Shelby Farms Trail Challenge A Roaring Success By Peggy Hart The Stephens family cleaned up at the inaugural Trail Challenge at Shelby Farms on Saturday November 28, as the family from Magnolia, Mississippi showed the city slickers how it was done. Father Jeff took second in Senior, daughter Shelby and son Ian took first place respectively in the Junior and Tadpole classes. Thirty other riders took advantage of the beautiful weather to have fun on the obstacle course at the park set up by the Shelby Farms Equestrian Alliance (SFEA). The obstacles are designed to represent challenges you might find while trail riding.This was the first time SFEA members had organized and built a trail challenge, but the results certainly showed they were up to the task. President Rick Richardson built the obstacles at his home with the help of Ron and Brynda Read, Wes Mueller, Peggy Hart and Alma Hughes. The competitors’ efforts were judged by Jack Bowman, retired Master of Fox Hounds with Oak Grove Hunt and Jim Pickens, retired head of the Memphis Mounted Police Patrol. While on the police patrol, Jim participated in events like this in Lexington, Kentucky, competing against police officers from all over the United States. At one event Jim took second place nationally, missing first by only a hundredth of a point.A variety of horses and riders gave the course a go. They ranged from a Thoroughbred recently off the track to a Mammoth Jack Donkey, and included Arabians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, a Missouri Fox Trotter, a Thoroughbred Percheron cross and a mule, Simply Henry. Horses worked their way through the course of 8 obstacles for the younger children or Tadpoles, 10 obstacles for the Juniors, 12 obstacles for Seniors and Tweeners, and a long shot Open with 14 efforts. Some obstacles were more “challenging” to the horses than others, which most took in stride. The “carwash” of swimming pool noodles took its toll as did the back around, bridge and drop. Many thanks to the volunteers who made this happen: Aimmie and Matt Read, Lou French, Rick Bonds, Joyce McKibben, Dillon Taylor, and Jan Reed and her horse April, plus those previously mentioned. Plans are for this to be a regular event at the park. Results: Tadpoles: 1st Ian Stephens on Pistol, 2nd Taylar Colter on Rholler, 3rd Savanna Klein on Thunder, 4th Hadden Carter on Franklin. Juniors: 1st Shelby Stepens on Peppy, 2nd Emily Elliot on Bandit. Tweeners: 1st Jeff Koonz on Jaguar, tied for 2nd Michelle Bittle on Lynley, John Stepens on Pistol and Theresa Hartwell on Rascal, 3rd Becky Botter on Rusty, 4th Lisa Carter on Franklin, 5th Kari Goza on Sarabell, 6th Deanna Owens on Shiloh. Seniors: 1st Mary Hopkins on Baron, 2nd Dee Travis on Lilly, 3rd Lynda Tyburn, 4th Judy Hussey on Simply Henry, 5th Sharon Bryant on Atticus, 6th Jane Eason on Blue. Open: Tamara Shipley on Irish Chance, tied for 2nd August Burrows on Bridgette and Mary Hopkins, 3rd Jane Eason, tied for 4th Mary Burrows on Magic and Kari Goza.