| In 2006, Kevin from Charlotte called looking for a barrel horse for his 8 yr old daughter. They came down and tried out AQHA Spurs N Wranglers. It was the perfect match. June 2008 I received this e-mail: Thanks for the 2 and 1/2 horses that you have sold me. There could have not been a better horse for Cheridan than Spurs. And Skip and spurs' Baby Lillies is the match. Thanks a bunch Angela.. Kevin Here are two articles published about his daughter, Cheridan and her wonderful mare, Spurs! |
| http://mybannernews.com/articles/2008/04/110.html Rodeo champ rides again Nine-year-old Cheridan Gowan is one of those kids you meet who you know instantly has a special connection to horses. Although she admits to loving all of God’s creatures, her forte is horses and she’s been riding them most of her life. “When I was four I went to this barn and rode this gray mare named Dusty and I just had this really good time,” she recalled. “I just loved how it felt sitting up there high on a horse and after I got off I just started begging dad to take me to go riding again.” Apparently the begging paid off. In fact, the pint-sized equestrienne has won so many competitions and rodeos the Gowan family has lost count. “Somewhere between 50 and 100 I think,” laughed dad, Kevin. It’s easy to forget as there is something to do nearly every weekend. The Winter Rodeo Series began in November 2007 and wrapped up two weeks ago. Already this April, Cheridan has won first place in goat tying at the Mount Pleasant Circle K Rodeo. And at the Double H Ranch, she again picked-up a first-place honor in barrel racing. Like a lot of athletes, Cheridan has a special ritual before her race. “When I’m riding up to go into the arena, I say a prayer to God to keep me safe.” Then it’s go time, she announced. “And next I make sure to tell my horse I’m gonna get her through the strategy I planned when we were warming up.” Cheridan thanks one of her early horse’s, “Lady,” who helped prepare her for the sport. “She taught me how to run,” she said. “I learned how to run and how to workup my courage. I felt real comfortable on her and I knew then that I wanted to do a fast sport like barrel racing.” Cheridan’s dad said he was reluctant when it came to letting his little girl learn the ropes because she’s not exactly from equine ancestry. “My grandfather had a horse. He was a farmer,” said Kevin, who can also ride but knew there was something different about Cheridan. “She had wanted her own horse since she was 5-years-old,” said Kevin. “At some point I realized she just had this knack for it. She wasn’t scared of them, and she understood how to push them while being careful with them.” Sitting in the family living room in a pink western shirt, horse earrings in her ears and County Music Television playing in the background, Cheridan talks about horses more easily than most adults. She reads and studies about them. She’s learned their anatomy. She’s seen one of her horses get colic and die and has seen another one give life. But with all of her knowledge, she said there’s one lesson every adult needs to know. “They may be really big animals but they are not scary,” she said. “All they really want to do is come up next to you and love on you.” |
9-year-old girl wins riding medalsApril 6, 2008 - 10:34PM
MOUNT HOLLY - Cheridan Gowan started riding horses when she was 4 years old.
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