Sidney Hawka confident trainer and rider of her own horses returns to the "Equine Affair, Versatile Horse and Rider Competition" for 2025. Tj Smokin Silverado, an AQHA buckskin gelding (American Quarter Horse Association) that Sidney bought, raised, and trained in various disciplines, is her horse of choice. Tj's primary training has been in the Reigning world. However, Sidney works with all her horses on obstacles, trail, and horsemanship. She chose Tj this year, over her paint Zippo Blu Sky, a horse she took all the way to a world title in IMTCA (International Mountain Trail), an advanced, high-level extreme obstacle course event. The two of them make quite a pair.
On today's ride, Sidney’s wearing her University of Findlay jacket, while Tj snorts, ears perked up at the distant sounds of the bustling event. The scent of hay mixes with fried food wafting from the fairground stalls as competitors and their horses begin to gather for the 2025 Versatile Horse and Rider competition.
Sidney brushes Tj's glossy coat, her hands steady but her heart pounding with a familiar blend of nerves and excitement. She murmurs to him, "We've done this before, boy. Let's show them what champions look like again." Her phone buzzes with a good-luck text from her best friend back at the University of Findlay, which makes her smile. She knows she has the support of friends and family watching the live stream over the Internet from back home.
Sidney swings her leg over the saddle, her boots pressing into Tj's sides as they step confidently into the spotlight. The crowd was anxious as they approached the first obstacle. "Easy, Tj. Just like we do at home," she whispers, guiding him through slick poles and tricky jumps. Each turn reveals their seamless teamwork—Sidney’s cues subtle, Tj's responses immediate and precise.
At home, Sidney's dad constructed a beautiful versatility course. Some of the other contenders came to Sidney's course to prep their horses for this competition as well. This place will help so many other kids improve their riding skills just like Sidney did.
One by one, each of the contenders attempted to maneuver around the course with skill and speed to accumulate a score that would outshine the other 24 riders. Each obstacle has a 30-second time limit. If you hear a whistle blow, that means you get a no score for that obstacle, and you move on to try and do better on the next one. There is also a scoring system, how well you performed the obstacle. So... You end up with a total time and a score for the judges to determine the winners.
When the dust settled, several competitors had done very well. It was a tough call from the audience's perspective as to how the placement would turn out. They called out the positions, starting at the 10th position, and one by one gave each of those riders recognition for how they did. Third place was called out, leaving Sidney and a friend of hers nervously waiting to hear who this year's champion was. The reserve champion was called, leaving no doubt... Sidney had just won for the second year in a row. The 2025 "Equine Affair's Versatile Horse and Rider Champion", Sidney Hawk and Tj Smokin Silverado. Winner of the $2500 grand prize.
