Arizona in the Saddle

“Life without ACTHA, I Don’t Think So”
Jody Childs ACTHA Ride Host
By Jen Wenzel
Noted American author Henry David Thoreau wrote
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his
dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has
imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in
common hours”. And how successful and unexpected
would Jody Childs’ life become, after she attended her
first ACTHA ride in April 2010.
Like many of our sports greatest riders and teachers
Jody grew up on the back of a horse. Mature beyond her
years she started teaching lessons at the tender age of
thirteen at Michel Manesco Stables in Los Angeles, and
taught continuously throughout college. For a number of
years Jody followed her chosen career in banking, while
returning to competition as an amateur on the A Circuit
competing in Hunter/Jumpers. Marriage to a fellow
equestrian and the subsequent birth of her daughter
in 1991 led Jody back to part time work as a riding
instructor. In 1994 Jody started her own training business
“Jody’s Training Stables”, north of San Diego, where she
went on to raise several successful generations of young
hunter/jumpers along with her daughter, whom she
coached for more than twelve years, to numerous hunter
and jumper Championships.
Back in early 2002 Jody’s life took another turn when
she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. For those
unfamiliar with this disease, it is characterized by chronic
widespread pain and allodynia (a heightened and painful
response to pressure). About this time Jody would test
drive a breed of horse she normally didn’t ride, the
Peruvian Paso Horse. She was searching for low priced
hunter/jumper prospects when she happened upon a
palomino Peruvian colt for sale for $1000 or trade for
tack. She traded her friend’s saddle (must be a good
friend) and $400 for what she thought would be a fun
project. What she didn’t expect, was to fall in love with
this breed. In a short time Jody realized this breed was
the answer she was looking for. With this breed she could
minimize movement in her neck and back and ride pain
free. Jody, like many adult equestrians have turned to
gaited breeds as a way to minimize stress on their joints
and have a smoother ride.
Ever the business woman, and wishing to share her new
discovery of the “smooth ride” Jody started another
business, Del Dios Peruvians, that catered primarily to
adults wanting to trail ride. For eight years she ran both
her training businesses concurrently before deciding that
she would concentrate her efforts on the breed she calls
herself “crazy for”, the Peruvian Paso. In hindsight, it was a
smart move for Jody as she ventures forward in her senior
years. Now 58, she is still comfortable starting horses under
saddle. The temperament and gait of Peruvians has given
Jody a trusted mount for her clients aged 60 and older
who may have never ridden. Not only has she taught many
clients to ride, and ride safely, but many have gone on to
purchase their first horse, a Peruvian.
In April 2010 Jody arrived at her first ACTHA ride in
California with 2 students and 3 horses. Greeting them
was a beautiful park that they had never ridden in, a
leisurely ride between obstacles, safety riders to make sure
no one got lost and a great lunch. Jody rode in the Open
Division, placed second and was hooked. While Jody says
her second and third rides were not nearly as successful as
her first ride, they revealed all her horse’s weaknesses and
made her realize where she needed work in her training.
With ACTHA, she loved being able to ride while coaching
her students and here was a venue she could safely take
her students while refreshing her teaching program. In
2010 she would sometimes take as many as 9 students
at a time to Competitive Trail Challenges throughout
California where together they would work to establish a
partnership, milestones and recognition with their horses.
As Jody says “like everything else with horses you have to
LEARN how to trail ride and that is how I found ACTHA,
but I did it backwards. I started with ACTHA and then
I trail rode. Once, I was out on a trail that stopped and
there wasn’t room to turn around, then the light bulb
went on…oh that’s why ACTHA has back up as an
obstacle! Then I realized real trail riding was like ACTHA,
you go down the trail and then there is something
difficult to negotiate; rocks, a barking dog, a bicyclist,
water, a log etc”.
2011 bought a life changing experience for Jody in “all
things horse”. Tryouts were held in 22 venues throughout
the country and Jody made the final cut of 100 horse and
rider teams selected to go to Texas to compete in the finals
of the ACTHA competition America’s Favorite Trail Horse.
