My first "real" horse...

October 1988

One of the things I can vividly remember about my childhood is asking my Mom, "Mama, when can I get a "REAL" horse??". When I was around 5 years old I got my first horse named CoaCoa from Mr. Bobby McNatt in middle Tennessee. He was a very gentle, kid broke, spotted horse that taught me how to ride. I loved him and had a lot of fun with him, but to me he wasn't a real horse. My definition of a "real" horse was a padded show horse that I could ride at horse shows. Occasionally I would get to sit in front of my Mom one of her horses at the barn and ride, but I wanted one of my own.

I remember our phone ringing at home one day and after my Mom answered it, she told me to "put my boots on, that we were going to the barn." As my usual oblivious self, I had no idea what was going on and nor did I suspect anything either. When we got to the barn some of my family was there, my grandparents- John & Marie Jeffcoat, my cousins- Rusty, Scott & Doug Edwards, and my horse trainer and his family- Charlie, Cindy and Chip Weddington. Everyone was smiling at me and asking "Jenny, are you ready for a "real" horse?" Well, of course I was, and the rest is history!

These are pictures from October of 1988 when my family presented me with a horse that I will never forget and one who traveled many miles with me. This is Delight's Sundance...he was 17 years old in these pictures and I was 6. I showed him for the next ten years and together we attained two World Championships, one World Grand Championship, many reserve World and World Grand Championships and countless other blue ribbons on West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee circuits.

Sundance taught many other children how to ride as well as a few adults. He was kind of our old faithful. When we retired him from the showring he lived a long and happy life on our farm in Oakland, TN and later passed away at the age of 31.

Although he is gone his legacy lives on through his offspring. He is the grandsire of several notable World Grand Champion and World Champion horses such as- Pride's Sundance Star, Seve, and Gen's Sundance Lady.

Delight's Sundance June 1971-May 2002