Logan Starnes On Certainly Flatlined “Peter”. 2019 AQHA Level 1 East Championship Champion 13 and Under Western Pleasure.
By Leigh Ann Maynard
manningsctimes@gmail.com
Both Kristy and her husband Jay Starnes began riding and working with horses at a very young age with local horse shows and back yard riding. Now, Starnes Quarter horses is home to many show horses for breeding, training and boarding.
Jay and Kristy met when they were teenagers in high school while attending the same horse shows. “My parents were showing horses before I was born,” said Kristy. “We both grew up with it. Jay’s father was a farrier and trainer.” A horse farrier is a craftsman who trims and shoes horses hooves. Many hours of their childhood were spent learning to respect, train and love these powerful animals. “It has always been something in our family,” said Jay.
In December 2005, Jay & Kristy moved to their current location on over 50 acres in Manning. The entire facility rests on land which was originally cattle pastures. It was designed and built by the Starnes’ to meet the specific needs of a state of the art training facility. The farm offers a 24 stall heated show barn with two heated wash racks, tack room, multiple storage rooms and an office. Mare facilities include 7 stall mare barn with 4 large, video monitored foaling stalls and individual turn out. Numerous large pastures with run-in sheds, two turn-out lots for show horses, hay & horse trailer storage shed, covered 6 horse Priefert Horse Walker & covered 60’ round pen and 120’ x 200’ riding arena are some of the many amenities available. In addition, the entire facility is monitored by ASI Surveillance Systems.
There are many horse show circuits that separate the horses on breed or what level they choose to show. It can be done on a local level or on a national level. The Starnes currently show at national level.
“We normally go once a month to the shows but this is our busy time of year,” said Kristy. “We have many championship shows and we participate in two different associations. We participate in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and in the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA).”
The AQHA is based in Amarillo Texas and is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The NSBA is an organization for equestrians that was started by promoting and hosting pleasure riding events. The Starnes and their horses were in Tulsa last week for the NSBA National Championship and several days later they were back on the road to Texas for the AQHA National Championship for Select Exhibitors, which are for “exhibitor’s fifty and over and since we have a client out there we are going to watch him show,” said Starnes. “We train, breed and board.”
The biggest show of the year takes place in October in Columbus Ohio.
This event is actually the third largest convention in the United States, behind the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.‘The All-American Quarter Horse Congress’ will take place October 1 thru October 27. The event is so large that it covers the entire Ohio State Fairgrounds.
“We have taken horses up there for the last twenty years, and every year we have something that wins,” said Kristy. “And now most of the horses have been bred and raised right here in Manning. We are literally there the entire month, every day, riding around the clock.”
According to their website Jay Starnes is the first rider to earn over $1,000,000 in strictly western pleasure earnings and Kristy has earned over $250,000 as of 2015. In January of 2010 the Starnes welcomed their first child Logan and so far the old saying ‘success breeds success’ is holding true. Logan holds such titles as, 2017 Congress Third Place Small Fry Walk Trot Western Pleasure, 2018 Small Fry Walk Trot World Champion and 2019 AQHA Level One East Championship Champion 13 and Under Western Pleasure.
“Logan is a wonderful example of the remarkable accomplishments and unique interests of our students.
We are proud of him embracing the talents with which God has blessed him and for being such a strong representative of our school family.”
