Our Mission
The mission of Savvy Horsemanship is to host a variety of recreational and competitive events for horse owners to participate in year round. Our
association is committed to offering events that embrace the student of horsemanship by providing outlets to showcase your horse in an enjoyable, supportive, and
family oriented environment. We also pledge to donate proceeds from each event to a worthwhile horse cause. We will be transparent in our business practices. We are
committed to giving back to the horses that have given us so much pleasure and heart. This business is about building a community for horse lovers to enjoy their equine
partners and make friends and give back to the horses, mules, and burros.
We encourage all to participate as there will be challenges designed to showcase the talents of the novice horseman all the way to the advanced rider and
or trainer.
Savvy Horsemanship will offer challenges for youth, novice, and open riders, which for the open riders will include a jackpot. Prizes will be awarded to
the youth and novice divisions.
The judging will be based on how willing, supple, and confident your horse is at each point of challenge along with your ability to communicate the task
with harmony to and with your horse.
Savvy Horsemanship welcomes the involvement and participation of all horse lovers from all walks of life and ages.
Savvy Horsemanship is continually amazed by people who are out there doing extraordinary things with their horses. Their stories are an inspiration to us
and we want to provide you with year round opportunity to share those stories as well as showcase you and your horse’s talent at any of our events.
This association is about fueling and supporting the love and language of horses while empowering their owners to enjoy and communicate instinctively to
their equines more than ever. Savvy Horsemanship is a devotee of the ongoing revolution in horse training while using a horse’s natural instincts in becoming a partner with
us humans.
The horse’s point of view will always be our primary concern, so it follows that safety and positive communication to and with your horse is our top
priority.
Savvy Horsemanship’s goal is to continue to assemble an association that contestants feel they facilitated to create.
All breeds of horses as well as riding styles are welcome, as long as the tack is considered natural by our rules and regulations.
Savvy Horsemanship has concise rules and regulations for your review that pertain to each event.
Savvy Horsemanship is proud of its mission and we sincerely look forward to all participants who will join us and help us complete successfully our
program.
Come help us build this for all horse lovers!
Savvy Horsemanship Founders
Patricia O’Connor
BIOGRAPHY
Patty O'Connor moved to Texas from southern CA 5 years ago. She and her husband, Thomas, own the “Flying O Ranch,” where they enjoy the rural lifestyle. Patty has a Hunter
Jumper background, but has always liked to trail ride and camp with her horses, even the show horses. She believes in doing many different activities with them, and that
makes it more fun for both owner and horse.
She has 5 horses: a paint stallion named “Joe Shelby Trash” aka “Joe,” a thoroughbred gelding named “Bailey,” a thoroughbred mare named “Star,” a paint filly out of “Joe,”
and “Star,” named “Snickers,” and an Arabian mare named, “Niki.”
When Patty is not working with horses, she is doing artwork. She has produced custom stained glass, mosaics, and ceramic work for over thirty years.
Leslie Wetzel
BIOGRAPHY
Leslie has loved horses all of her life. She is a native of Houston, TX, where there are not many boarding stables in town, especially for a family without tremendous
financial means. She read all of the Black Stallion and other horse books she could get her hands on, but only got to ride occasionally at a local rental stable. or with
her friend’s horses on the weekends.
Leslie is a mother of 6, grandmother of 2, and has a background in photography, fitness training, and sales/marketing.
In the fall of 2006, Leslie got an email from the ASPCA about PMU foals in Canada that were going to the auction if adoptive homes could not be found. Leslie jumped in,
adopted two weanlings, “Salsa,” a red roan registered QH, and “Misty,” a grey registered QH. Those two quickly turned into two more fillies, and another 3 yr. old paint
mare PMU….and so the number grew….off the track TB, QH with a bone/joint infection, BLM mustang……auction refugees…..one gets the idea.
Leslie had no experience, yet dove in to discover the world of natural horse training, and started training her PMU fillies herself. She is a Parellli student and clinic
junkie. Her horses now go on trail rides and have even started some cow work.
She has a dream of getting her rescue horses to do therapeutic work, especially with Wounded Warriors.
Leslie met Julie in her quest for help with her paint gelding, Jake. She met
Patty while working with CTC, Leslie in the marketing, and Patty as co - founder.
Leslie and husband Steve, live in central TX, along with rescued dogs and cats, and two teenagers.
Savvy Horsemanship's Events Dates
