Two local teenagers from the West Virginia Appaloosa Horse Club were top winners at the West Virginia Mountaineer Classic in Winfield last month, where more than 100 horses from 16 states competed.

Amber Stone, a 16-year-old sophomore at Shady Spring High School, took several awards, including six first places, four seconds and one fifth place at the show.

“My fifth place award was my favorite,” said Stone, who says she shows for fun and doesn’t think much of it if she doesn’t win — considering “it’s just the opinion of one person at one point and time of your horse; it doesn’t mean your horse isn’t good enough or it’s a bad horse.”

“It doesn’t affect me if the horse doesn’t win.”

Three-year old Bud, the horse who merited the fifth-place prize, belongs to a family friend.

Of his performance in the competition, Stone said, “He listened and was very attentive. He did everything I asked him to do.”

“Being young and his first show, he didn’t buck or get spooked or anything. He was calm the entire time.”

Evaluated on everything from performance to the colors and pattern of the horse’s coat (Appaloosa horses are unique in color and pattern), Stone says it was the biggest show she ever competed in.

She got involved with horses two years ago when she purchased Annabelle (her first horse) with her own money that she saved up.

“I saved $1,000 from birthdays and grade cards to pay for the horse and one month’s board,” Stone said.

She says “horses” are her favorite hobby because they’re rewarding and relaxing.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had another best friend other than my horse.

“If I’m upset, she can feel it, and she’ll nuzzle you with her nose and follow you around — and if I’m around any other horses, she’ll get jealous and run them off.”

Stone runs varsity track at Shady Spring High School and plans on being an equestrian veterinarian some day.



The other winner who took home numerous awards was 13-year-old Jesse Hartsog.

Hartsog, who has been competing since he was 8, merited 44 first-place, 12 second-place, four third-place and four sixth-place awards.

Jesse credits his grandfather, Keith Hartsog, for his success in riding and competing.

“Practice and having a good trainer is very important. If it had not been for my grandfather, who has helped me and started me out in riding, I would have not been speaking to you right now,” he said.

Jesse has four horses he currently shows — Skippy, Whitefoot, Dash and Lucky.

“I think they’re very beautiful, smart creatures; I just love hanging around them,” Hartsog said of his affection for horses.

Speaking of his favorite horse, Skippy, who’s been with him since the age of 2, Jesse says, “He’s loving, kind — he’s never bucked me. He knows how to handle kids who have never rode before — he’s just the nicest horse I’ve ever known.

“He’s my buddy, my friend. He seems to understand me more than any of my other horses. Each time I ride him I feel like I’m closer to him.”

Jesse, who rode Whitefoot and Dash in the Appaloosa Horse show, said the competition was tough.

“There were many very good riders out there. I didn’t think I’d get one national point,” said Jesse, who walked away with four or five.

“Each point gets you in much more difficult horse competitions.”

Jesse, who lives at Glade Springs in the summer with his grandparents, and in Pensacola, Fla., during the school year, is a former student at Ghent Elementary School and a member of the West Virginia Appaloosa Horse Club and Silver Spur 4-H Club in Raleigh County.

“I love West Virginia, mountains and snow — and intend on living there after high school,” he said.

Jesse says he loves spending his summers in West Virginia with his grandparents, who take him to competitions across the state.

His grandfather, Keith Hartsog, is president of the West Virginia Appaloosa Horse Club, which meets monthly in Charleston.

Jesse plans on attending college at West Virginia University or the University of Florida and aspires to become an orthodontist.



Both teens qualified for the National Appaloosa Horse Show, which is set for June 22-27 in Jackson, Miss.