"" Taking Tommy 5A -- Sara has owned Tommy since he was just a weanling and barely halter broke, she got him as a gift from her great uncle Tom in 2007. Sara moved away for college during his prime learning years, resulting in Tommy getting a bit of a late start, and then he proved to be not so easy to train - being a very flighty and sensitive horse, no matter how many hours were spent trying to get him over his fears, nothing seemed to stick. Sara almost gave up, even putting him up for sale once, but decided that sometimes you just have to stick with what you've got and work through it. And boy, is she glad she did! After many years of just hauling, riding, working through his quirks, he started to blossom into a really nice horse. It helped that he absolutely loved his job and loved gaming! After taking it slow for so many years, Sara had to teach him that he could actually run fast, and once they figured it out it started getting really fun. His first A classification was in Figure 8 in 2022, followed by Keyhole in 2023 which he went Supreme in 2024. Also going A in Poles and Flags in the summer of 2024. All that was left was Barrels... It took another year, but they finally did it, running their final time at the Strobel's Indoor arena in April 2025, taking them 5A! Tommy and Sara have also enjoyed doing the occasional Ranch Sorting and trail riding, where Tommy does a very good job despite his scaredy-cat nature. Last year was his first year being loaned out to the Sweet Home OHSET team where he took Ruby McKinnon all the way to their regional competition in Figure 8 and Keyhole. This year, being ridden by Lola McKinnon, they are preparing for their state competition in Figure 8, Poles, Individual Flags and Canadian Flags! It may have taken a while, but Tommy is one of the most kind, consistent, and all around good horses out there. Sara is very grateful that she stuck it out through the tough years! ""
