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MEET
S A N D RA
GALLAGHER Pictured with her American Saddlebred, World ’s Champion Of Champions
CH Little Black Dress
EQUESTRIAN INSIDER
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EQUESTRIAN INSIDER
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EQUESTRIAN INSIDER
Coverage by Scotty Mitchell-Moore
Interview with Sandra Gallagher
S AN D R A GAL L AGH E R
Things you Don’t Know About Sandy
It’s not who you are that holds you back.
It’s who you think you’re not.
LIVES IN:
Washington & Kentucky
BIRTHDAY: October 3rd
CAREER:
President/CEO & Co-Founder of the Proctor Gallagher Institute, Public Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Thought Leader in Success.
PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: That I am an introvert.
THE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME ARE: Visionary, focused, kind, grateful, generous, determined, goal-oriented, and a leader.
YOUR FAVORITE MEAL IS: Burger and fries.
MY IDEA OF A PERFECT VACATION:
It would involve horses and dogs and lots of sunshine, soft breeze, sand, the ocean, palm trees.
How were you introduced to the Saddlebred industry? I used to show Arabians and Half Arabians. I started showing in 1999 and continued through 2005. I took an 11-year hiatus and started getting back into it in 2016. My trainer was Mike Lamb, who has since passed away. He fell in love with the Saddlebred, so I got my first Saddlebred when I came back to Mike’s, which was Forever Foxy. She is retired at my ranch in Ellensburg now. She has got her Reserve World Champion Forever Foxy sign on her paddock and she is just happy as could be. I dabbled in showing in 2016, and I think I did one show. In 2017, I decided I would get more into showing. That was the year Mike passed away. The month before, he had done a clinic and invited Allison Deardorff to come out to the barn to do the clinic. All of us in the barn just fell in love with Allison. She is just
dynamic and a neat person to be around. She is so knowledgeable, so when Mike passed, we all just went to Allison. She took us to the Fall Classic show. We were not going to show because we were all sad about Mike. Instead, we ended up doing a ride for Mike. Allison doubled her horses and went to a show a week later. It was amazing. So, that’s how I got into Saddlebreds. When I came to Allison, I had two horses — Forever Foxy, which I showed in Park, and Scarlett. It’s funny because Scarlett was five-gaited and I could do one of the five-gaits. I could walk for a stretch and that was about it. I could do the other gaits, but not when I was supposed to. Scarlett is also in Ellensburg retired. I was talking to Bob Proctor and he asked what my
goals with the horses were. I said, “Oh, I don’t know, I will just do some shows on the side.” Bob asked, “Why would you want to do that?” He said, “If you are gonna do it, go big!” He said the same thing when he taught me how to teach at the Proctor Gallagher Institute. He put me out on the stage in Romania with one hour’s notice in front of thousands of people with seven translation booths in the back. That is just the way he believed in it, and I said, “Okay, fine — I am going to be a World Champion.” So I thought, “Well, I better go get some more horses.” In 2018 I started buying horses and I have bought many horses since then. I absolutely love it. I come to the barn every chance I get and stay as long as possible.
YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE: Fro-yo
YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
I would have to say there are many learning experiences. I love to learn. My business partner Bob Proctor taught me so much. One of the biggest is the power of our thought & inner voice to create our world. Everything starts with your thought & inner voice — what are you saying to yourself? I always tell people to be careful what they say because that is what you are creating. You want to be telling yourself and affirming the things you want. Another hugely important thing is the power of the paradigm and your self-image. You cannot outperform your paradigm and self-image, but the beautiful thing is you can change it once you understand it. If you want to learn more about what we teach at
the Proctor Gallagher Institute, go to our website
proctorgallagherinstitute.com. You can get a free program called Success Puzzle taught by Bob Proctor (pgisuccesspuzzle.com).
OUTSIDE OF MY HORSES I ENJOY:
Being with my puppies, I have 14. Seven are little, Maltese, Morkies, and Maltipoos. I love being outdoors, studying anything on personal growth and development, and teaching. I also love anything to do with numbers and finance. I have algebra, physics and trigonometry books at home just for fun.
