Photos by Amy Dragoo
She lives in Commack, Long Island, and has four horses, all considered members of the family. But one, a gelding now in his 30th year, holds the biggest corner of her heart.
Her name is Jennifer Honigman. His is Wyatt. They ran barrels together until he was retired in his late 20s. And as far as she's concerned, he's the main reason why she's the grand prize winner in H&R's second annual Your Horse, Your Life reader contest.
The contest was sponsored by Weaver Leather and Miller International, Inc., maker of Cruel Girl, Cinch, and other Western attire. Along with tack and clothing prizes from the sponsors, grand prize winner Jennifer Honigman also won a photo shoot (see slide show) and article coverage in H&R, see page 40 in the January 2013 issue for the full article.
Contestants were asked to describe the funniest thing their horse has ever done. Honigman's entry about Wyatt, below, and his habit of lifting a hind leg and insisting to be scratched, made the top-five finals based on number of online votes. Then, after the initial vote, the slate was wiped clean to put all finalists on an even footing, her entry earned the most points from a panel of judges.
"I'm so thrilled by the whole experience and by the chance to be in a magazine!" the part-time legal assistant exclaims. "It's just another wonderful thing Wyatt has given me."
Jennifer's Winning Entry
What's the funniest thing your horse ever did?
Wyatt makes me laugh on a daily basis by insisting on having his belly rubbed. He acts like a giant dog. He will position himself in front of you and hold his leg out to the side and high in the air, and look at you like, "Hello, I'm waiting." If you move he will reposition himself and again lift and look at you-he will even start twitching his lip in anticipation and begging to be scratched. It does not matter which side you're on, he will lift his leg accordingly. He has so much personality, and I can't help but laugh when he does this. He sees it as "rub now, muck later!"
The second annual Your Horse, Your Life contest was sponsored by Miller International (maker of Cruel Girl Jeans and CINCH jeans) and Weaver Leather.
Watch the pair in action in the video below.
