As a youth rider, I showed successfully on the Appaloosa circuit for many years. The first magazine I was in was the Appaloosa Journal, where I was in the spotlight for winning Rookie of the Year in 1992. Yesterday, I received the Fall 2025 Appaloosa Journal, and I have a byline in that issue. What a full circle moment!
Writing about horses has been a blessing to me in many ways. Not only do I get to be in an industry that I love, one that practically raised me, but I get to shine a light on people like me. Being a “horse girl” or a horse person is wild when you think about it, we pay to be judged, we spend all our time keeping 1,000-pound animals alive, then we attempt to ride them at sometimes dangerous speeds in order to win a prize. Yet, horses bring joy and fulfillment to so many people, including myself. It is the main reason I have worked to stay in this industry both for my hobby and for my work.
As the media world shifts, I am shifting with it, including more video in my offering of social media management and writing/marketing/photography. But one thing remains the same, the power of storytelling. No matter the media used to tell the story, the important thing is to tell it.
In the Fall Appaloosa Journal, telling Catherine Jaton’s story from her first Appaloosa until her first National title was fun. It was like going down memory road, and reliving my spotted pony days. Head over to https://www.appaloosa.com/appaloosa-journal to check out the issue and learn a little about Appaloosas!
