Reproduced with permission of

The Daily Independent
Ashland, Kentucky
All for show
Sunday, October 19, 2002

3 generations of champions
   By Cathie Shaffer

No one would suspect by just looking at the modest farm just over the Carter-Elliott county line that it isn't just a little hobby farm with a few horses, a few dogs and plenty of room for kids to play.

But this is the home of champions — both horses and riders — in the elite racking horse world.

Earlier this month, at the prestigious 12-day World Celebration in Decatur, Ala., three generations earned top honors.

Trina Sartaine won the amateur rider, 15.2 and under, competition on Mr. Oil Stock, a horse she and her husband Bill own, one they've nicknamed Little E.

Her oldest daughter, Lori Rice, won the 4-year-old amateur mares and geldings world championship on a horse named Dangerously Sassy, owned by an Indiana woman.

Her younger daughter, Amanda Lewis, won the youth style pleasure world championship on The Performance Edge, owned by a Somerset woman, and as named Miss Teen Celebration as well.

The winning streak continued with a third generation, Rice's daughter Colby, who won the stick horse class at the celebration.

Showing horses is expensive, Sartaine says, but for this family, it's a passion that's worth every penny.

Until then, she'd never considered entering shows. But once she'd been in that ring, she was hooked.

No one who knew her was surprised, though.

"We weren't able to have a horse when I was a kid, even though that's all I talked about," she said. "I always said that when I was grown up, I was going to have my own barn and all the horses I wanted. Then when I was 12, a friend gave me a pony, and that was all it took. I've had horses ever since."

Her love of horses as passed along to her daughters, who were atop horses and even competing before they started school. It wasn't long until they were competing and winning, including youth world championships. Although Sartaine was wholeheartedly behind their competing, there were still some frightful moments.

"There have been times I've been terrified," she admits. "It's hard to watch your child out there on a horse when something starts to go wrong. But they're both great riders, and they weren't scared, just me."

Watching her daughters compete has been a great joy for Sartaine, as well as having her family together at something as wholesome as a show. She says with a laugh that there's no place she'd rather have her teenage daughter than at a horse show, but the entire family enjoys the closeness that their horses have brought.

Since it's usually her daughters in the ring and not her, this year's World Celebration was especially exciting for Sartaine.

"I've always been the one sitting outside and watching my girls win," she said, "but this time they were watching me. It was just such a thrill."

Two-year-old Colby Rice is the third generation to mount a horse, and she doesn't hesitate at all when she's placed on the back of Sartaine's favorite, affectionately nicknamed Little E for NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt. Sitting is all Colby does on one of the big horses, because like her mother did at her age, she has a more appropriate mount out in the field.

It's a white pony named Cotton Candy, the same name as her mother's pony from years ago, and the toddler and pony already have a great relationship. When her mother brings the pony out of the enclosure, Colby smiles and yells "Cotton!" before grabbing the horse's bridle.

"She's not afraid of any of these horses," Sartaine says. "She holds a treat in her hand and gives it to Little E and never worries at all about him getting her finger instead."

The Sartaines have just entered into a different sort of animal competition. They're now also raising show Australian Shepherd dogs, one of which just won the first championship title for the family.

"It started like the horses," Sartaine says with a smile. "I got my first one just for a pet, and I was looking for another pet quality Aussie when a breeder invited me to come visit her kennel. She didn't have any pet-quality dogs just then, but she said she would have some in a few weeks.

"Well, she was sizing me up. After we'd talked a while, she told me to come look at some show-quality puppies she had. I just fell in love with one of them and that was it. Now we're doing the dog thing, too."

The family has a Web site where those who are interested can check out both the horses and the dogs, which they promote under the title of Silverhawk Aussies and Stables. The Web address is www.silverhawkaussies.com, and visitors to the site can see all the horses and dogs, and learn more about both.

CATHIE SHAFFER can be reached by phone at (606) 326-2661 or by e-mail at cshaffer@dailyindependent.com. Website for the Daily Independent is http:// www.dailyindependent.com