What horse show is your favorite horse show to watch and which has been your favorite to show in? The World’s Championship Horse Show. The first time I saw it was in 2018, and I was blown away. The thought of riding in that ring with all of those beautiful riders and horses was a fantastic idea. The first time I showed there was in 2019, so I had a year to be terrified and visualize what I wanted my outcome to be. It is just such an exciting show, and it is hard to even put words to it. You see the Stopher Walkway, and it just evokes all kinds of feelings of excitement and inspiration. It just makes me want to be my best. Louisville is a show that is amazing to watch and compete in. The show that is probably dearest to my heart is Rock Creek — it was my first Kentucky big-time show. It was also my first big Kentucky win. I showed Holiday and Rev, and I won on both of them. That was pretty
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darn exciting, and it was a significant growth experience for me because I was listening to Bob Proctor (Proctor Gallagher Institute), my business partner, who recently passed away. I was listening to Bob teach an inner circle call, which is one of our programs. As he was teaching, I was sitting in my car, all dressed and ready to show. I was waiting for them to call my class, and I thought, “Oh my gosh, I am not doing what we teach.” We teach that you have to feel it like it has already happened. I was not. I was thinking of having a winning ride as an objective, as a possibility. Not something that had actually already happened in my mind. That’s a critical difference. I needed to make a psychological shift and assume that it had already happened. I made that shift almost as I was going into the class, and then I won. It was a fantastic experience.
Do I have to pick one? I am super excited to show RWC Something Blue in the Five-Gaited Division, and I am also excited to show WGC Soul Desire in the Fine Harness Division.
I am looking forward to watching Neil show Von Dexter, which will be incredible.
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EQUESTRIAN INSIDER
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Coverage by Scotty Mitchell-Moore
EQUESTRIAN INSIDER
Interview with Sandra Gallagher
SANDR A GALLAGHER
What do you do on the day that you are showing? I start every day the same way, whether I am showing or not. First thing in the morning, I study something that expands my awareness and gets me thinking on a positive and high level of thought. I study Awakened Imagination or Power of Awareness or listen to Bob teaching. Everybody needs a daily routine that puts you in your peak state. Then, I do gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful exercise. I gave the kids at the youth convention gratitude pads. It’s an exercise I do every day where I write out 10 things I am grateful for. I have poured so much love and gratitude into my gratitude notebook that I just touch it and it shifts my vibration, and I instantly feel better.
WCC CH Fox Grape’s Forget-Me-Not & Sandy
Crowned the 2021 Adult Show Pleasure 39 & Over National Champions unanimously after an incredibly competitive class with a 4 horse work out.
Gratitude is a great way to switch your mindset. You write down ten things you are grateful for; even if you only get one thing on there, that is fine. The key is that you have to feel gratitude. You have to feel the shift within you. You move your vibration to a higher level. When you think about what you are grateful for, you cannot help but feel good. I also use gratitude for future events. I close my morning routine with visioneering, which I teach a lot. It is one of the most powerful things I have ever learned. You get a clear picture of what you want on the screen of your mind, so I would picture being in the winner circle, doing the victory pass, and being interviewed by RH. The key is that you have to feel it as real. It’s happening. You live it in your imagination to bring it about.
What traits and qualities do you consider when looking for a potential horse? I defer to the experts. Allison Deardorff and Neil Visser have found wonderful horses for me, and I trust their opinion. The apparent things — beauty is a massive part of it, temperament, mannerisms, and talent. I want my horses to win the big ones, and I am willing to pay for it. That is my intent, and that is what I am going to have. For me, it is essential to have a connection with the horse. I get close with my horses, so I want to have that connection — to love on them, kiss them, hug them, and all of that.
What do you hope to accomplish this year and long term? How do you work with Neil Visser to set goals for show season?
What is the routine like when you come to the barn?
Neil and I sat down at the end of last year with a list of horses and went over them one by one. Neil told me what my options were and gave me suggestions. He said that “they are your horses, so you make the decision.” I kept pressing him, saying, “what do you think?” I learned a long time ago that when you want to be the best at something, you find someone who is the best and do what they say. Neil is incredible and I wanted to know what he thought. We said what we were thinking about each of the horses, but it is still a work in progress. I believe in being flexible and fluid. We have set specific goals, but the actual plan is a fluid thing and can change. Neil and I work well together, we communicate well together, we both like to get it done.
