Name: Avery Hodges, age 12
Family: Parents; Mike and Beth Hodges; sister, Quinn
Hometown: Mountain Home, Ark.
School: Pinkston Middle School
What clubs and organizations do you belong to?
“I belong to Easy Riders, which is the club I am most often with, and I also belong to Blazing Saddles. They’re both youth organizations. The difference between the two is that Blazing Saddles is more of a speed group, while Easy Riders does more for pleasure. Both clubs are affiliated with 4-H. I also play alto sax in my school band and I’m on the track team,” said Avery.
Is your horse just for pleasure, or do you compete?
“I do compete. He is a reining horse. He does the reining pattern, but we’ve been working with him and he’s doing everything now. He does halter, showmanship, Western Pleasure – he’s not very good at Western Pleasure because he wants to go fast. We do speed events such as barrels and poles also.”
What success have you had in the competition?
“I’ve done pretty well in junior classes. I won Junior High Point for the county show and Junior High Point for the livestock show. I also won spring County Queen competition, which had competitors from four counties, and District County Queen from Baxter County.”
What are your goals?
“My major goal right now is to get into the professional show ring, either jumping or for pleasure events, because those are my two strong points. My mom used to do AQHA, which is American Quarter Horse Association, and I’d like to get registered with the youth in AQHA. After I finish college, I’d like to be a history professor.”
Story and Photo by Jack and Pam Fortner
