“Walk with a purpose!” chided youth exhibitor Avery Mortman of Spring, Texas. Her no-nonsense showmanship lesson given to RODEOHOUSTON Unplugged personality (and non-horseman) Mark O’Shea had everyone in our office in hysterics. The video, posted to the event’s Facebook page, was viewed almost 100,000 times and shared more than 1,000 times—and that’s just on the RODEOHOUSTON page. O’Shea gamely went along with Mortman’s advice while leading the young rider’s mare, named Grace.
Mortman coached O’Shea through walking and trotting on the lead, as well as pivots. Her well-trained mare took good care of O’Shea, as he practiced “walking on eggshells” to quiet his footfalls and “carrying a tray” on his arms to keep them square and steady.
See more in the December issue’s Best Of feature.