Misty Blue Heather Adult Supreme TWHBEA Versatility Champion

By Janann Puls Dostal

"Please let us get fourth place. . . please, please," I kept thinking, trying not to make my horse as nervous as I was. Fourth out of seven horses would give us that last model point we needed for the supreme championship, and here we were at the last horse show of the year. As I looked again at the other six entrants, my heart sank. They all seemed a little larger, shinier, and more polished than my little mare. The announcer called the winner’s number and I continued to pray for fourth place. I stroked the muzzle. She had posed as still as a statue for the entire class. Wait! That was my number! Second place! I gave her a big hug. We had done it!

When not at college, I live with my parents just outside of Dubuque, Iowa, on a small acreage. I am a senior at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls with a double major in elementary education and social science. Between two jobs and many projects for school, practice time has been very limited these last three years for Misty Blue Heather and me. This made me especially proud that we were able to achieve the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association Adult Supreme Versatility Championship in the short time that we have been in the adult program.

In spite of the fact that I was raised in the city, or maybe because of it, I’ve been fascinated with horses as long as I can remember. I can recall ransacking my elementary school library for the one horse book that I hadn’t already read at least twice. As my model and book collections grew, I began looking for a way to be with "real" horses.

Through three years of summer horse camp with the Girl Scouts I knew, for sure, that I liked the living, breathing steeds as well as the books (chores and all). My mother spotted a display at the local mall regarding an apprentice program operated by Cristine Holt and insisted that a visit to Blue Mist Stables was in order. When we stepped into the barnyard for the first time, I was ecstatic! There were about 45 horses, all competing for my attention. The two that were most insistent, to the point of annoyance, were two young fillies about nine months old that were at that awkward skinny growing stage. They were both covered with old winter hair and had obviously been lounging in the springtime mud for quite some time.

As we wandered throughout the herd, looking for the shiniest, most handsome horse, my neck and hands were continually licked by the two young fillies. I loved the stable instantly and joined the apprentice program.

In this program, a horse is assigned to each participant to care for and work with. When Cristine said my horse would be Heather, I couldn’t wait to see which one of those beautiful horses she would be. We walked into a stall and there stood the small black filly that had tormented us the visit before. Well, she was a living, breathing, real-life horse!

After getting to know Heather, I found out a few other things about her. If I wanted to walk her at halter, she definitely wanted to brace her legs and nibble the grass. If I asked her to ‘whoa’, she would undoubtedly drag me to unexplored parts of the property, usually through as many thorn bushes and trees as she could find.

Together, we learned the basics of ground work and by the time she was two years old, she was ready to be broke. We had grown very close and established a unique trust that was beneficial to us both. Although she displayed notorious stubborn streaks, I was finally up and riding. By the next summer we were closer than ever and trail riding on the 360 acres of Blue Mist property.

I would like to thank Janann for contributing her story & photograph, giving us the opportunity to meet this extraordinary Champion Tennessee Walking Horse. Her story was also published in the February, 1993 issue of the Voice magazine.

Adult Supreme Champions

Youth Superior Champions