Randolph teen is comfortable in the saddle
RANDOLPH — Jenna McDonald is nervous, excited, and, understandably, tired.
The 15-year-old from Randolph is coming off a win at the Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo and will be back in the saddle in Oklahoma City competing at the American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Show.
It’s been a whirlwind for the daughter of Clayton and Kelly McDonald, but wild horses couldn’t drag her away from the show ring.
“Why did I want to compete at the World show? For the experience and for something bigger,” she said. “There’s more competition at this show.”
At the Fonner Park Expo, McDonald was a three-time winner.
Jenna and her 6-year-old mare, Al Invite Myself (with the barn name “Frankie”) snagged the top prize in the Senior Hunter Under Saddle class. That competition shows off walking, trotting, and loping, along with rail work.
Her 2-year-old mare, Al B N Asset (also known as “Skittles”) snagged the champion prize in the 1–2-Year-Old Halter Lunging Mares class and reserve champion in the 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure class.
The Lunging Mares class had McDonald lead Skittles out in the middle of the ring on a longer lead rope to put her through a number of loping drills as the horse circles around her. The Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure class also has a series of walking, trotting and loping skills while using a western saddle and is a class for younger horses.
More than 400 exhibitors and 600 horses were on hand at the Fonner Park Expo event.
Winning there definitely gave her a confidence boost heading into the AQHA World Show where more than 1,000 horses will compete for a golden globe trophy in a number of classes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, competitors were not required to qualify for the show, and this is McDonald’s and Frankie’s first year. The show has been described as the Olympics of youth horse shows.
At the World show, she’ll compete in Showmanship, Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle, and English Equation classes. She traveled to Oklahoma City with her mother and will meet up with three competitors from Norfolk and two from Wayne that she trains alongside, with Trainer Julie Bunde of Monroe.
“I just try to have fun with it and practice a lot,” McDonald said.
McDonald sees the World show as a culmination of all the hard work and long days she’s put into training and raising her horses.
Chores must be complete morning and night. After school, she spends several hours training with Bunde, sometimes until 10 p.m. On the weekends, there’s more of a chance to ride.
It’s all worth it, she said.
“The early mornings and the long days are the hardest part,” McDonald said. “But it’s fun. It’s rewarding.”
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