I am blown away by how things operate here at Visser Stables. The first week I came to the stables, I think I rode 21 times in a short period. I do lesson horses first, so I will do some lunge lessons with Jacqueline. She is fantastic at getting you in proper riding form. I do 2-3 lesson horses. Early in the week, I will watch Neil long-line horses, and sometimes he will ride horses, and I watch. Sometimes Neil will be jogging them, and he lets me jog them, which is super fun. We mix it up throughout the week, which show-horses I ride. It keeps me busy. I come every day when I am in town except Sunday because the barn is closed.
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I am goal-oriented. I believe in setting huge goals. I want to be the winningest owner-amateur in the industry. I am going to do it, I can’t tell you when and I can’t tell you how, but I am going to do it. I want my horses to be World Grand Champions, World Champion of Champions, and World Champions. My goal was to be World Champion, and I got that for the first time this summer with Holiday. So that is pretty exciting. I have a breeding joint venture with Don and Allison Deardorff, and we have three foals on the way, two yearlings, and two 3-year-olds. What I want to do going forward is I would like to breed my show mares. Could you imagine the baby out of Little Black Dress or Holiday? Wowza! I believe in investing in the industry. The Saddlebreds have changed my life. It has expanded my life in just a huge way. I love the whole industry and want to support it any way I can. I am excited about supporting the youth — we just sponsored the youth convention, and it is so exciting to see a couple of hundred kids, ages 8-18, that love this breed and are so enthused about the Saddlebred community. That is the future, and I love that.
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Coverage by Scotty Mitchell-Moore
THE COVER STAR AS H L E Y
&
3X
RWC
Interview with Ashley Bolender
JAS M I N E
Ashley Bolender
How long have you owned and shown saddlebreds? I have owned and shown Saddlebreds for about a decade but have been lucky enough to have owned and shown horses my entire life. My Mom started my Sister and I on an Arabian, but I’ve also previously shown Hackneys, Morgans, Dutch Horses, and Quarter Horses.
What made you get into saddlebreds? While shopping for a Morgan, my trainer at the time convinced me to try a Saddlebred. I took one trip around the barn and bought the horse. I still have an appreciation for all breeds, but my last six horses have been Saddlebreds.
Who was your first show horse?
My first show horse was a Quarter Horse cross named Sunday – she was my Sister’s horse, but I’m claiming her because she was the best. She took outstanding care of me. I was probably only four or five, showing walk-trot.
How many horses do you currently have, and who are they?
I currently have four horses – Jasmine, Pinekrest’s Taco Tuesday, A Gypsy’s Face, and Romeo’s Memory Maker.
When did you purchase Jasmine, and what drew you towards her?
I purchased Jasmine in the fall of 2020 as a three-year-old. I watched her at Louisville as a two-year-old and again as a three-year-old. She just stuck out to me, and she was just so talented.
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in the show ring thus far?
What is Jasmine’s personality like? She’s completely different in the show ring than in the barn. In the ring, she’s all business, and in the barn, she’s laid back. She likes to cuddle, and she wants you to wrap her head in a hug and hold it there while she naps.
What are your and Jasmine’s plans for the 2022 show season? To put on a good show and have some fun!
What else do you like to do when you and Jasmine aren’t in the show ring?
I like to hang out with my bulldogs and golf. Since showing horses is time-consuming, I also have to make time for my husband’s hobbies which always involve some boat, car, or beach.
What is one interesting thing about Jasmine and yourself?
One interesting thing about Jasmine is that the shorter her feet and the lighter her shoes, the higher she trots. I’m not sure everyone will find that interesting, but I do! Since I find my horse’s shoes interesting, it’s probably apparent that I’m pretty boring, so I think we should stick with Jasmine.
I’ve been lucky enough to win various titles, but my most significant accomplishment in the show ring is just getting in it. So many people want to show but don’t have the opportunity for whatever reason. Every time I throw my leg over the saddle and prepare to go into the ring, I try to be grateful that I’m doing it and remember that I’ve made it. The rest is gravy.
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