March 2023 Issue

Page 68 March 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Get FREE copies of East Coast Equestrian to distribute at your event! Email steph@eastcoastequestrian.net at least 8 weeks before your event with the name and date, and we will ship you copies to distribute to exhibitors at no charge. The news East Coast horse owners need to know NRHA Top 20 Professional Matt Palmer Brings It Back to PA he did not become truly serious until his late twenties. Then his focus transformed. In 2010, at 27 years old, Matt qualified for the Olympic team with a horse named Whale of a Whiz. “I qualified to the team on half my abilities.” Not utilizing a full heart, he still rode with success. “The horse was a better horse than I was a rider.” Matt af- firmed he was changed by Whale of a Whiz and wishes a re-ride could be possible today because of his increased appreciation and skill for the sport. In the years that followed, Matt experienced many highs and lows. “One day, I was living, and the next day life was ripped upside down.” He was devastat- ed when his father passed away. Shortly after, Matt partnered with a large business, moving to New York for both training and riding. Still struggling, Matt’s life had been in shambles when he qualified for the Run for a Million with the horse, Gunnatrashthe- place. Unfortunately, Matt faced yet another roadblock when his qualifying mount suffered an unexpected injury. Simultaneously, the horse- man had another goal. To go home. However, until the recent awareness in western style riding and specifically reining, living east of the Mississippi presented a challenge. Only a few riders have achieved the elite “NRHA Million Dollar Rider” status and even fewer hail from the East Coast. But Matt never wanted to move west because Pennsylvania was his home. The global atten- tion has improved opportunities from increased clientele to access to shows. Matt and his wife returned to his roots in Elverson, PA to their family farm. Their expanded fa- cility, Palmer Performance Hors- es, opened at the end of 2022. Over the years, Matt has built his winnings and saved enough to construct a Taj Mahal venue—a 272-foot long indoor arena with 27 stalls and a viewing room. Matt Palmer calls himself very fortunate. He had the oppor- tunity to be part of the enormous growth in the industry, including participation in The Last Cowboy with his horse Gangus. “There is no excuse for not working hard.” Matt’s day is never simple. Every day he is at the gym at 6:00 AM, then he rides 14 horses. With the combination of hard work and faith in a higher power, the horse- man believes success will rain on. Fast forward to 2023; Matt is less than $200,000 away from the goal of NRHAMillion Dollar Rider. He hopes to seize that title… and bring it home to Penn- sylvania. Additionally, he aspires to again qualify to compete in the 2023 Run For AMillion. Riders from across the globe can enter the competition this March 25, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where ten more will qualify to join the al- ready cemented six from the prior year. Only 16 will face off in the final earth-shattering battle. The riders, some of the most accom- plished professionals in the sport, compete in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16-19, 2023. Matt also believes a tipping point between a good equestrian and a great equestrian is utilizing technology. “Learning does not stop in the saddle.” He advises that studying videos on your own help a rider to better one’s craft. For example, you can see if you are sit- ting in the right position, or if your legs are correct. Technology aids a rider to reach above and beyond for the enhancement of skills as a horseman or horsewoman. Nothing short of exciting is the news that Matt Palmer will be at The Horse World Expo in Pennsylvania in 2023 to share his knowledge and passion for the sport. The theme for his clinic will be an introduction to basic reining, what to do and how to, and how the discipline is judged. He hopes to bring Simba, one of the horses he showed in the Million competition. Another of Matt’s inspira- tional pieces of advice… “Effort beats talent. More effort will knock down the door.” And he is living proof as he hopes to bring the coveted title home to PA in 2023. Matt Palmer’s clinic, Get Started in Reining, will be held Saturday, March 4 at 3 pm in the Large Arena. Matt will visit with attendees at the Jason Charles booth 325 on Saturday only. Alicia Stephens Martin is a businesswoman and writer from South Central Pennsylvania, author of three novels Spurred to Justice, Spurred to Jump, and Private Mom. Her fourth novel, Spurred to Jealousy, will release in April 2023 completing the Spurred to Trilogy. (Continued from page 59) Matt Palmer turned to reining after an injury ended his professional baseball career. He is one of the few top professionals competing from a home base on the east coast, at his farm in Elverson, PA. Photo credit: © Waltenberry