Sara Marberry

Illini Chubby and I won this ribbon in a western-style quarter horse show on March 2, 1974, at the Armory in Champaign, Illinois, when I was 14 years old.

Chubby was reddish-brown all over with a skinny neck, big head, shaggy coat, and a bald spot on his tail. Despite his ordinary looks, he was a great horse, with a gentle disposition and easy gait. Our best event was Western Equitation. The past few years, we had been all over Illinois with my riding teacher Kathy, winning ribbons and trophies mostly at smaller horse shows. 

Many of the best kids in the Midwest were there -- some of whom had competed and won top prizes at the national level, including a boy named Jeff Barker and his horse Miss Chock. Jeff travelled to shows in a big motor home, had a saddle and bridle dripping in silver, and wore multiple outfits.

Miss Chock, who cost twenty times more than Chubby, was sleek and well-proportioned. I had seen pictures of Jeff and Miss Chock in ads and read about his show results in the Quarter Horse Journal. I felt outclassed and a bit scared, but with Kathy’s encouragement, I shook off the jitters, mounted up, and entered the light-filled arena.

Even though he’d been suffering from some chronic leg problems, Chubby performed beautifully, with no sign of soreness. We lined up the center for the arena with the other twenty riders and horses for a final look-see by the judge. He slowly walked behind us, then made his picks and handed in his card. A few minutes later, to my utter surprise, the announcer called out, “In first place, Sara O’Daffer and Illini Chubby.” The world seemed to stop for a moment. As we stepped out of line to get our blue ribbon, I caught a glimpse of Kathy and my dad in the stands, beaming and clapping.

I never did win another first place ribbon or compete at the national level--even after I got a horse that was supposedly better than Chubby. But what I learned that day in Champaign was that I didn’t have to have the best-looking horse to beat the likes of Jeff Barker and Miss Chock. I just needed to believe in myself and my horse.

The blue ribbon, which has now faded to purple, rests securely in a plastic box alongside the first blue ribbon I won with Chubby and other childhood memorabilia – including the news clip from the Quarter Horse Journal of our results that day.