The Beicker sisters – Brinley (9 years old) and Brylen (6 years old) – are definitely Show Season riders on the rise to watch!

 

These two talented young girls come from a line of riders. Their grandmother (Penny aka Gigi) and great aunt Laurie Long, grew up showing Arabian horses (many may remember the Mace girls and their horse Teak!).

 

As the older sister of the two, Brinley’s jump into the Arabian show world (although she had been already riding for quite some time) was the doing of great aunt, who was looking for help getting one of her horses (GS Knight Wind, aka Casper) qualified for a 2011 regional show.

 

Laurie said Casper needed one more qualifying point, and that if he and Brinley were able to place anywhere in the top three that he would have it.

 

So off they went to the Lone Star Classic at the Rose Palace in San Antonio, TX, and not only did Brinley make it into the top three but she placed second in the class!

 

“Well that led to going to the regional show, and Brinley was Reserve Champion in showmanship,” explained her mother, Katie.

 

“At that point, Laurie told us that if we were going any further showing, then her outfit needed to be updated. So off we went to the Show Season booth, and that’s where the Beicker Blue all started. After our first Youth Nationals, my husband and I realized that this was our girls ‘thing,’ and we support them whole-heartedly in it.” 

 

And whole-heartedly they have. Just last year, Brinley brought home a National Championship in the A/HA/AA Showmanship JT 10 & under, a National Championship in the Arabian Western Seat Equation W/T 10 & Under, and Top Tens in the A/HA/AA Trail Walk/Jog 10 & under, the Arabian Western Pleasure Walk/Trot 10 & under, the HA/AA Western Pleasure Walk/Trot 10 & under, and the HA/AA Western Seat Equation W/T 10 & under.

 

Brylen, on the other hand – at just 6 years old – has been wracking up the blue ribbons in lead line all the while, but this will be her first year going to Youth Nationals.

 

In and out of the show ring, not only are these girls high-class riders, but they are also high-class fashionistas. And we got the lowdown on their style –

 

Show Season: Describe your riding fashion style.

Brinley: BLUE. We like to joke around with Melissa that they need to rename the color to BEICKER BLUE. It is my color, and it is a pretty color that stands out without being too loud. And I feel comfortable in it. 

Brylen: Blue for Western. I am also riding Hunter, and my Hunter jacket and shirts all have a hint of blue in them as well.

Show Season: What is your favorite head-to-toe riding outfit?

Brinley: I love my new Beicker Blue Equitation shirt that I just got from Show Season. It is the perfect amount of glitz, but is still very classy and age appropriate. I have only worn it at the Region 9 Championships so far, but I won both of those classes, so hopefully it keeps its winning ways. 

Brylen: I love riding Hunter so I love my Hunter outfit. However, I really want to do Native Costume, Country English, and Park one day, and I already have all of those outfits picked out in my head. 

Show Season: Do you wear anything for good luck in the show ring? 

Brinley & Brylen: There is not an item that we go into the ring without. However, before we go in the ring each time, our Gigi starts the saying “First Impression….” and we finish it by saying “Last impression!” And then we punch our fists together or “pound it,” so that would have to be our good luck.

 

Show Season: What is one thing you never go in the ring without?

Brinley & Brylen: Our Horse. Other than that you just have to have a good attitude. We have worked really hard for this moment and we just hope that the judge sees that. 

 

Show Season: How would you describe your non-horse show style?

Brinley: Wind shorts and t-shirt. Anything that is comfortable and easy.

Brylen: I like fancy. I like skirts, pretty shirts, and doing my own hair.

 

Show Season: What has been your biggest accomplishment as a rider?

Brinley: Youth Nationals last year was amazing, so that is at the top of the list for sure.  However, running a close second is winning my Trail class at Scottsdale this past February, with a score of a 76! It was only the second time I had taken my new mare into a trail class, and was only her third time to compete in one. We made a great team that day, and I cannot wait to see how she does this year at Youth.

Brylen: I have beaten my sister a couple of times in a class and that is always fun!

 

Show Season: What are your riding goals for the future? 

Brinley: This year I am adding Short Stirrup Reining to my competition schedule. So for the future I really want to keep learning more and always improving. Keep learning more about my horses and what can make us an excellent team.

Brylen: I want to keep learning and competing, and one day win Champion at Youth Nationals!!

 

Show Season: Who has been the most influential in your riding career?

Brinley & Brylen: My grandmother Gigi (Penny Mace Knippa) and my great aunt Laurie. They are constantly working with us to make us better, and teaching us new things that can help us be better riders and competitors.  

Get a picture-perfect, show ready, acne-less face with these really simple and cheap tips.

