Alex Marlow and her trusty sidekick Glowin Easy win big at national horse show
From left, Cameron Crossman, Blake Weis, Reid Thomas, Alex Marlow, Jackie Marlow, Brittney Boyd, Ginger Chant, Britney Donald and Debbie Donald celebrate Alex Marlow's winning the title of horsemanship champion. She cinched the win with her 13-year-old horse, Glowin Easy.
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A BIT ABOUT ALEX MARLOW
Age: 11, going on 12
School: Our Lady of Victory, sixth grade
Hobbies: Soccer and volleyball
Competed in: Horsemanship, Western Pleasure and Hunt 4Seat Equitation
October was a big month for Victoria athlete Alex Marlow and her trusty sidekick, Glowin Easy.
Alex, 11, took home champion honors in horsemanship at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress show in Columbus, Ohio.
The show spanned Oct. 2 through 25 and boasted more than 17,000 entries.
"When I won, I was just smiling," said Alex, who competed in the novice youth 13 and under class. "I was amazed."
She beat out 93 others in her class and placed sixth in Western Pleasure for youth 11 and under.
But wins like that take more than luck.
Alex has shown for two years, but trained with Corpus Christi's Reid Thomas Performance Horses since May.
The Marlows try to make it to Corpus Christi once a week, working on Friday evenings and all day Saturdays, said Jackie Marlow, Alex's mother.
Much of the horsemanship category is based on the rider's position on the horse, her mother said, so trainers often had Alex ride without stirrups to better prepare.
Trainer Reid Thomas said he was proud of his young student, who he called "an 11-year-old who acts like she's 20."
"This is huge," he said, adding he has students who make it to the show six years in a row without placing. "This is a milestone-type accomplishment in the horse industry. It's a really big deal."
He attributed part of Alex's success and hard work to her parents and said the whole family looks out for what's best for the horse, not necessarily what it takes to win.
"It's nice to work with people who are so grounded," he said. "When she won and I turned around to look at Jackie, there were so many tears. She was crying. It's a moment you'll never forget."
It appears Alex might have inherited some of her talent. Mom placed 10th in the Western Pleasure novice amateur division, also with help from registered quarter horse Glowin Easy.
"I didn't dream I would place," she said, shaking her head. "It was really neat."
Like any animal, the mother-daughter duo said, 13-year-old Glowin Easy has a personality all his own.
"He's picky," Alex said of the horse she affectionately calls Shorty. "He likes to be scratched on the neck and, if you stop, he'll kind of bite you."
Jackie Marlow agreed, but added he is a friendly horse.
"He just loves attention," she said. "He wants to be with people, but he's also patient. He's willing to do what we ask."
Alex said she's glad to know she's improved on her skills, and said winning is always nice, but there's something else she's looking forward to.
Thomas agreed to dye his hair blue - to match Alex's riding habits - if she cinched the win.
"I haven't done it yet," he said. "I need to find some spray-in blue. But I'll do it."
