Local equestrian is finalist in reality TV show
Holmes County’s very own reality TV stars, Kathy DeHass and her horse, Blue, are anxiously awaiting the results of the America’s Favorite Trail Horse show they competed in last May. The winners will be announced when the final episode airs Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m., on HRTV. DeHass and Blue earned their spot in the finals and a $5,000 prize when they received the most votes in Episode 4.
More than a thousand people nationwide auditioned for the show last spring, and 100 were chosen to compete at the Franklin Family Ranch in Blanco, Texas in May. Now the field of 100 has narrowed to just 10, with the winners to be chosen by popular vote. The top three contestants will take home prizes of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000.
DeHass and her husband own Windy Hill Farm near Millersburg, where they raise horses and train them to do arena work. “Most of our customers want to do trail rides so we train specifically for that,” she said. “Horses spook at unusual things. That’s why we desensitize them by riding under tarps, over teeter-totters, under bridges, through tractor tires, etc.”
All this training paid off for DeHass and Blue as they navigated a six-mile course featuring obstacles and challenges such as creeks, jumps, and fake snakes during the filming of the show. While some contestants attempted “Hollywood-style” stunts such as bowing, DeHass said she preferred to focus on moving cleanly through the obstacles.
“Blue deserves to be the top horse because of her performance—she did perfect for me,” DeHass said. “I’ve just been trying to do my part and get the word out so people will vote for her!”
The show’s judges and commentators were very complimentary of DeHass and Blue’s performance in last week’s episode, referring to the pair as calm and collected, consistent, and “looking like a champion.” “I’d put my kid on this horse,” one said.
Surprising to many people is the fact that Blue has no papers or special breeding; she is a 5-year-old grade mare who was purchased from an Amish farmer a few years ago. “If you use the talent you are given and focus it, it is amazing what a person can do with an average background and an average horse,” DeHass said.
DeHass and her husband drove an RV to Texas for the show’s filming in May, pulling Blue in a horse trailer behind. DeHass said she got her out to ride at truck stops and even let her graze at a Cracker Barrel.
Being on camera did not faze either Blue or her rider. “I could focus on what I needed to do, which is important—horses can feel your nerves and react in a bad way,” DeHass said.
DeHass thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the people involved. “Everyone was very helpful and friendly,” she said. “The contestants ranged from professionals to people who had only been riding a few years. Everyone just loved horses and loved being in the fresh air and sunshine, riding trails. Usually in competitions, people don’t want to help each other much. That was not the case here.”
DeHass has already sent in an audition tape for next year’s show but had to use another horse, a 4-year-old paint mare named Twister, because Blue will foal in March. “We worked with several horses, but Twister had the best attitude and performed the best,” she said. Next year’s show will film in June.
America’s Favorite Trail Horse is sponsored by the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). Past episodes are available online at http://www.actha.tv, and DeHass will be posting updates on the Windy Hill Farm website at http://windyhillfarm.net.
More than a thousand people nationwide auditioned for the show last spring, and 100 were chosen to compete at the Franklin Family Ranch in Blanco, Texas in May. Now the field of 100 has narrowed to just 10, with the winners to be chosen by popular vote. The top three contestants will take home prizes of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000.
DeHass and her husband own Windy Hill Farm near Millersburg, where they raise horses and train them to do arena work. “Most of our customers want to do trail rides so we train specifically for that,” she said. “Horses spook at unusual things. That’s why we desensitize them by riding under tarps, over teeter-totters, under bridges, through tractor tires, etc.”
All this training paid off for DeHass and Blue as they navigated a six-mile course featuring obstacles and challenges such as creeks, jumps, and fake snakes during the filming of the show. While some contestants attempted “Hollywood-style” stunts such as bowing, DeHass said she preferred to focus on moving cleanly through the obstacles.
“Blue deserves to be the top horse because of her performance—she did perfect for me,” DeHass said. “I’ve just been trying to do my part and get the word out so people will vote for her!”
The show’s judges and commentators were very complimentary of DeHass and Blue’s performance in last week’s episode, referring to the pair as calm and collected, consistent, and “looking like a champion.” “I’d put my kid on this horse,” one said.
Surprising to many people is the fact that Blue has no papers or special breeding; she is a 5-year-old grade mare who was purchased from an Amish farmer a few years ago. “If you use the talent you are given and focus it, it is amazing what a person can do with an average background and an average horse,” DeHass said.
DeHass and her husband drove an RV to Texas for the show’s filming in May, pulling Blue in a horse trailer behind. DeHass said she got her out to ride at truck stops and even let her graze at a Cracker Barrel.
Being on camera did not faze either Blue or her rider. “I could focus on what I needed to do, which is important—horses can feel your nerves and react in a bad way,” DeHass said.
DeHass thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the people involved. “Everyone was very helpful and friendly,” she said. “The contestants ranged from professionals to people who had only been riding a few years. Everyone just loved horses and loved being in the fresh air and sunshine, riding trails. Usually in competitions, people don’t want to help each other much. That was not the case here.”
DeHass has already sent in an audition tape for next year’s show but had to use another horse, a 4-year-old paint mare named Twister, because Blue will foal in March. “We worked with several horses, but Twister had the best attitude and performed the best,” she said. Next year’s show will film in June.
America’s Favorite Trail Horse is sponsored by the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). Past episodes are available online at http://www.actha.tv, and DeHass will be posting updates on the Windy Hill Farm website at http://windyhillfarm.net.
Published: December 1, 2011
