joan Hughes at (804) 512-4373. Contact Mary Ann Kean at (800) 446-7925, ext. 1667 or mkean@markelcorp.com. Visit Markel’s Web site at www.horseinsurance.com.