Standardbreds in the Last Frontier
By Jamie Coffy, administrator of the Standardbred Equestrian Program

SEP member Heather Bolton took 10 long days to get herself, two trucks, four kids and three Standardbreds from California to Alaska, the state known as the Last Frontier.

Bolton grew up on a Quarter Horse farm in Hawaii, but was introduced to Standardbreds when she moved to California and worked for a carriage company. There, she met a Standardbred named "Boss" who gave Bolton her first driving lessons. Boss became her first Standardbred investment when she started her own small carriage company in Sacramento.

In 1998, when Boss died at age 29, Bolton sought another Standardbred to replace him. She heard a local horsetrader had a large Standardbred available, a gelding named Happysonofagun. The stormy day Bolton went to look at him, the gelding was shivering and nervous from the weather. However, as soon as he was harnessed and hitched up, she said, "he was steady and calm; he knew his job." She bought him that day and dubbed him "Trooper" for his attitude. After being off the track only three weeks, Trooper had his first job as a carriage horse, pulling the vehicle for a wedding. He amazed Bolton with his unflappable attitude about the traffic and crowds.

A year later, Bolton, an only child, decided to move closer to her mother who lives in Alaska. She trailered Trooper and her daughter Wina’s mare, a Standardbred nicknamed "Rosie," and a Standardbred filly destined to be a gift for Bolton’s mother. Each night of the 10-day trip, Bolton camped in open fields to allow the horses to relax.

The trail riding Alaska affords is wonderful, according to Bolton, so she trained Trooper to saddle and headed into the great outdoors with him. In 2001, after enjoying the trails for a year, they entered a local show and took home the blue ribbon in English equitation.

"We went on to enter more shows, and Trooper did terrific in all of them," Bolton said. "We brought home Grand Champion Registered gelding at Halter in one of the state’s largest all-breed shows. We won ribbons in English equitation, western equitation, pleasure, halter, showmanship, pleasure driving, obstacles, and trail. He took third in the entire state for halter."

Bolton enjoys being the Standardbred "ambassador" to Alaska. She said that Trooper is the only Standardbred she knows of that is actively competing in the state, and she, her daughter and her mother are the only ones who own Standardbreds there.

All the attention earned by the pair at the shows has allowed Bolton to educate her fellow exhibitors a bit. "So many folks came up and asked if he was a Hanoverian or what kind of warmblood he was," Bolton explained. " They hadn’t ever seen a Standardbred, except on TV harness racing."

Wina, like her mother, plans to show her Standardbred Rosie, registered as A Team Z Damascus. Bolton described Rosie as "a really nice mare, a great confidence builder" for 11-year-old Wina. Plans call for Wina and Rosie to start barrel racing this summer.

Trooper however, is irreplaceable, Bolton added, saying, "he has become a cherished member of our family."

PHOTOS
Top left--Heather and Trooper pose after winning in a western pleasure class.

Bottom right--Trooper, regularly wins his halter classes. Here, Heather and Trooper pose after a win.