Lets begin with 5 important skin care rules:

+ You are what you eat
+ Don’t excessively (and needlessly) apply product
+ Just b/c it works for your friend, does not = it will work for you
+ Apply SPF ALWAYS, on your face, neck and hands
+ Keep it simple

 

You are what you eat. 

 

If you eat a bunch of junk, it will show up on your skin.

Don’t believe me?

Try a juice cleanse.

Your skin will probably never have looked better than after you do a cleanse because it flushes out all the toxic waste in your body.

Here are some super foods that you can get at your local grocery store that will keep your complexion clear and beautiful (as well as keep your energy fueled up at the shows) –

+ Kale: This veggie is FULL of so many vitamins, like A, B, C, E & K, in addition to iron, potassium, protein, phosphorus and manganese. Personally, it is not my fav tasting veggie, but there is good reason it is #1 on my list, so I work at liking it.

+ Sweet potatoes: I LOVE sweet potatoes, but so many people often automatically assume they are full of carbs because they are in the potato family [and that they are subsequently bad]. In truth, however, they are packed with vitamin A (which is the leading ingredient in many acne medications). And they also combat free radicals (which cause aging).

+ Flaxseeds: Not only does this fabulous seed battle acne, but it is also additionally known to take away inflammation! And they are super yummy when mixed in Greek yogurt, sprinkled on fruit or salads, blended in smoothies, added to oatmeal, or cooked in baked goods!

+ Nuts: Nuts make/keep one’s skin plump and vibrant! And they are filled with vitamin E (especially almonds)!

+ Salmon: Not be my fish of choice (I like more mild flavors), but it is packed with omega fatty acids, which promotes healthy, radiant skin (so I force myself to try and like it).

+ Eggs:  These babies are full of protein, antioxidants, and vitamin E. And (added bonus!) they keep you nice and full for hours!

+ Oranges: Everyone knows that oranges are jam-packed with vitamin C… but did you know Vitamin C helps protect the skin for scarring? Amazing.

If you want tons of acne, eat tons of these junky foods:

 

+ Salt: It causes bloating as well as inflammation (hello, acne!)

+ Sugar: Has a tendency to damage collagen & elastin in your skin (great. 

+ Alcohol: It’s 1 of the most dehydrating things you can consume (i.e., not so good for your skin)

+ White bread: Sadly white bread causes anti-nutrients (?!!!), which means that it makes it hard for your body to absorb any sort of nutrients, vitamins or minerals.

[[Keep in mind: What you eat in a decade will show up on your skin in the next; i.e., what you eat in your 20s will appear on your skin in your 30s, and so on and so on.]]

Okay, so now that we are cleared up on the super-foods and the not-so-super-foods for healthy skin, let’s talk product. 

 

Don’t excessively (and needlessly) apply product

 

Lets be honest, applying 40 pounds of skin-care products won’t magically beautify your skin.

But I am going to share with you all my biggest skin care secret for happy, healthy skin: a bar of all-natural soap.

How ridiculously easy is that?

I found out this super-secret when I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on with my skin (it was all of a sudden breaking out and uber-sensitive). So I went to the dermatologist, and she told me to stop all of my over-use of products and buy an all-natural bar of soup to use twice a day. And, guess what. It worked. I went home, tried her recommendation, and after a few days my skin was glowing

Okay, so other recommendations –

If you have really dry skin (like me), make sure you always take your makeup off at night, keep your coffee drinking to 1x a day (drink more water, less coffee), and apply a moisturizer that is all-natural (if you haven’t realized yet I’m big on all-natural).

Oh, and to all you pimple poppers – if you are going to mess with your skin, do it after you take a hot shower, and always wash your hands first and use a tissue.

 

Be cautious when it comes to trying out friends products

 

Experimentation is fab, but experiment smart.

Before you slather a product all over your face that swears to get rid of wrinkles, try it out on a small area of your leg or something. 

Everyone’s skin is unique. Do what works best for you, not your mom, not your bestie, not your horse…you!

 

SPF ALWAYS on your face, neck and hands

 

When girls ask me about my skin, the 1^st thing I tell them is SUNCREEN.

I know, I know. But you “look better with a tan.”

Well, you do not look better with skin cancer, sunspots or pigmentation.

Point: If you want picture-perfect skin, keep the heck out of the sun & always wear sunscreen.

 

Keep it simple

 

Stress shows up on your face.

Stress will make any pimple, blackhead or zit worse.

Don’t overcomplicate your life or skin care routine. Less stress = clearer skin.

