Stewart Performance Horses, 2018, published in Arabian Horse Times

Doug And Kristi Stewart Performance Horses: Living The Dream

by Catherine Cole Ferandelli

Located in the bucolic Oregonian town of Junction City, Stewart Performance Horses boasts over 40 years of hands-on experience in nearly every discipline within the Arabian horse industry.

Kristi and Doug both have spent their lives with Arabian horses, though both began their journeys on slightly different paths. Still, they emphatically agree they cannot imagine any other life than being the inimitable husband and wife training team their clients enjoy and appreciate.

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Kristi laughs, “People are often astonished at how Doug and I work together 24/7. Yes, I must confess, it isn’t always sunshine and roses. Still, we couldn’t imagine any other life than ours.”

Doug grew up with horses, learning his craft through his father and then working for several iconic Arabian horse breeders, including Cedar Ridge, R.O. Lerwick and Diamond B Stables. During this journey, Doug also became versed in stallion management, semen collection, artificial insemination and foaling.

Kristi’s love for Arabian horses started in childhood, blossoming through her own hard work needed to support her ‘horse show habit.’ Kristi recollects, “I always had a love for horses. I started out taking riding lessons as often as I could. From there, owning our own horses, my mother, sister and I put those lessons to work. We would haul our own horses, care for them, train and show them ourselves. I’m proud to say we competed at every show level and won prizes in all of them. My mother, her best friend Peggy Weems and I did this for years.” Peggy elaborates, “I’ve known Kristi since she was in grade school. In fact, I sold her their first horse! He was beautiful but a handful, which I explained from the start. Despite this, we remained fast friends.” Now a long-time client of Doug and Kristi, Peggy continues, “It has definitely taken a village, but this husband and wife team make it happen.”

Call it ‘taking a village,’ or husband and wife teamwork, Doug and Kristi are uniquely fluid with their clients’ instruction and training. Doug elaborates, “Kristi and I feed off the stimulation of training horse and client. Whether it’s a young prospect or a horse that needs rebuilding and fixing, we are constantly sharing, evaluating and executing. Kristi will see something when watching me train and I do the same for her. This allows us to be able to grow and achieve the best possible outcome for both horse and rider.”

Going professional in 2006, Kristi and Doug (a professional since 1986) built their business as a family, with Doug’s three children from a previous marriage spending their summers showing and helping with the barn. Today, oldest daughter, Kate, is immersed in her corporate career with a large restaurant group, daughter, Brooke, lives nearby and shows in reining, youngest child, Chase, is beginning his junior year at California State University-San Luis Obispo.

Top to bottom: Kristi with Bells and Whistles, 2016 Canadian National Reserve Champion H/A Country Pleasure Open; Doug with Blacksands, 2017 Canadian National Top Ten Arabian Western Pleasure Junior Horse; and one of many parade appearances, Doug with his dad, Warren.

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Stewart family picture, November 2015, on horses owned, shown and trained, l-r: Kate Stewart on Luv Is Bleu+// (5-time National Champion), Kristi Stewart and Ricky Bobby on Bleu Prowlin Lady+// (National Champion), Doug Stewart on Annie Get Yur Gun+/ (4-time National Champion), Brooke Stewart on Nepyr+// (11-time National Champion), and Chase Stewart on Hucklebey Bleus+// (6-time National Champion).

A horse show with Stewart Performance Horses will typically involve clients with multiple disciplines showing in several different arenas. Doug admits, “We love the adrenalin involved with showing reiners, saddle seat, hunter, western pleasure and other show disciplines.” Kristi chuckles and agrees, “People think of Doug as the reining and western pleasure guy, but I’m here to tell you he gets a real charge out of showing our saddle seat horses, too!”

2018 U.S. Nationals entrants for Stewart Performance Horses will include 13 purebreds and Half-Arabians competing in western pleasure, futurities, English/saddle seat, hunter, reining and even the trail horse division. Doug believes the Arabian horse industry definitely is experiencing an upswing, exampling, “Region 4 numbers were up this year … it’s pleasing to see.

Our Youth riders come in waves, adult amateur clients seem to remain steady; many of them have multiple horses with us.”

Peggy thinks this is natural for Doug and Kristi stating, “They have a special relationship between themselves and their horses.

Their training methods and styles complement one another.

Both are highly attuned to what’s best for horse and rider, both are keen on matching the best horse for the rider. Another plus is their intuitive horse care. Doug and Kristi will always go the

extra mile with vet care. It’s clear they love the barn horses as much as their owners do!”

