A Wedowee woman is celebrating a world champion horse show title. The first, she hopes, of many.
Emma Huddleston competed in the Tennessee Walking Horse World Versatility Show in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with her horse, "A Congressman."
Huddleston and her horse, whom she calls "Congress," brought home the world championship in the beginner obstacles course competition.
After competing in obstacles over poles, a bridge and through the water, Huddleston left the competition before the awards because she thought there was no chance of winning. Seventy-six other entries competed in the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association contest.
"I just had no clue," Huddleston said. "I mean, we've never done anything like this before. I wanted to do this show for a couple of years because I've had a fun time with obstacles just messing around at the house, so it was really like just no pressure at all, we're going for it."
Congress' story is one of an underdog, although Huddleston said that isn't what she wants him to be known as. After nearly losing his life due to a fungus, the double-registered horse was given to Huddleston. He came from a high-quality bloodline, so Huddleston never gave up on her dreams.
"We came and saw him and my sister, Abby, said, 'He has sweet eyes,' and that was it," she remembered. "We brought him home and gave him a chance."
The work wasn't easy. Emma, Abby, their brother Rhett, and Emma's boyfriend, Trent Wheeler, put in grueling hours to get the horse healed. They had to walk him up and down hills for 45 minutes every day for six months, sometimes in winter temperatures as low as 20 degrees. They fed him special feed and supplements to make him stronger.
They spent months preparing Congress for shows.
It has been four years since Huddleston was given Congress. Their special bond inspired her to work even harder. She said she knew she would one day win a world title with the horse, but she didn't know it would be so soon.
"My goal was to win a world title before I turned 30 and now I'm 24," Huddleston said. "There has been lots of times where I just wanted to give up. He's not naturally athletic and we have to work at something every single day."
"No joke, some of my very good horse friends look at me and say, 'You're never going to win on this horse, like it's a complete waste of time," she continued. "They say there's a lot better horses out there and you can't continue spending your time. People have even made fun of him, said 'He's too skinny; he's ugly; he's never going to amount to anything,' but I've never given up on him."
Huddleston said the big win was surprising but rewarding.
"Truly, it's one of those things that I've been working for forever just to actually win something," Huddleston said. "Rhett has won multiple state titles on him and I won some reserves, but this is something you want to tell people about."
Operating ShakRag Horse Camp and teaching others how to ride, Huddleston said she hopes to inspire others to chase their dreams and never give up.
"I really just have so much thankfulness," Huddleston said. "God allowed me to have Congress and He allowed me to do all this, so I feel thankfulness. You spend, I mean, all of your time just practice, practice, practice and when you finally win, it's just one of those things that's like, 'Did this really just happen?"
Huddleston said she is thankful for the support from her family, especially her "pawpaw" Larry Bradley, who had her and her twin sister on horses from the time they could sit up. She said her grandmother, Rita Bradley, also played a role in helping her get to where she is.
"My momma always says, 'It's his fault, it's Pawpaw's fault," she said.
Huddleston's message: "Keep working no matter what everybody says."
"Sometimes I look back and I think to myself, 'Would I really do it again?' It's been four years of comments that have really hurt my feelings. It's been four years of a lot of work, time, money and people telling me not to waste my time. But it's not a waste of time. Not anymore."
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