Derek Dodimead and Sons Royal Award aka "Cody"

Being the wrong side of 40 and married to a very accomplished English Horse woman, I had longed to ride for too long and knowing that to get any where near my wife it would probably take me into my 60's to ride English to a standard I would be happy with.

Having been excited by a programme on Western riding  on television I started to try to find a trainer, and it didn’t take many calls to find out there was only one person to go to….David Deptford. I still remember phoning him and his confidence and sense of humour during my phone call confirmed to me that despite the 150 mile round trip that he was the man for the job.

Considering that my previous riding experience had been limited was an understatement and as far as I can remember as far as it went was as a child on a beach pony or at a fete! To go from that to be cantering on Snowy on my third lesson was unbelievable and I was hooked.

Since then every week for the last 18 months I make that 3 hour round trip for my lesson and as soon as its over I cant wait for the following week.

Both David and Sarah are so welcoming and in such a short space of time it feels like I am visiting friends, and that I just happen to be learning to ride at the same time.

Recently I had the distinct honour of being given the opportunity of riding “Snipper” during one of my lessons, well to any one out there who is new to riding let me tell you it was like being given the keys toa Ferrari (but perhaps with even better brakes!). David’s approach inspires confidence, enthusiasm and a desire to constantly improve, with such a great facility and such incredible horses if you either want to try Western riding or want to start to learn to ride then you really must pay Sovereign Quarter Horses a visit, you won’t be disappointed.

I bought Ché in 2000 as a 6 yo. Prior to that I had been diagnosed with degenerative joint disease in my feet and ankles and was about to give up riding. But when I saw Ché it was love at first sight, I bought him without having ridden him. My instincts were right and he’s given me a new lease of life and ‘the western way’ is a much less pressurised way of riding for my joints. I’ve spent years very slowly coming to grips with riding the western way and competing in Pleasure, Trail, Horsemanship, Western Riding and Reining at WES shows.

Last year I joined BR and the NRHA for the first time and started reining a bit more seriously. I brought Ché to Sovereign Quarter Horses for 6 weeks in February 2008 for some ‘tuning’, mainly because I liked David’s quiet patience, SQH’s fab new facilities and the fact that SQH is the home of Snippers Heirogance. I felt that my precious Ché would be in good hands and how right I was! The thing with Snipper Babies is that you can tell exactly what they’re thinking from their faces/eyes, and although I was only able to visit SQH twice in that time, it was fantastic to see that not only wasn’t Ché pining for home but he was clearly happy and contented. He’s been nicknamed ‘Cuddles’ by the fantastic SQH staff who all looked after him really well.

As the saying goes, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’ and Ché has really improved in his reining performances, from last October’s BR Champs show when the best we scored was 66 to 7 months later, us scoring 69½ and winning the Rookie class. I know that maintaining this improved standard will take a lot of work, especially as I can only use a borrowed arena 2 or 3 times a week. But having done NLP training in September 07, I have to say that success is just as much about mental skills as physical technical ones.

I feel very lucky and honoured to find a Snipper Baby that not only is the most incredible all-around trusting family pet, but one that clearly has talent (as well as heaps of patience to put up with me all these years struggling to improve my riding!!!). My heartfelt thanks to David and Sarah Deptford, Lindsay in the back office who has been really helpful, and all the rest of the SQH team. Ché will be back with you next spring for his annual MOT!

Photo: Wendy B

John Faulkner (pictured with Old Vaquero- top

and MJays Beauty)

The day I first sat on a horse, perched upon an English saddle feeling both out of my depth and somewhat out of control I knew that riding “English” was not for me.  I longed for just one thing, to ride a horse like they do in America....  With this in mind I started a quest to find out more. My girlfriend and I ended up making the four hour drive from Manchester to  “The East Coast Show” at “Towerlands”  to see for ourselves what it was all about. Wow.. I’m sure we both stood out a mile, with our mouths wide open in disbelief at what we saw…. well behaved, well mannered, well schooled horse doing manoeuvres I never could have imagined… every one seemed so friendly so we asked a guy who was stood with one of these beautiful horses how we could get in to this amazing horse world.... “David Deptford is your man” came the reply “I will ring him for you now” Before I knew it I had booked a lesson and the next week we headed off to March!  

My first experience was truly inspirational I loved it .. sat astride ”Snowy” in the round pen with David slowly and calmly explaining the finer points of riding, I knew that  I had found a new world to explore and enjoy.. I booked another lesson for the following week and announced to my girlfriend that from now on every Thursday we would be travelling the 240 miles, four hour round trip for my lessons… she thought I was completely mad!!!!!

That was in July 2004 … David’s commitment and undying patience has taken me from first timer in a round pen to competent rider in the reining pen …in just three years!!  I now own “MJays Beauty” (the love of my life) who is in foal to “Snippers Heirogance”, “Old Vaquero” my 6 year old Stallion  who I show in the both AQHA and BR reining classes, ”A Snip of A Jay” my three year old Gelding who has won Reserve and Grand Champion at halter and is showing all the traits of his sire’s “Jays Smokin Story”  talent, good looks and calm trainability,  and the very sweet  “One Smart Jay” who I bought for my girlfriend (but that’s her story to tell). We have so much respect, love and trust in David and Sarah.. All our horses have been bred, trained and supplied by David; we are totally supported in all our showing and we know we can pick up the phone anytime and get the support and help that he shares out in abundance…I can’t thank him enough....

"Following too many riding tumbles, and “heart in the mouth moments” over my 20 year “English style” riding career I had hung up my riding hat for good……….. until I met Gunner.  Gunner was my first experience of an American quarter horse.  David, of Sovereign Quarter Horses gently took Gunner through his paces, at this stage I was just a passenger, but I was wowed with the ride. David patiently taught me over the next few months how to “spin” and then to “stop”, each of these movements take only the slightest move from the rider, it really was breathtaking.

A year on and I am now the proud owner of Jays Hotshot Story (Lewis to his mates) a stunning sorrel gelding bred by Sovereign Quarter horses.  We recently enjoyed our first AQHA event where Lewis won best aged gelding amongst other placings.  The whole “Sovereign experience” from first ride to quarter horse ownership has been a complete pleasure".