A show barn certainly prioritizes show training. Still, Stewart Performance Horses enjoys taking time away for other equine activities, with trail and parade riding frequently on the agenda. One of the oldest rodeos in the U.S. (since 1910), The Pendleton Roundup, is held annually nearby. Doug and his father have a tradition of showing off their Arabian horses in the parade, an event that exhibits only horse riding and horse drawn entries. Doug laughs, “People are often surprised at how calm and steady our so-called flighty Arabian horses behave in a parade setting. We have changed many a pre-conceived notion about our Arabs there; it’s pretty fun.”

And fun is an indispensable component in the Stewart Performance Horses barn. As a newcomer, client Jennifer Hardy realized, “Even though I’ve been with the Stewart’s a short time, I have seen huge improvement in my riding. Doug and Kristi are very attentive in not only their instruction, but my needs and goals too. I am more confident in my riding which makes me want to work even harder. And they are also so much fun! I have never ridden better, and our horses have never looked better.”

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The bedrock of Stewart Performance Horses’ philosophy is perhaps said best in the following poem composed by Doug back in 2002:

Dream Big Dreams Can you imagine being on the moon, Or can’t you see past the roof in this room?

You must take things beyond what you can see.

You must look past what is handed to you and me.

What is here are the essentials of life.

The bare minimum, which can lead to stress and strife.

But look beyond what seems to make sense.

Go ahead and peek over that real tall fence.

For what you find out there, beyond this place Might just bring a new-found smile to your face.

For dreams are free, they don’t cost a dime.

If you try, you’ll like it and it will help pass the time.

See, the limits we have put on ourselves Are from giving in to peer pressure and putting our dreams on a shelf.

Are you going to accept the status quo?

Or are you going to go where no one else goes?

Our dreams are what drive us and bring out our best.

They’re the lights that guide us when we’re put to the test.

Go ahead, dream and follow your heart.

You might be surprised and to others look smart.

To dream is true freedom, expressed in our minds.

Let’s see where they take us.

Maybe we will end up successful And heroes of our time.

Most of all, achievement (no matter what shape or size) Started as a dream in someone’s inner eyes.

Remember dreams are free, so jump in … get your start.

Who knows where you’ll end up when you follow your heart.

A better place, a better time.

A better world we can find.

The answers all lie deep in our dreams Locked up in our minds.”

Photo by Meaghan Estes

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2018 U.S. NATIONALS…

Photo by Chris T Sloan

Stewart Performance Horses Doug and Kristi Stewart 93370 Hwy 99 S. • Junction City, OR 97448 Cell: 541-515-1053 • dstewartstables@aol.com www.sphtraining.com Ar abian Horse Times | 89 | Volume 49, No. 4A A

Good Time To Take (What It Takes x A Good Time In Texas)

Competing in: H/A Reining Intermediate Non-Pro AAOTR and Primetime Non-Pro AAOTR with Jennifer Hardy H/A Reining Intermediate Open with Doug Stewart 2018 Region V Champion H/A Reining Open with Doug Stewart 2018 Region V Reserve Champion H/A Reining AAOTR with Jennifer Hardy

Alada Gold (Alada Baskin x Moonlight An Ice)

Competing in: H/A Western Pleasure Select AATR and AAOTR Jackpot with Jennifer Hardy 2018 Region IV Reserve Champion H/A Western Pleasure AAOTR

Owned by Jennifer Hardy | Los Altos Hills, CA Trained by Stewart Performance Horses

Doug and Kristi Stewart 93370 Hwy 99 S. • Junction City, OR 97448 • Cell: 541-515-1053 • dstewartstables@aol.com Ar abian Horse Times | 90 | Volume 49, No. 4A A

MozeyOnDown RA (TA Mozart x Minding Ps And Qs)

Competing in: Arabian Reining Junior Horse and Reining Futurity with Doug Stewart 2018 Region IV Champion Arabian Reining Junior Horse and Reining Futurity with Doug Stewart 2018 Scottsdale Top Ten Arabian Reining Futurity

WC Khanspiracy (PA Kid Khan x I Am A Dun Diva)

Competing in: AWPA $50,000 H/A Western Pleasure Futurity and Junior Horse with Doug Stewart 2018 Region II Champion H/A Western Pleasure Junior Horse

Owned by Jennifer Hardy | Los Altos Hills, CA Trained by Stewart Performance Horses

www.sphtraining.com

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DM London Town+//

(Pension CAHR x Premier Property)

