CH Soquili’s Southern Blues with Alice and A Breath Away with Nancy-Leigh in the Line-Up in Freedom Hall 2015
Alice remembered, “My My’s first lessons were all on Forecaster. The day Lynda (Freseth) decided to teach My My to cluck was a hard day for him.” Forecaster was always wide open at the hint of a cluck but he knew he had to take care of his precious cargo. “While My My practiced her clucking, his eyes got wider and wider but he never even pulled on his bridle. When they got back to the stall, he was soaking wet. That was the kind of heart he had.” My My’s name is Alice-Mithali Unger Singh. As the fifth Alice in the family, she needed a distinct form of identification. My My was the natural choice and was inspired by the famous mare of the same name. Alice’s husband, Jaspal Singh, accepted his daughter’s new title with a tip of the hat to her Indian (“dot not feather,” noted Nancy-Leigh) name, Mithali. The family has grown strong over the years and showing horses has aided in the growth. “Perseverance is the most important lesson we all learn,” says Alice. “Life is frail and fleeting,” Nancy-Leigh agreed. “Blue Ribbons are not the end goal. The process is what’s rewarding.” All three of these women are shy and reserved by nature. Bullied during childhood, they found strength and refuge in the horses. “Where else can you find this kind of bond?” asked Alice.
58
THE INTERNATIONAL SHOW HORSE
“You can pour your heart out to your horse and when you are showing, it’s like no one is looking at you, but just at your horse.” “Everything else just disappears,” Nancy-Leigh agreed. Nancy Leigh’s quiet grace in and out of the ring masks her inner drive. “I came from the old style of Equitation training. To ride with subtlety and keep your cues so slight no one sees them,” she said. “I never gave Forecaster a physical cue. I’m sure my hands and legs did things I wasn’t aware of, but I could just THINK something with him, and he would do it.” The horse fever infected the women in the family at different times. Nancy Leigh caught the bug between the ages of 3 and 6. It stayed with her but she took time away to marry and start a family. She returned to it with Alice in tow. She had promised Alice a horse one day. Alice informed her she wanted The Black Stallion. Didn’t we all? While shopping for new carpet when Alice was 7 years old, Nancy-Leigh discovered the carpet dealer was selling his Arabian horses. She purchased a white mare for Alice. No carpet. She started teaching Alice to ride and realized she needed a horse of her own so they could ride together.