Vicki Humphrey and a Horse Named "Bill"

Vicki Humphrey & Reserve U.S. National Champion Park Horse PS Afire Chief+
We purchased our first park horse for Smoky Mountain Park Arabians late in 2006 during the open house at the Vicki Humphrey Training Center near Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, Vicki did not know us very well and we are so grateful that she trusted us with two of her very best park horses. PS Afire Chief+ was the first park horse we bought from Vicki and we were thrilled that he is an Afire Bey V son like Afires Heir the horse that we saw at Joel Kiesner Training Center that inspired us to get back into Arabians. Both Vicki and Tish Kondas made PS Afire Chief+ famous throughout his illustrious career as a show horse with multiple national and regional wins in English Pleasure, Driving and Open Park Horse. Later, Kieth Kritchke helped us put an exclaimation point on PS Afire Chief+’s career by winning Top 5 in Senior Stallion Halter Class in Scottsdale in 2008. Our story with Vicki would not be complete without mentioning that early on, Vicki put me on Ballience V who had just won Reserve National Champion Park Horse in Canada. I guess she could tell I am a sucker for a good park horse and she was right as we soon after purchased Ballience V. We appreciate the confidence Vicki had in this little old lady’s riding ability when she put me astride these two wonderful park horses. Today, Rod and I strive to make good use of these fantastic Arabian stallions on our breeding farm and have entrusted Vicki Humphrey with our junior stallion and English Pleasure Junior Horse, Baskghazi. The following is the beginning of our story with PS Afire Chief+ and the Vicki Humphrey Training Center.

On the day we bought PS Afire Chief+ Vicki Humphrey was an unknown quantity to Rod and I – just a horse trainer with horses for sale that had been recommended by some new acquaintances, Mike and Darwin Anderson. We were so excited to meet Mike and Darwin because we were trying to get back into Arabians for the first time in over thirty years and they just sold an Arabian horse facility that previously was home to the Kiesner Training Center. Mike and Darwin knew we wanted to buy an Arabian and so they made two suggestions – one, that we visit Ashton and Joel Kiesner’s new Arabian horse farm - a natural choice because they are within a twenty-minute drive of our place and specialize in Half-Arabian and Arabian horses for sale as well as the training and showing of Arabian English Pleasure horses. Second, if we didn’t find what we were looking for at the Kiesner Training Center that Vicki Humphrey was very competitive with Joel, was still fairly close by, just north of Atlanta and she might have an Arabian horse for sale that we would like. We followed her advice and had a great time looking for horses at Joel’s, but when that didn’t pan out, we decided to give Vicki Humphrey a try.

Since I didn’t know Vicki Humphrey and was out-of-touch with the Arabian Horse Industry I had no way of obtaining her contact information unless she could be found on the Internet. I searched “Vicki Humphrey” in Google. Good, she had a web site. I clicked on her web site and found she had quite a few Arabian horses for sale. Perfect. I selected one from the ad and called her training center. I didn’t get to talk directly to Vicki but was told by her office staff that the Vicki Humphrey Training Center was holding an open house the following weekend and we were welcome to come. That’s all the encouragement my husband Rod and I needed though we were unaware of the extent of Vicki’s fame and influence as an English Pleasure and Park Horse trainer in the Arabian horse world.

That weekend, when we arrived at the Vicki Humphrey Training Center, the place was buzzing with activity. Preparations were being made for the open house that was to begin the following day. We found a staffer who told us we could look around and so Rod and I went down the rows of stalls quickly peaking in each one, looking for that special English or park horse to buy. We came to a stall with a nametag on the door - “Bill”. What kind of name was that we thought? Looking in we saw Bill was a beautifully marked shiny dark bay stallion. He was obviously a purebred Arabian though he was quite tall. Bill had a small head, a wonderfully proportioned body and his impressive neck rose high and upright in an arch. While we watched, Bill peered out his window at the activities outside. Every now and then he would stride around his stall only to go back to his window again. His intelligence was evident as was his quality, but was he for sale?

We found Vicki in the isle of the main barn and asked if we could see Bill out of the stall. She sent a young lady after him and in a minute the girl and Bill walked toward us. From the moment we saw Bill in motion, even at the walk Rod and I were impressed. This handsome stallion was everything we dreamed of and actually, a good bit more.

As Bill was led toward us I studied his legs, movement and carriage. He passed us and was momentarily allowed to visit another horse. Magnificent. I thought, what a beautiful head on this obvious athlete! A quick turn and a change of handlers and Bill was walking away. Great legs. Great tail carriage. Great size. Wow! He stepped out of the barn and began his high springy trot around Vicki Humphrey. His motion was coordinated, fluid, graceful, and fantastic. I asked Vicki is he a park horse? Yes. I asked would she ride Bill down the rail just one time. No. She didn’t have time that day and I could see him tomorrow at the open house. Then I held my breath and asked Vicki if Bill was for sale. - Yes. I looked back at Rod for his approval. How much do you want for him? The price was given.

Vicki stood Bill up another minute or two before she led him away. When they were out of sight Rod and I consulted together. The price was more than double what we were looking to spend -- after all, when we arrived at the Vicki Humphrey Training Center we were not looking to start a breeding farm. We were simply looking for a nice horse to ride. I guess it is fair to say our plans changed that evening. They changed in the minutes spent in Bill’s the presence. Magnificent Arabian stallions such as Bill have that power. If you love Arabian horses you know what I mean. Rod and I decided to offer Vicki full price just to halt any negotiation and stop any possibility that someone else would buy him first. A lot of people were going to see Bill the following day at the open house. We found Vicki again and agreed to buy Bill on the spot.

Rod and I went into the office with Vicki to tie up the details, to look at Bill’s pedigree and to obtain pictures of him if there were any. Vicki fumbled through some boxes and handed Rod and I a stallion card for PS Afire Chief+, a high stepping nationally honored park horse. We admired the horse but then looked at Vicki expectantly, still waiting for the picture of Bill. Then Rod said what we both were thinking, “This is a beautiful horse, Vicki but where is the picture of Bill?” Vicki looked at us incredulously and said, “That is Bill. PS Afire Chief+ is Bill. Bill is only his barn name.” Rod and I were ecstatic. We turned his card over and saw that PS Afire Chief+ had been Reserve U.S. National Champion Park Horse, Reserve Canadian National Champion Park Horse, Top Ten Pleasure Driving and champion Park and English Pleasure horse at multiple regional shows as well as at the Buckeye. Needless to say, the sale was quickly completed.

Thank you so much Vicki Humphrey for your willingness to give a couple of new comers a good start in the Arabian horse business by selling PS Afire Chief to us. Rod and I are really lucky to know you. I highly recommend anyone looking for a good Arabian English Pleasure or Park Horse that you pay Vicki a visit at the Vicki Humphrey Training Center. She will surely put you on an excellent Arabian Horse.