About Kathy
Kathy has trained, bred, raised and ridden a wide variety of horses - breed and discipline wise. She has been a horse owner since she was 9 years old. You can see all her horses under "Past Horses" or "Current Horses".
Please enjoy the gallery of Kathy with her self raised and trained Quarter Horse San's March Hare "March", Saddlebred Meadow Sun "Chuck," Welsh Pony stallion Glyncadno Fairy King "King", her Arabian stallion (now gelded) Elated MSF (also self raised and trained), and other horses.
Kathy Gilker got her first horse when she was 9 years old growing up in California, even coming from a non-horse family. He was a 20 something, one leaded Saddlebred gelding Freddy. He was sweet, kind and old - the perfect first horse at $250, who she had until he passed away. When she wanted to start showing (western), she saved her babysitting money and got a loan from her parents and bought a trail horse Quarter Horse cross (for $450). Kathy trained Miss T and they showed in Halter, Showmanship, Western bareback, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Equitation, Hunt Seat Pleasure, and backyard jumping. Kathy self taught herself from books and watching others ride and compete.
At 16 years old Kathy got her next horse San’s March Hare - a 2 year old registered Quarter Horse stallion. He was semi-wild off a ranch in Oklahoma. It took a while for her to let her touch him and she trained him completely by herself. They showed at all the local shows and often did 10 classes a day and almost always received High Point. They showed together in western pleasure, horsemanship, hunt seat equitation, hunt seat, showmanship, western trail, jumping & more. Kathy and March also showed a few breed shows and often won all their classes. She and March would ride through the hills to and from the horse show grounds. Kathy’s dad would help be gait keeper at the shows and her mom would help show secretary. When Kathy got married, she sadly sold March to a young girl to enjoy.
Kathy and her husband, James, moved to Houston, Texas in 1979 with no horses. She drove by a Saddlebred barn that had a sign for lessons. Not having ridden Saddleseat before she wanted to try something new so she paid for her first month of lessons and then they never charged her for lessons again. After riding most of the horses in the barn, including their top Saddlebred show horses, Kathy bought Meadow Sun “Chuck”, a sweet Saddlebred gelding she rode and showed.
Meanwhile, Kathy and Jimmy bought their first farm from Robert Vickers, a large Arabian breeder. That started the love for the Arabians. They bought their first Arabian stallion, Busz Magic, from the Vickers and her first mare, F M Doshambe, from Phillis Inman of Flying Moor Arabians.
Kathy had the opportunity to ride, train, re-train, and show many Arabians and Half Arabians in everything from Saddleseat, Western Pleasure, Arabian Costume, Trail, Hunter Pleasure, Hunter/Jumpers, to Halter and Sidesaddle, many of these horses she bred & raised herself.
Elated MSF, Kathy's purebred Polish stallion, was purchased as a 2 week old by Kathy and came home when he was weaned. Elated traveled with her from Texas to Georgia as a yearling with her other Arabians and Half Arabians in 1987. She first showed him when he was 5 in Western Pleasure at Wills Park Equestrian Center. From then on Kathy showed him in everything from Western Sidesaddle, Western Trail, Hunter Pleasure, Show Hack, Country English Pleasure, Competitive Trail and Dressage up to 2nd Level. He was trained up to 4th Level. He sired two foals, pure Polish mare JAG Electra "Ellie" (out of Pepsi Free) and JAG Ecstatic "Tad" (out of F M Jaharah). At age 13, Elated was gelded to become a show horse for Jessica and Megan when they were 11. They first showed him in Walk Trot and Walk Trot Canter classes. Elated was Jessica's main show horse through middle school and she competed him in high school as well (2004-2006). Jessica showed him in Sport Horse In Hand, Sport Horse Under Saddle, Hunters 2'6"-3", Jumpers, Dressage, Hunter Hack, Showmanship, and Combined Training with countless wins. They competed in both breed and open shows. Jessica also used him in the Atlanta Pony Club for clinics and rallies, cross country schooling, Junior Fox Hunts and Hunter Paces.
Wanting to produce beautiful, athletic, and sweet ponies for her daughters. Kathy purchased two Welsh mares, Kenfel Heather and Glyncadno Ballerina and then later a Welsh Pony stallion, Glyncadno Fairy King. Kathy helped finish these mares, Jessica and Megan showed both these Welsh mares in local hunter and Welsh Pony shows. Kathy bred King to her wonderful, beginner proof Arabian mare, JAG Silhouette, and produced three amazing Half Arabian ponies. The three foals, JAG Lady Pegasus+/, JAG Royal Knight, and JAG Crown Jewel have all been successful been successful in open and Arabian breed shows.
Kathy also bred both her sweet, kind, beginner proof Arabian mares, JAG Silhouette and F M Jaharah, to the pinto Saddlebred stallion, Cappuccino Royale, producing three sweet, kind, and athletic horses, JAG Kalico Kid+// (out of JAG Silhouette), JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ (out of F M Jaharah) and JAG Mochaccino (out of F M Jaharah). All three were successful dressage horses. Kathy also owned and showed both of these mares' dams as well.
All the horses Kathy has bred, raised or purchased were all talented, kind, athletic, correct horses with amateur friendly personalities for showing and to enjoy spending time with.
To this day Kathy takes care of and rides her Arabian and Half Arabians, whether it’s around the farm, on trail rides, at Arabian Horse shows, or local dressage or combined training shows.
JAG Khalahari & Kathy July 2019 | ||
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Quarter Horse - San's March Hare | ||
Saddlebred Meadow Sun | Saddlebred Meadow Sun | Saddlebred Meadow Sun |
Saddlebred Meadow Sun | Welsh Pony Glyncadno Fairy King | JAG Excalibur & Kathy |
Arabian Elated MSF | Arabian Elated MSF | |
JAG Kalico Kid+/ | ||
JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ | JAG Kalico Kid+/ | JAG Kalico Kid+/ |
JAG Dekadence, WCAHA Spring Show, April 2011 | JAG Kalico Kid+/ ready to show Sport Horse In Hand in 2012 | Getting ready to show JAG Kharisma Bey in Sport Horse In Hand |
Galloping in Ecuador | JAG Kalico Kid+/ at the US Arabian and Half Arabian Nationals | JAG Kharisma Bey showing in Arabian Halter |
JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ | JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ at the GA Horse Fair, representing the Arabian/Half Arabian horse in a demo | JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ at the GA Horse Fair, representing the Arabian/Half Arabian horse in a demo |
JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ | 2017 Arabian and Half Arabian Sport Horse Nationals with JAG Kalico Kid+/ and Conkar+/ | 2017 Arabian and Half Arabian Sport Horse Nationals Conkar+/ Jessica, Kathy & Megan |
CA Destiny Gro, Kathy & JAG Dekadence | Khelsea Bey, Kathy, & JAG Dekadence | Kathy & Elated MSF |
Kathy & Elated MSF | Half brothers JAG Cafe Au Lait+/ & JAG Kalico Kid+/ with Kathy | JAG Kalico Kid+/ & Kathy |
JAG Khalahari, Kathy, JAG Khasanova & JAG Dekadence | JAG Khalahari, Kathy & JAG Khasanova (father & son) | JAG Khalahari, Kathy & Khelsea Bey, September 2017 |