McKenzie Lantz

by Cindy Voss

I live in Fremont, Michigan with my parents, Matt and Lori Lantz.  I have two dogs, Cutter & Princess, as well as an obnoxious cat, named Lucky.  We just moved here to our new home in August, 2004 to start my new school year at Fremont Middle School.  I am in the 7^th grade and play point guard in basketball and averaged 10 points a game for my team.  We were 9-1 for season. I also participate in an indoor soccer team where I play the forward position.  We also just started with our school’s volleyball season and hope to have a good year.

  My dad is a horse trainer so I kind of grew up in the horse business of owning and showing.  I have been riding horses since I was 3, sitting in the saddle with my dad, but have been showing since age 5, starting in lead line class!  My first reining horse was a horse that my mom had shown successfully to many year end awards.  His name was Pines Great Quest (Grady).  But my most fun horse was my great past horse, Grassfires.  With him, I was 7^th in the 2003 Youth 13-under NRHA World standings and 1^st in 2003 Michigan Youth 13- under.  Last year I showed Spotless Melody that I bought from Mike and Marilyn Cargill, who is a full brother to Grassfires.

 This year I will be showing my Mom’s 5 year old gelding, Hold That Dry Doc at the MRHA Liberty Derby. And I’d like to thank my mom for letting me have him to show.  This year I will also have a 3 year old Gunner filly, Peashooter, who I will be showing at the Caywood Futurity in the Non Pro Divisions.

I would really like to thank my mom and dad for all the help and support they have given me in everything that I do.  I would also like to thank our MRHA Youth Coordinator Emily Smiddy for helping us with the MRHA Youth Color Guard.  I had a lot of fun participating in the Color Guard and have made a lot of friends in the Youth Team, especially, Hannah Derks who has become my close friend. We have a lot in common.

2004 was a great year for me, winning the MRHA Youth 13 and under on Spotless!  And I would also like to congratulate Hannah on her 2004 MRHA Youth 14-18 year end championship.

 My funniest memory, I can remember, was when we were in Oklahoma for the Futurity one year and Doug and Debbie Van Reese had us over to their hotel room for Thanksgiving turkey and things.  The room had an upstairs balcony and I had gone upstairs to use the bathroom.   When I came out, Sam Smith grabbed me by the legs and lifted me up and held me over the balcony.  His wife, Kelle Smith, was downstairs holding her arms out, like she was going to catch me.  Everyone was watching this and laughing.  I was so scared.  He brought me back down and Thank Gosh he didn’t drop me!  It took me a while to even start talking to him again but now I talk to him all the time at shows and on the phone.

   My goals for the year 2005 is hopefully to be in the top ten in the NRHA with Hold That Dry Doc and just to have a great year but mainly to have fun.