Breaking the Stereotype - Ex-Bronc turned Showjumper

This article is from the January 2021 Horse Deals magazine.

Chloe, tell us about Tonto. Tonto is a 15.1hh Quarter Horse x Paint that’s 15 years old.

What was Tonto originally bred for and what was his early life like? Tonto was originally bred for western pleasure. After having some great training in western pleasure and dressage early on, he began bucking a lot. His owner’s son-in-law was a rodeo regular and so took Tonto to be a bronc in a few rodeos to see how he would go. After this he was sold on to a new owner for his wife to ride, however he bucked her off and he was then sold on to me.

Tell us about your partnership. I really didn’t know what to expect when I purchased Tonto, as he didn’t have any jumping experience and I was told that he kept bucking people off. He was, however, balanced and soft to ride, so I took a chance. I began riding him and competing in showjumping and very quickly formed a bond that I certainly could not ignore. During our nine-year partnership together we have competed in showjumping at the Adelaide Royal Shows and State Championships, and competed successfully in both dressage and eventing. Since retiring him from the showjump ring, we have been spending our days galloping through the forest, mustering cattle on huge properties, and he has been teaching my niece to ride. And recently we competed in a stockman’s challenge. I also rode him down the aisle on my wedding day. To this day I can say that while every now and then he can be a little cold backed, he has never, not even once, bucked me off. And I have galloped him at full speed across a paddock bareback with a halter on. Nine years on and no buck, and I honestly forget that he ever used to do it. I trust him with my life and we have an amazing partnership that I have never experienced before.

When did you realise Tonto had a talent as a showjumper? As soon as Tonto cantered through the start flags in the showjump ring, his ears pricked forward and he never broke focus. He jumped his little heart out and had energy to burn. Then as soon as we cantered through the finish flags, I always loosened my reins and he would come back to walk like nothing had even happened. What made Tonto such a competitive little showjumper was his quick turns and his very tight tuck in his front legs over a fence. But most of all, it was his willingness to be my teammate and be so tuned into my every move.

What are his top achievements in the showjumping arena? Tonto’s best showjump season was in 2017 when we finished the season placing in four out of five of our classes at the SA State Showjumping Championships. These were quite big courses for him, being 1.30m high. He placed at most shows every year that we competed together, which was just a bonus.

Are there any aspects of showjumping he struggled with? Tonto and I had our struggles along the way. Being a smaller horse with a small canter stride, there were times when he struggled to make the longer distances between related lines, and where he didn’t always have enough scope. Luckily, he had an incredible work ethic and he always tried so hard for me. It also helped that he genuinely loved jumping.

What comments have you received when others learn about Tonto’s past? We have been lucky to have some incredibly supportive people cheering us on in the sidelines over the years. Most people cannot believe that he had a “bucking problem” and that he was used as a bronc. I guess they just see a nifty little horse with a great front end who looks after his rider at all costs.

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