I was able to go to Equine Affaire with Weaver Leather working out of our endorsees’ booth, Ken McNabb of Ken McNabb Horsemanship. I had the privilege of meeting Ken last summer at one of the clinics he taught at our brand ambassador’s facility, C and C Horsemanship. I remember, I was in awe of this celebrity that I admired and watched on television countless of times, but was even more floored when he turned out to be such a wholesome every-day likable person. Even with an award winning TV show on RFD-TV, called Discovering the Horseman Within, a flourishing horse training business, Ken McNabb is still humble and gives everyone he meets his undivided attention.
While I was working in Ken McNabb’s booth at Equine Affaire, Ken came in the booth between his hectic clinic schedule to meet with his fans, take pictures and ask them about their horses. It always astonishes me just how many people come to the booth and were too afraid to talk to Ken because he was that celebrity they watch every Sunday on RFD-TV. For many families, Ken’s show is their Sunday ritual. With a bit of coaxing from me and the other staff in the booth, we could usually get the guests to work up the courage to meet this superstar.
But just like I was, they were surprised how down-to-earth he was. They would talk about their horses and the problems that they have experienced in their training. Ken expertly offered advice on how to fix certain issues and gave each and every single person individual attention. Many people often commented about how much they love the wholesome nature of the show and commended him for being so open about his faith in a day and age when talking about religion is considered taboo. But if you know Ken, he will tell you, faith is what gets him through the day and he hopes he can spread a little bit of what he has learned to others.
In his clinics, he was a rock star. I don’t know how he lopes around holding a full conversation with the audience and not sound winded. He assessed the riders individually and gave them specific tasks to work on. I love watching his clinics because you can see the riders finally grasp hold and execute a concept that they’ve been struggling with at home. If you ever get the chance to watch, or even better, ride in one of his clinics, you should definitely take the opportunity!
Being in such an exciting environment surrounded by like-minded horse people was a thrill for me! I love talking about horses and helping people find tack pieces that could help make their communication with their horse more effective. If you are struggling with effective communication with your horse, take a look at our recent blog post on Slobber Straps – The Perfect Connection You Didn’t Know You Needed. But even though we work really hard, we still know how to have fun. If you came by the booth, you probably noticed how energetic we are and this picture of Michaela (Right) and I (Left) just shows you that we’re just like you, excited about horses, Ken McNabb and working at a great location. We hope we’ll see you at the next event!
Brittany Wilhelm Stover, Equine Marketing Associate at Weaver Leather