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Horse-show family: Kyle and Marilyn Hughes of Meadowview, VA., son
Kyle Glenn, 21, daughter Laura Nash, 36, and her son Mathew, 9.
Congress Classes: The Hughes specialize at halter. At Congress,
Kyle exhibited in amateur 3-year-old stallions, and Laura in amateur
2-year-old mares and 3-year-old geldings. A professional halter
horse trainer, Kyle Glenn showed in open 2-year-old mares, 2-year-old
geldings, 3-year-old colts, 3-year-old geldings, and 3-year-old
stallions.
Highlights: Kyle led Touchdowns Mr to fourth
place in 3-year-old stallions (limited division) and fifth in amateur
3-year-old stallions.
Kyle Glenn was the family's star,
wining the 3-year-old colts (limited division) with Touchdowns Mr.
In addition, he placed fifth in the 3-year-old stallions with Touchdowns
Mr, second in the 3-year-old geldings (limited division) with Genuine GQ,
ninth in the 3-year-old geldings with the same horse and in the 2-year-old
geldings (limited division) with Designity. Matthew placed fifth in
both of his classes with Im So Exquisite and Genuine GQ.
Key members' roles: The Hughes family takes pride in training and
preparing their horses. "We all jump in and groom and do
whatever it takes to get ready," Marilyn says. "One person holds
the horse, usually Matthew, while the others groom, work on hooves,
etc. It takes teamwork."
Although Marilyn usually shows, she opted not to compete at Congress
"because I get too nervous. I'd rather be behind the
scenes," she adds. Marilyn and Laura also are in charge of
coordinating each family member's show attire.
As with his father, Kyle, Kyle Glenn "eats, breathes and dreams
horses," according to his mother, so the men focus on the horses and
serve as the crew's leaders, delegating duties to the others.
Biggest challenge of showing as a family:
Kyle and Laura agree
that the hardest part of showing together is that they often compete
against each other. "We get a thrill out of beating the
other," Kyle jokes.
The Hughes say their biggest conflict is deciding how a horse should look
before it goes into the show ring. "We have our own opinions of
what we like," Marilyn says, "and we're always trying to outdo
each other in fun."
How they make
family showing work: A close-knit yet busy
working family (Kyle and Marilyn own a travel-trailer
retail business and Laura is a human-resources
director), the Hughes say communication is one of the
keys to their showing success as a family. "Each month, when we get The
American Quarter Horse Journal, we sit down together and decide
which shows fit the entire family's schedule,
including Matthew's. "We don't want him to
miss too much school," Marilyn explains. "We try to pick shows that allow us to leave on
Thursday and come home late on Sunday, with the
exception of Congress."
How they keep showing fun: "It's not hard, because we enjoy it so
much," Marilyn says. "It's fun to be around new people and to
see old friends. We're just as happy to see close friends do
well as we are to win." Even Matthew has
made friends he sees regularly at shows. However, Marilyn says he's
as serious as a professional at show time.
Best organizational tip: Loading
the truck and trailer is a snap for the Hughes. "After a show, we
immediately clean our show clothes and tack and put them right back in
the trailer," Marilyn says. "That way we don't forget the
essentials."
Cost cutting advice: Having the entire family showing gets expensive,
but the Hughes say they try to keep their expenses within reason.
They also share a living-quarters trailer to avoid hotel bills.
Why Congress is so special: The Hughes' have competed at Congress for
more than 20 years. Although there are many aspects that keep them
coming back, the family notes that the trade shows, top-notch
competition and family activities keep them returning. "You won't
find higher-quality horses and exhibitors," Kyle says.
Marilyn adds, "If you do well at Congress, it's almost as
prestigious as winning a World Championship." 