[[ …Or, if all else fails, just put on your kick-ass Show Season suit which I always feel helps to detract attention from any surprise pimples that inevitably appear on my face 😉 ]]

I’m guessing you have heard the expression, “fake it until you make it,” like a billion times before. Have you ever put that phrase into action though? Given it a real chance?

Really, honestly ask yourself that question!

Probably not.

But you should!

Like, if you are feeling nervous right before going into a class… why not fake it until you make it?! And what I mean by that is change your attitude. Begin by just working to radiate positivity.

For as long as I can remember, my mom always told me to let everyone else be nervous and mess themselves up. Instead to just have fun and ride my horse. It does no good to bring nerves into a class with you, she would tell me.

So when I don’t feel positive I fake it.

Because when you project positive, confident energy into the universe, amazing things happen.

And that holds true for all aspects of ones life – in and out of the show ring.

The sooner that you start to live and embrace a positive, happy, healthy way of life, the sooner you can achieve whatever it is you want.

We all have moments of uncertainty, but faking confidence can build real confidence. In fact, in lots of ways it is a major talent to be able to walk into a room (or ride into a class) and fake like you know what the heck you are doing (even when things are not going how you planned), when in truth, you might be totally clueless.

But, as with any skill, it takes work.

As we all know, practice makes perfect.

So start practicing confidence. Confidence in yourself. Confidence in your riding ability. Show that confidence in your body language. Sit up tall. Smile.

Gain confidence in life.

When you feel confident, you feel strong (which is [BTW] one of the main reasons I love Show Season – because I can create outfits that I feel confident and powerful in). You can then tap into that confidence to accomplish whatever it is you want – whether if that is riding your dream horse, winning a National title, or just simply showing.

That is faking it until you make it. Because eventually you wont be faking it any more.

And that doesn’t mean being a fake person. It means changing your attitude and the tone of your life.

And begin today. Not tomorrow. Today.

If you aren’t familiar with the Vokoun family of Buckshot Farms, it’s time to get familiarized! This family of four – husband and wife – Dan and Cori – and their two youngsters – Alex and Reagan – all share the horse-crazy gene.

Established in the early 1990s by John and April Sampson, Buckshot Farms and the Buckshot horses have achieved national recognition in the Arabian industry. To date, Buckshot Farms have accumulated over 40 National Arabian titles, over half of which have been in the reining division. In recent years, the American Quarter Horse and NRHA competition has also become a focus of Buckshot Farms, with several horses winning NRHA earnings.

“I grew up showing Arabians in English, Western, Reining, and Halter, beginning in 1988. I used to show all the disciplines fairly evenly, but today my showing is 90% reining and 10% western pleasure.

Over the years, I have had National success in all the major categories, but my heart is in the reining. Most recently, I have been showing Quarter horses in NRHA competition and I am enjoying the new challenge.

My husband, Dan, showed his first season in 2013, as did our twins, Alex and Reagan, who are 7. Dan enjoys the reining and had lots of success at US Nationals last year in the rookie division, accumulating 1 Champion and 2 Reserves.

Alex shows a 20 year old son of Khemosabi named Khiski JF in western pleasure walk trot. He won Region 8 and was reserve champion at Region 10 last year in western pleasure walk trot.

Show Season made beautiful chaps for both Dan and Alex last year… Alex’s on very short notice!

Reagan is trying lots of disciplines, but her favorite is the short stirrup reining.  She showed her first reining class at Scottsdale 2014 and was 3rd place on her favorite horse, a Half Arabian gelding named Dun Its Finest. She is very excited that the class was added to the Youth Nationals this year.

With regard to Show Season, we go back every time because of the quality, attention to detail, and the customer service.

I have shown for 25 years in Show Season apparel and never had an outfit malfunction at a show. The quality and design is top notch, all of their competitors measure success by claiming “just like Show Season” even if its not.

They definitely set the bar on excellent show apparel.

I have also had great service such as quick alterations or fast turn around on an order. I can’t say enough about the service.

My favorite outfit right now is my western pleasure outfit; it’s all black, full sequin, open neck line with a choker. I think the style is called the “sassy.” The horse I show in it, Buckshot Dun It, stands out in the ring, so I wanted something that compliments him but doesn’t distract from him. It’s perfect!

We are waiting for Reagan’s new outfit to arrive… She wants to look like the big girls, lots of bling, wearing all the new styles… I suspect that is that it will be her new favorite, and probably mine too. She is very excited about it.

Me, I like to be true to my reiner style, but with a customized, detailed, put together look.

The guys, they just want cool chaps, plain shirts, and great horses under them!

Thanks Sue, Melissa, and Patti!!!”

– Cori Samspon Vokoun