11/01/2026
𝓘𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓻𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓐 𝓢𝓾𝓫𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓼𝓮, 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 “𝓢𝓾𝓭𝓼𝔂.”
It is impossible to tell my story without talking about Sudsy. He lived 30 extraordinary years, and his influence will reach far beyond them. He helped shape my career, my program, and the person I am today. Finding the words to honor him means trying to put all of that love and gratitude into a few paragraphs.
Sudsy earned 6 APHA World titles and 11 Reserve World titles, with the last of those honors coming at the remarkable age of 24. Throughout his career, he accumulated 3,511 points, 53 ROMs, and 18 Superiors. He gave me so much to celebrate, and I will always speak his name with tremendous pride.
I owe so much of my success, and so much of what my program has become, to Sudsy. When I look at what I have built, I see how much he helped make possible. Our partnership helped shape the knowledge and experience I carry into my work today. Something of Sudsy will continue through the horses I train and the people I teach, including those who may never have had the chance to know him.
And if you have ever looked at the Elite Show Horses logo, you have seen Sudsy. It is his face in that logo—the face of the horse who helped shape so much of what it represents. Seeing him there will always remind me of the partnership behind this program. Wherever Elite’s story goes from here, Sudsy will be part of it.
At the heart of all of this is a bond that will always belong to the two of us. Sudsy was my heart horse. Those words hold so much: love, trust, history, and a connection that becomes part of who you are. He will always have that place in my life. There are parts of our partnership I could never fully explain, and memories that will always belong just to us.
I am so grateful he had a long, full life. I still wish we had more time. Thirty years is an extraordinary gift, and saying goodbye to him is heartbreaking. Loving him was such a privilege. Learning to carry that love without him here will take time.
As I remember Sudsy, there is so much worth celebrating. The champion he was. The partnership we shared. The life and program he helped me build. The love I will always have for him. I will keep telling his stories and speaking his name with all the affection and pride he deserves.
Thank you, Sudsy, for everything you gave me and everything you helped make possible. So much of what I carry forward will always have a little of you in it. I am forever grateful that my life became part of yours.
You were deeply loved in this life. You will be deeply loved for the rest of mine. 🤍
