Valtie Riddle, 17, has won so many saddles in horse shows she said her mom’s going to make a barstool set. “She has enough for a full set now,” Riddle said, calculating 11 that hang in their barn — nine of her own and two from her brother. Riddle just added one to the set last weekend at the 2005 State 4-H Horse Show and Quay County Rodeo. Nearly 1,000 Quay County and area folks trotted to the fairgrounds to watch the hundreds of 4-Hers saddle up and buckle down in their bids for the top spots. Top winners in the horse show events get saddles; those in the rodeo get belt buckles. Riddle, a saddle winner who won the horse show’s Senior All-Around category, said it was her fifth time hitting such a high. “It was awesome,” Riddle said. “Yes, I get nervous but I pray to God or talk to my best friend.” She said her horse, Iza, gets nervous, too. “He reads it from me. If I get nervous he gets nervous, so I have to calm down extra.” At 17, Riddle has one more year to compete in the 4-H show and said she will definitely go for it. After all, she said she has been riding a horse since she was able to keep her head up, surely before she could walk. On the other end of the spectrum, 10-year-old Rebecca Alden was the all-around saddle winner in the novice category. Her first time nabbing a saddle, Alden is already planning to use it on her horse Montoya Imagine, with whom she practices pretty much daily. Of her win, Alden said, “I earned what I need to because of how hard I work. I was really excited and happy; I kind of cried a little,” she said. The thrills at the rodeo and show are not only in victory, said Brenda Bishop, extension office home economist, but in watching all the 4-Hers work together to put on a grand spectacle. “Every 4-Her in the county comes, even if they don’t participate (in the show or rodeo),” Bishop said. “They run a concession stand, work the stalls, run the gates. It’s a big, cool event.” Rodeo secretary Sam Dunlap concurred. “It was a very good rodeo,” he said. “We had 114 contestants from all over the state. We have a great group of kids in New Mexico who come to participate, and the people who put on the show are all volunteers. They go out to make it one of the best rodeos in all of New Mexico.” 4-H horse show event winners (saddle winners) from Quay County: Halter mares: 3. Becca Alden; 9. Lindsey Jennings Halter geldings: 2. Valtie Riddle; 3. Jennifer Schallert; 4. Phil Alden; 7. Georgia Mitchell Novice Showmanship: 2. Becca Alden Western pleasure: 3. Becca Alden; 6. Bethany Bishop Novice western horsemanship: 4. Becca Alden; 5. Bethany Bishop Novice hunter under saddle: 1. Becca Alden Hunt seat equitation: 5. Becca Alden Working hunter: 1. Becca Alden Equitation over fences: 1. Becca Alden Trail: 1. Becca Alden; 7. Bethany Bishop Barrels: 7. Becca Alden; 10. Bethany Bishop Poles: 7. Becca Alden; 10. Brea Valentine Novice High Point: Becca Alden on Montoya Imagine Reserve High Point: Johnna Martinez on Jesse Junior Showmanship: 5. Sami Bauler Western pleasure: 6. Sami Bauler Western horsemanship: 7. Sami Bauler Hunter under saddle: 5. Sami Bauler Hunt seat equitation: 3. Sami Bauler Working hunter: 1. Georgia Mitchell Equitation over fences: 1. Georgia Mitchell Trail: 8. Sami Bauler Reining: 1. Georgia Mitchell Barrels: 5. Lindsey Jennings; 8. Sami Bauler Poles: 5. Lindsey Jennings Junior High Point: Julia Roberts on Chic N Zip Reserve Junior High Point: Morgan Almanza on Thrill to Chill Senior Showmanship: 3. Valtie Riddle; 9. Desirae Evans Western pleasure: 1. Valtie Riddle; 7. Jennifer Schallert Western horsemanship: 3. Valtie Riddle; 9. Jennifer Schallert Hunter under saddle: 1. Valtie Riddle Hunt seat equitation: 2. Valtie Riddle; 8. Desirae Evans Equitation over fences: 1. Leslie Barman Trail: 6. Desirae Evans Reining: 5. Valtie Riddle Barrels: 1. Annie Bauler; 2. Desirae Evans; 6. Valtie Riddle Poles: 4. Desirae Evans; 8. Valtie Riddle Senior High Point: Valtie Riddle on Iza Tru Investment Reserve High Point: Callie Thompson on Zip N Deluxe 4-H rodeo event winners (buckle winners) from Quay County: Novice Goat tying: 7. Janesa Garcia Flag racing: 10. Quay Hampton Junior Steer roping: 5. Seth Barber Calf touching: 7. Barber; 10. Bobby Lee Ribbon roping: 7. Lee Breakaway roping: 10. Roy Hampton Goat tying: 7. Lindsey Bauler; 8. Hampton Senior Goat tying: 8. Andrea Ortiz; 9. Annie Bauler Pole bending: 6. Bauler Barrel racing: 9. Bauler