Shezaffirecracker+//, a 2007 half-Arabian, half-Saddlebred mare, has collected numerous carriage pleasure driving accolades with co-owner and trainer Chris Bickford over the years. Shezaffirecracker+// and Bickford began their 2019 season by winning a total of four carriage pleasure driving classes at the California Springfest Horse Show and the BC Morgan and Open Horse Show. They went on to earn eight regional championships and three regional reserve championships at the Region 5 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Sport Horse Championships.
Shezaffirecracker+// and Bickford made the trek to the Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show in Crete, Illinois, hoping to prove their mettle. They tallied two national champion titles in carriage pleasure driving gambler's choice and pick your route, and three reserve national champion titles in carriage pleasure driving turnout, scurry obstacles, and timed obstacles, as well as finishing in the top 10 in two other classes. They closed out 2019 by winning five classes at the Arabian Fall Classic to end their season on a high note.
Shezaffirecracker+// was both bred and raised by Bickford who has had a hand in all of her training and has seen Shezaffirecracker+// become the successful horse that she is today. Shezaffirecracker+// participated in her first carriage driving show in 2010 at the young age of 3 years old. Since then, Shezaffirecracker+// has earned top ribbons in hundreds of classes throughout her show career including, Carriage Driving Reinsmanship, Carriage Driving Working, Carriage Driving Obstacles, Carriage Driving Gamblers Choice, Carriage Driving Fault and Out, and Carriage Driving Pick Your Route.
According to Bickford, Shezaffirecracker+// has a "Type A" personality. She absolutely loves to do her job and there isn't a road long enough for her. Shezaffirecracker+//loves the horse shows and her favorite classes are the obstacle classes because she gets to go as fast as she wants! "Going slow has never been her strong suit," said Bickford with a laugh. "We always have to have a discussion because she wants to do [the classes] a lot faster than the judges want her to do them."
In the stall at home, Shezaffirecracker+//, known as "Foxy" in the barn, can be extremely spooky if she's approached with a strange object. But with Bickford, who admits he isn't the "huggy-kissy" type, Shezaffirecracker+// wants to be right on top of him while he's picking her stall. Shezaffirecracker+// loves being out in the pasture with other horses and enjoys being dirty. This special mare is most-deserving of her recognition as 2019 USEF National Horse of Honor and as a Horse Stars Hall of Fame Inductee.