Competing in: H/A Hunter Pleasure AAOTR 55 & Over with Peggy Weems H/A Hunter Pleasure Open with Kenzie McDaniel 2018 Scottsdale Unanimous Champion H/A Hunter Pleasure AATR 60 & Over 2017 Canadian National Champion H/A Hunter Pleasure AAOTR and AATR 40 & Over

ROL O Whata Night +// (Out Of Cyte x ROL Angel Eyes)

Competing in: Arabian Hunter Pleasure AAOTR 55 & Over and Jackpot AAOTR with Peggy Weems Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open with Kenzie McDaniel 2018 Scottsdale Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure AATR 60 & Over 2018 Region V Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure AATR & Geldings

Ima Rowdy Dun (Were Dun x Ima Royal Gem MB)

Competing in: H/A English Trail Horse Open and AAOTR with Peggy Weems H/A Western Trail Horse AATR Select with Peggy Weems H/A Ranch Riding Open with Michael Damianos 2018 Region V Reserve Champion H/A English Trail 2018 Region V Top Five H/A English Trail ATR and Western Trail AAOTR Owned by Peggy Weems | Monroe, OR Trained by Stewart Performance Horses Ar abian Horse Times | 92 | Volume 49, No. 4A A

Justa Heartthrob +/

(Justify x For Goodness Sakes)

Competing in: H/A Hunter Pleasure Open with Kristi Stewart H/A Hunter Pleasure Select AATR & Jackpot AAOTR with Leigh Mackey 2018 Region IV Champion H/A Hunter Pleasure AAOTR and Select AATR 2017 U.S. National Reserve Champion H/A Hunter Pleasure Select AATR

O F Dandy Afire

(Afire Bey V x OF Dancin Daze)

Competing in: Arabian Country Pleasure Junior Horse with Kristi Stewart Arabian Country Pleasure Select AATR with Leigh Mackey

2018 Region V Unanimous Champion Arabian Country Pleasure Junior Horse 2018 Canadian National Top 10 (3rd) Arabian Country Pleasure Junior Horse

Holana E (Hermez E x Hologram)

2018 Region IV Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity 2018 Region IV Reserve Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse 2018 Scottsdale Top Ten SSS Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity and Junior Horse

Owned by Leigh Mackey | Fall City, WA Trained by Stewart Performance Horses Ar abian Horse Times | 93 | Volume 49, No. 4A A

Blacksands +

(Psax x Psymply Magic)

Competing in: Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open with Kristi Stewart 2018 Region V Reserve Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open 2018 Canadian National Top Ten (3rd) Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open Owned by Nick Moody | Wilton, CA

Lord Have Mercy +// (The Firelord x Hi Passion)

Competing in: Arabian Hunter Pleasure AAOTR 19-39 and Jackpot AAOTR with Erin Swanson 2018 Canadian National Reserve Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure AATR 19-39 2017 U.S. National Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure Select AATR Owned and shown by Erin Swanson | Eugene, OR

Mariopalooza +// (Apollopalooza x Marjo)

Competing in: H/A Country Pleasure AAOTR 55 & Over and Jackpot AAOTR with Simone Frei H/A Show Hack Open with Kristi Stewart 2017 U.S. National Champion H/A Country Pleasure Select AATR 2017 U.S. National Reserve Champion H/A Show Hack Open Owned by Simone Frei | Bend, OR Doug and Kristi Stewart 93370 Hwy 99 S. • Junction City, OR 97448 • Cell: 541-515-1053 • dstewartstables@aol.com Ar abian Horse Times | 94 | Volume 49, No. 4A A

E-Hucks Solberry +/ (Solist x Hucks Snowberry)

2018 Canadian National Champion H/A Show Hack AAOTR 2018 Canadian National Reserve Champion H/A Country Pleasure AAOTR 19-39 Owned and shown by Sarah Childs | Rigby, ID

Dana Ducati +

(Baywatch V x Rohara Padrona)

2 01

2018 Region IV Reserve Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure AAOTR 2018 Region IV Reserve Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure AATR Owned and shown by Christina Jensen | Spanaway, WA

Atomic Fireball PF +/ (Baske Afire x Baby I’m A Star)

2018 Region IV Reserve Champion H/A Country Pleasure AAOTR 40 & Over Owned and shown by Lisa Oster | Langley, BC

Maribella

(Nutcracker’s Nirvanna x Afirenella)

201

2018 Region V Unanimous Champion H/A Country Pleasure Futurity with Doug Stewart Owned by Renee Smith | Ames, IA

www.sphtraining.com

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