Wye Oak Quarter Horses Reining And All Around

BOB MAYHEW RETIRES FROM COMPETING

After a very successful WES championship show taking the open reining, novice horse reining, and the championship reining, Bob Mayhew announced his retirement from competing - although he insists he will continue training, giving clinics and demonstrations and teaching.

Bob’s show career started in earnest at the breed show in 1983, and by the following year he won his first AQHA points in reining, followed by points in trail and pleasure in 1985. By 1986 he was showing at Americana, a major show in Munich, Germany, gaining a 5 th in the European Championship trail and a 4 th in the AQHA reining. His faithful mount for the reining, home trained Tewy, became (according to records) the first British bred and trained Quarter Horse to cross the channel and compete in Europe.

By 1988, Bob and Tewy made the finals of the Bronze Trophy reining at Americana and again set a record for the only European bred, trained and ridden horse in the finals.

Numerous horses followed through Bob’s hands and onto subsequent successes in the show ring. In 1992 Bob qualified two horses, Avenues CP Lynxette and Doc a Sock, for the finals of the European championships at Western Riding. CP, his most promising mount was sold a few days before the finals and therefore did not compete. In 1989 and 1990, Bob rode for the British team at the NRHA Derby in St Paul, Minnesota, USA, on borrowed horses. He took his own horse, the great Fast Draw Peppy, to represent GB at the World Equestrian Games, where he was the third highest marking member of the team. In more recent years he was the highest GB reining team member at the NRHA affiliate championships in Italy, and was for several years, British Reining open high point end of year winner.

He and his wife, Chrissie, made up the first AQHA Champion shown exclusively in British shows, namely AQHA Champion Sensational Keeper, imported from the USA as a yearling. During his show career Bob has trained numerous horses, in addition to those already mentioned, who have gone on to great successes in the show pen, Dun it at Dawn, Enterprising O’lena, Mega Pine (Denmark), Ruling Party, Corina Lena CT, Never Snap Alone, and just recently Peppynics Jay, just about to start his career in the US.

Bob says ‘ I’ve had 24 years of super fun showing, but having passed 60 some years ago, the bones need some rest and it’s time for the youngsters to get cracking! I’d like to think that I’ve been a good ambassador for the sport, and have inspired many people to come into it. I have no intention of fading away, and will continue to teach and help others to get to higher standards. My philosophy in teaching is to try to make people better than me! ….. The WES show was such a lovely show (what a credit to the show management team and ALL of the helpers) and whilst it was in mind to retire from showing at the end of the year, I felt it would be better to finish on a high, especially as, alongside my great chum, Roger Wells, we spent many hours laying the foundation of WES, the society therefore holds a special place in my heart. Not only did Chrissie, Michael, and I have a successful show, but to see our clients do so well was the greatest buzz of the weekend. It would be difficult to better that show so it was a great place to go. I would like to use this opportunity to say a special thanks to all the show managers and helpers who, over the years, have worked tirelessly and often without reward, who have make it possible for me and others to have a show career here in the UK. I hope to still see you all at the clinics or here at Wye Oak. God Bless.