Lucky On Her Side After Just Five Years Of Competitive Riding, U-Hi Senior Meagan Pierce Earns A State Prize

Meagan Pierce’s quarterhorse is a 10-year-old gelding named Lucky.

After she and her prized horse won a 4-H Club state championship for high school riders recently, maybe his name should be Good and Lucky.

Pierce was the top point-getter out of more than 200 high-school age riders competing Sept. 24 and 25 at the Puyallup, Wash., County Fairgrounds.

The 17-year-old University High School senior has competed in riding events for just five years - starting the sport relatively late.

But she’s worked for four of those years with an uncommonly gifted horse whose full name is Northwest Glow Lucky.

“I just call him Lucky,” Pierce said.

The victory occurred in a category called Western Stock Saddle Equitation. In that class, riders must follow a series of patterns within an arena, trying to match a sequence laid out by the judges.

The pattern relies on figure-8s, lopes and maneuvers at varying speeds.

This event, however, included a full stop after galloping at full speed. If possible, the horse needs to drop and drag its hindquarters nearly to the ground while stopping.

Pierce didn’t see the pattern she’d have to execute until judges posted it, two hours before the final.

What the judges watch for is the ease with which the horse and rider move through the patterns.

The best riders are the ones who keep their animals in close control with just the slightest knee squeezes, body shifts and voice commands.

“The judges want to see it look as effortless as possible,” said Pierce.

Still, she and Lucky had never done the full-speed sliding stop before.

At the key moment in the competition, Pierce had Lucky galloping along, until she sat down crisply, making him halt.

“My heart was beating and time seemed to stand still.”

Lucky ducked his rear end nicely, if not perfectly. Compared to the other 15 horses, Lucky probably did the move better than the rest, she added.

“What’s amazing is that he injured his leg the week before and I wasn’t able to ride him at all for five days before (the competition),” she said.

It wasn’t a total surprise, either, that Lucky performed like a champ.

“He’s very smart. He’s even gotten bored with all the arena training I’ve given him. He wants to do new things.”

Meagan’s mother says she’s impressed with both Lucky and her daughter’s riding ability.

“Some kids come to the shows with $20,000 horses. We call them `push-button’ horses,” said Deborah Pierce.

But Lucky’s a less-expensive but highly trainable animal. “He’s just smart and very versatile.”

Her daughter took up riding after the family moved to the Spokane Valley in 1994 from Great Falls, Mont.

Meagan told her parents she wouldn’t move unless they got her a horse. They got her one and expected it would be just a large pet.

After her first few rides, Meagan decided training for competition was what she wanted to do. “The first time I got up I felt, you know, this is cool,” Meagan said.

Meagan credits her teacher, Debby Marcus, for training her to take advantage of Lucky’s skills.

“People don’t understand the work involved. They see you just sitting up and riding.

“The few who do it, they understand how much work it takes,” said Meagan.

After graduating from U-Hi, she plans to attend Washington State University and study biology. She’s leaning toward a career in veterinary science.