By SUE ELLEN ROSS – Staff Reporter

GRAMERCY – Taylor Meyer is learning quite a bit about responsibility for a girl her age. In addition to schoolwork and chores, the 6-year-old knows how to take care of horses, as well as what it takes to prepare them for ‘show.’

At age 5, Taylor began presenting her horse Chip in open shows of the South Louisiana Saddle Horse Association. The 7-year-old, 1600-pound gelding is registered by the name La Favers Cool Boy.

Chip was a present to Taylor from her godmother, Nita Thomas, who also is a horse trainer. She works with Taylor as she is learning ‘the ropes.’

In addition to feeding and grooming Chip, the dedicated youngster also exercises him on a round track set up in her backyard. She is perfecting her guiding skills and getting him to stand erect, with his legs in a square position, which is his stance when he is shown in competition.

“She does this a little differently that an adult would,” said Taylor’s mom, Missy. “She is short enough that she can tap his feet to get them in position.”

Missy has shown horses for many years and felt her daughter would be a natural at it.

She is.

In the SLSHA, Taylor showed nine out of 13 shows. She garnered eight first and eight grand champions, as well as one second-place. She

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won both the Summer Classic and the Winter Classic and Chip was High Point Halter Gelding for 2003.

When Taylor turned 6, she was able to start showing in the American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA.)

She traveled to Kinder, LA to the Louisiana Quarter Horse Association Cajun Congress on Dec. 6, 2003. She showed under two judges with 16 horses in her class. She received first place and grand champion under both judges and circuit champion. This was Taylor’s first time to a registered show.

The most recent competition for the dedicated youngster was the AQHA Sugar Bowl Classic in Baton Rouge Dec. 28-30, 2003.

In that event, Taylor showed with 14 to 17 horses in her classes each day. She received first-place, grand champion and all-around circuit champion under all five judges. Those wins resulted in a picture of the young lady and Chip twice in the Southern Horsemen Magazine.

“This (showing) is fun,” said Taylor. “I wasn’t scared when I started doing it and I don’t get scared now.”

Indeed, she does very well in handling her horse, according to her dad Jay. “We have seen firsthand how Taylor handles Chip when he gets spooked,” he said. “She stays very calm.”

Taylor is very proud of the hard work she puts into Chip and her lessons, commented her mom. “She has been taught from a very young age that if you can’t do the work that goes with horses, you can’t show.”

In their short AQHA career together, Taylor and Chip have already earned 10.5 points in the Youth-Aged Gelding Halter division. This has earned the young lady her first Record of Merit, seven Grand Championship trophies.

Taylor was also honored by AQHYA as 2003 Louisiana Youth Rookie of the Year.

“To watch these two together, it looks like he has worked all these years as a halter horse just waiting for her,” said Missy. “We are truly blessed with this horse, and hope we are able to let our youngest child, Mikayla, 4, show him also.”

It may be a while for that to happen, she said with a smile. “Now she is so little, that when Chip raises his head he picks her up off the ground.”