Meet Rising Star... Kodi Anderson

Western performance youth competitor, 18 year old Kodi Anderson, is no stranger to success in the show pen.  Kodi and her great Quarter Horse mare, Breakin Hearts, have dominated the Youth classes from Tasmania to Sydney in recent years and now they're keen to try their luck further afield - much further afield!

A week after the NPHA Pleasure Celebration Show Kodi and the Anderson family, which of course includes Breakin Hearts, moved to Texas (USA not QLD!) to make the famous and beautiful Babcock Ranch home!

Considering her many achievements and extremely bright future, Kodi is a very humble and friendly girl, who always has a smile for her fellow competitors and is happy to chat.  It was very moving at the NPHA Show when Ralph Dunn announced that this was Kodi's very last show in Australia and said, 'thank you for the memories', not many dry eyes in the house.

Perhaps most fitting of all was when Kodi, after a very successful NPHA in Youth and Senior Horse classes, won High Point Senior Youth - the perfect end to her Australian show career.  Next stop: Youth World Show, August 2011!

Jo Johnson caught up with Kodi and Breakin Hearts during the NPHA Show, to find out more about this showing super pair, before they jet off to start their new lives...

Kodi, you've been having a wonderful show career with Breakin Hearts in recent years, how did you first become involved with horses?

I got my first pony when I was four years old and just used to ride around the farm, helping out and getting in the cows.

Have you always had Quarter Horses and when did you first get into western showing?

Yes, I've always had Quarter Horses.  I got my first show horse when I was 10 years old and have been competing pretty much ever since.  I did my first nationals in 2003 then again in 2005 and having been competing every year at Nationals since 2008.

When did you get Breakin Hearts and what events do you enjoy most?

I've had Breakin Hearts since the end of 2007 and have been showing her consistently ever since.  We compete in all the events - all western events (western pleasure, trail, horsemanship, showmanship, western riding and reining) as well as all the english events.

Tell us a bit about Breakin Hearts?

She's a wonderful mare. I love her. She's 15 years old now and we've had some great shows together.

I think we can guess who your favourite horse is?

(Laughs) yes, Breakin Hearts is my favourite - definitely! Another one I was really fond of was Billy Jo Miller who was old and a bit show cheeky, she would let me down in the pen often, but I still loved her.

What would you say has been your major achievement so far?

I think it would be winning the Super Horse event at this year's Halter Showcase in Werribee.  This is an Open event (all competitors, not just Youth) and is judged over five events - halter, trail, western pleasure, hunter and reining. I was really thrilled to win as the Super Horse is a pretty big deal.

Do you have role models in the horse world?

I really admire Natasha Backhouse and Holly Johnson, they ride so well and I love the way they train, so soft. I want to be like that!  I also admire Charlie Cole (USA) who I had an internship with after I went to the World Cup - I stayed at his place in Texas for three months.  We went to the World Quarter Horse and Reichert Celebration Shows (probably the two biggest western shows in the world) - it was wonderful to see how they do it all - it was so good! I didn't show but Charlie encouraged me to help with warming up and lungeing horses. This was an inspiring experience.

So, next week you and your family make the big move to Texas - what's the plan when you get there?

Yes, we move next week! I can't believe it yet. It doesn't seem real! Firstly, I'll be going back to Charlie Cole's High Point Performance Horses for an internship. Then Breakin Hearts and I are going to compete at the Youth World Show at the beginning of August. I'm very excited about competing on my Australian horse and we'll just have to see how it all goes!

This is your last year competing in Youth classes - what's next? Will you move into Amateur classes?

I'm not really sure which way I'm going to go.  I really enjoy the pattern classes (which are for Youth and Amateurs), but at the same time I want to learn to be a trainer and ride lots of horses. I can't do that if I want to be an amateur.  Will see what happens when I get over there and how things go.

Is there anything you enjoy doing away from horses?

I really don't have time for anything else besides horses at the moment.  I go all day, every day, with the horses and then finish late at night. By then I just want to come inside and relax!

Thank you so much for your time Kodi and we are really looking forward to hearing how the move to Texas went and how you and Breakin Hearts go at the Youth World Show!

Quick Links

• If you want to join in the fun of western showing, check out the western horses for sale on Horsezone.
• Find out more about the AQHA Youth World Show.
• Read Horsezone's report on the 2011 NPHA Pleasure Celebration Show.