HIS HERS & Jeremy Reynolds: Look Mom, No Bridle

with L.A. Sokolowski, equinista

Last summer, Jeremy Reynolds and Treasured Moments (DA Adios+/ x Hidden Treasure) became viral sensa�ons when photographer Lynn Glazer captured Jeremy, en route to his fi�h 100-Mile Western States Trail Ride (Tevis Cup) championship, riding his 13 year-old, 15.2hh, bay Arabian mare, from start to finish, in nothing but a customized hybrid neck rope. “I’d like to say I’m that good of a horseman but really, I just have that good of a horse,” he said. How can you not like this guy? Jeremy bought Treasure as a three year-old racehorse where he was a track farrier. In their 2017 Tevis Cup debut, Treasure earned the Haggin Cup for Best Condi�oned Horse and the pair were third overall. In 2018 and 2019, Treasure was ridden to comple�on by Jeremy’s friends Bob Gauthier and Sarah Hunt; and in 2021, Jeremy rode Treasure to their first Tevis Cup win together. Their 2023 bridle-free win adds Treasured Moments’ name to the Robie Cup and an elite list of horses to have completed the Tevis Cup at least five �mes. Our chat with Jeremy wasn’t nearly as lengthy but we promise, it’s s�ll a great ride.

HERS: What do you remember about your first horse or pony?

HIS: She was a Connemara/Arabian and kind of wild. No one wanted to ride her. I had to hold her feet up for the farrier so she wouldn’t kick his head off. She jumped anything I pointed her at; I once jumped something higher than her withers

HERS: What do you like best in a horse?

HIS: I like a horse that will tune in and actually listen to you. The type that follows you with their ears, and really ‘gets it.’ With a good work ethic, who enjoys their job and seems to have as much fun as I am.

HERS: What do you like best in a person?

HIS: The same, LOL.

HERS: What was your first job and how old were you?

HIS: My first job, when I was 13, was holding feed and water buckets up for the draft horses on their breaks between sleigh rides.

HERS: If you worked outside the horse world what would you be doing?

HIS: In college I thought I would get into law

HERS: Favorite quote?

HIS: “Race your own race.”

HERS: Who has inspired and/or mentored you as an endurance rider?

HIS: Jackie Bumgardner (owner/breeder of American endurance riding Hall of Famers Zayante, Sierra Fadwah+/) mentored me and introduced me to the sport. (The late Nevada ranch horse trainer) Terry Kauffman taught me how to ride and become a horseman. And my wife, Heather Reynolds (they share three National Husband and Wife High Point Awards) taught me the rest.

HERS: How did you connect with Untamed Tack, maker of that now-famous neck rope?

HIS: Pam (Untamed’s founder) lives nearby and we’ve all been friends for years. I knew she could braid anything, so we got together and created the neck rope. I prototyped it using an old lead rope made of rock climbing webbing.

HERS: Can other riders get the same neck rope that you used for Treasure?

HIS: Yes. They can get it directly from Untamed Tack.

HERS: How would you like to see endurance riding evolve – nationally and/or internationally -- in the next decade?

HIS: I’d like to see more interest in 100’s (100-Mile Rides), and especially from a younger crowd, so the longevity of our sport will continue.

HERS: You can invite three guests (past or present, real or fictional) to dinner.

Who joins you and what’s served?

HIS: Nicola Tesla, my late father, Mark Reynolds, and Rodrigo Pessoa. We would be eating smoked steak, with a nice wine, and discussing ideas and life. I’d like to add that one of the most important things about riding horses, in general, is spending time with them, to discover how to listen to them. Not by buying their friendship through food, but through a mutual bond of understanding and enjoyment through a discipline that you and your horse both enjoy.

Collec�vely, Jeremy and Heather Reynolds have logged over 41,000 compe��on miles, earned seven Tevis Cups, five Haggin Cups, and Individual Pan American Games Gold and Silver medals. Learn more about endurance riding and horse training at their California or Florida facility, www.reynoldsracing.us. Have a His & Hers sugges�on? Share yours with me at latheequinista@gmail.com.

Born 1970 in Veracruz, Mexico, Amador Lobato is a talented artist whose work focuses on the equestrian world. Mainly producing sculptures, he masters the techniques of metalwork. His pieces are not only proof of craftmanship virtue, but of a deep understanding of horse nature and movement. Always in search of motion, his sculptures express the concept of animation, which is why people frequently approach them as if they are living horses.

He inherited the love for horses from his family. Star�ng as a wrangler at a very young age, Amador eventually moved his riding interests to a whole different sphere: classical dressage. It is here, where he was able to work with mul�ple horse breeds. He also developed his skills as a farrier. Amador, recalls this period of his life as a �me in which he had a lot of fun as well as many valuable learning experiences. For many years, he was involved in the produc�on of various equestrian performance shows; this is probably where he gained part of his charm and willingness to be the center of a�en�on. Amador now prefers Endurance riding, which he has been prac�cing for over a decade.

Amador started producing ar�s�c works as a hobby. It all started with his enjoyment in combing out his horse’s mane and tail – a prac�ce he found very relaxing. It was common for him to find pieces of baling wire stuck in their hair. Annoyed by the quan�ty of this useless material, he bent the wire and immediately glimpsed the beginning of a horse form, which he then adventured to model fully.

Star�ng off with small desk pieces, he transi�oned into creating life size figures made from used horseshoes. This evolu�on was indeed a difficult process. It was a �me of self-doubt for a