AFTH was filmed and produced by Dan Nyberg of Electric
Picture Company, formerly of the History Channel’s
Monster Quest series, and was aired by HRTV. It was
there that Jody saw horses trained to rear, lay down, pick
up hats, paint pictures and one being ridden with the rider
in the saddle backwards. As Jody says “I was so impressed
with the bond these riders had with their horses. I want to
learn how to get that extra level of communication they
displayed with their horses. In addition, Australian trainer
Guy McLean was there demonstrating how he trained his
horses and I was in awe.”
Following the AFTH finals Jody went home to California
and poured all she had learned into her two year old
homebred Peruvian Amor Del Dios (Mory). In their first
ACTHA ride Mory did Jody proud taking a second place
in the Pleasure Division. Three years ago ACTHA events
in California were far and few between so Jody focused
mainly on Peruvian Breed Shows, enjoying success in the
Musical Freestyle, Gait, Breeding, and Performance classes.
About that time Jody posted on Facebook that she was
looking for extra money to pay for Peruvian Nationals
and ACTHA’s CEO Tom Scrima contacted her. Part of
Jody’s job was to recruit ride hosts throughout the state
and she felt that if she was going to do that she had better
start holding them herself. Jody says “while my first ride
was small, I made $500 and I felt like I got paid to learn
how to host a ride. It gave me the incentive to hold more
events and dream bigger. That’s when I decided that
ACTHA was a great home based business that could
provide me and other ride hosts a nice supplemental
income. I sold that idea to the people I talked with and
started networking. I tell my prospective ride hosts;
here is a business that costs you nothing to start and is a
nationally known successful product. ACTHA provides
the insurance, training and marketing support you need.
You grow along with your business as you understand
your riders and your market. I tell them there are ride
hosts making thousands of dollars in a single weekend
and you can do that too and raise money for a charity of
your choice. You start small and you grow with it.”
In April 2014 Jody learned about an event called Charles
Wilhelm’s Ultimate Super Horse Challenge to be held at
the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento in June.
It encompassed a great deal of obstacle work along with
ground work, ranch pleasure, trail equitation, dancing
with cows and parade type situations. Jody felt that all
she had done to teach her horse Amor Del Dios (Mory)
ACTHA skills along with his horseshow background
seemed like a perfect fit. Five weeks before the event Jody
went to a clinic with Charles to both qualify and prepare
for the event which was limited to fifteen competitors. At
the clinic Jody learned she would be required to canter,
even though up to this point she had never cantered
her five year old under saddle, as Peruvians rarely are.
Needless to say it began that day.
By the time Jody arrived in Sacramento she had worked
cattle only twice, the “flag” (Cow Trac) twice, and had taken
three lessons from professional trainer Robin Bond who
has extensive experience in these types of events. Much to
Jody’s surprise two weeks out from the competition Robin
informed Jody that she too decided to compete in the
event. Sheepishly she asked Robin if she would coach her a
bit at the event and Robin graciously agreed and Jody tells
me “I was mindful not to abuse that privilege.”
To say Jody was a bit overwhelmed would be an
understatement. Jody said “here I am on my ACTHA
horse and out of the fifteen competitors three of them
were America’s Favorite Trail Horse alumni. These folks
had huge resumes (and belt buckles) from Extreme
Cowboy Association, Western Dressage, Rodeo, Mustang
Makeover and various cattle related competitive events.
Mory was only five and had so much less experience,
along with looking like a little pony compared to the stout
horses in the competition.”
Jody says “it was a magical experience. Mory did
everything I asked willingly and calmly. Not only was his
canter great but I found myself doing the following things
with him that I had never done; ground tie and walk
away (something he only learned a few days prior), canter
over poles, go over successive jumps, shoot a gun, push a
soccer ball with my horses rear end into a net, go through
tires and pool noodles above my horses head, through a
curtain of tinsel 10’ tall, COUNTER CANTER (ARE YOU
KIDDING ME?), canter weave poles with lead changes,
spiral down in the canter into a spin, gallop around the
ring and wave to the crowd.”
How did they do? Jody and Mory were Reserve Champion
to Robin Bond who won the event! Hey everybody!
An ACTHA foundation can take you and your horse to
unexpected success! Obstacle training makes a wonderful
horse! And the best part of this, you can watch ACTHA
continued on page 21
AZintheSaddle.com March 2015 15