Getting to know our MQHA Show Management Team: Dani Picard
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Dani Picard
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITHIN SHOW MANAGEMENT FOR MQHA? Working the gate
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Grain Valley, MO (about 20 minutes East of Kansas City)
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY- I’m blessed to live about 2 minutes down the road from my mom. She supported and funded my horse habit my entire youth career and some into my amateur years. I have one brother, Tyler, he lives in Lawrenceville, GA with his wife, Melissa, and they gave me the cutest nephew ever, Oliver!
WHAT GOT YOU INVOLVED IN HORSES AND FOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED? Girl Scouts got me in to horses initially. Then for several years, I only rode in the summer at camp. That was back when I was 11 or 12. I didn’t lease my first horse until I was 14 and he was a Missouri Foxtrotter named Tucker who I trail rode ALL THE TIME. Once I joined 4-H at 15, I started showing and the rest is history!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS TO SHOW IN OR WATCH? I absolutely love the showmanship! I love that it’s a class ANY horse can be good at, it’s all about who puts in the effort.
DESCRIBE YOUR BEST HORSE SHOW MEMORY- Back when the Regional Championships were a thing, my 3 best friends and I would all load up in my 1999 F-250 with all our junk, my two-horse bumper pull and load two horses and make the grueling drive from Grain Valley to (first Wichita, before it moved) then Amarillo, TX and we would all show. I loved being with my friends and my horse. We all were either working or in grad school and so it was the one time every year we’d drop everything and show the animals we love!
WHAT ENERGIZES YOU AND DRAINS YOU AT HORSE SHOWS? A good ride, whether in practice or showing, energizes me. There’s nothing better than feeling your hard work pay off. Late nights drain me (and if you’ve ever met my trainer, Stacey Roberson, you know we see a few of those haha!)
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HORSE? My old show gelding, Zips Ultimatum, is my favorite horse. He’s quite literally the most kind animal you’ll ever meet. Truly a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I’m so happy he has a little girl that loves him so much.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT MQHA? The people! I don’t always look forward to getting in my car to get to a horse show, but I ALWAYS look forward to my Missouri Shows to see all the wonderful people.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT A HORSE SHOW? I am in a book club, so reading is high up there. I am a 4-H leader and run the horse project for Sunset Trails 4-H and I also run the horseless horse project for Jackson County and coach the Horsebowl team. I have 3 horses at home and 2 of them are 2 year olds, and we trail ride ALL THE TIME. My goal is to be horseback 4 days a week (which is kind of a hard task for me). And I try to showmanship with my 4 year old everyday! I also recently took up breakaway roping lessons, so that is added into my daily chaos.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB, OUTSIDE OF SHOW MANAGEMENT FOR MQHA? Working horse shows IS my real job! To supplement it, I substitute teach when I’m in town.
ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL? Neither…I’m perpetually tired haha! But I like to think I’m a happy person no matter the time of day.
DO YOU USUALLY ARRIVE EARLY OR LATE? Unfortunately, I’d have to admit that I tend to be more on the tardy side of life.
ON FRIDAY NIGHT…WOULD YOU RATHER GO OUT OR STAY IN? Depends on the week, but I mostly stay in.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Flying! Then I’d never be late again!
WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FOR TURNING A BAY DAY INTO A GOOD ONE? It’s all about perspective and the people you choose to keep around you. We all need a moment to vent about a bad day but find friends that let you get it out and then help you move on.
IF YOU WERE TO WRITE A MEMOIR ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU TITLE IT? I honestly don’t know…I’m still pretty young, it would maybe be “How To Survive A Quarter Of A Life: A Brief Memoir” haha!
TELL A FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I played the piano and clarinet somewhat seriously from about 12-18. I used to want to be a music major and teach music classes. It’s been several years since I’ve touched either instrument, but I would love to move my piano from my mom’s house and pick it back up!
SHARE THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN TO YOU - My trainer Stacey told me to focus on “micro goals” (not her term, but basically what they are). At my first youth world, she asked what my goal was, and I told her to place in the top 15. She said that’s such a big goal, it’s less daunting and more doable to set simpler goals, such as: keeping my leg on, riding with purpose, quiet hands, calm body energy. Those are more attainable goals that aren’t nearly as daunting, but, when combined, can lead to a larger, big term goal. I’ve really utilized this in my daily life. Big goals can seem so far-fetched, it’s easy to throw them to the back burner, but small, attainable goals that HELP IN PURSUIT of a large goal, can really be beneficial in succeeding for the “bigger picture”.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? I bounced around with so many things, artist, music teacher, radiologist, horse trainer. Let’s be honest, I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up ha-ha!
FAVORITE QUOTE? You’re never too important to be kind.
WHAT IS ONE ITEM ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? An item on my bucket list is to ride a horse in all 50 states!
LAST MOVIE YOU SAW? Top Gun: Maverick
LAST BOOK YOU READ? Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
FAVORITE SERIES YOU BINGE WATCHED? I recently binge watched Boy Meets World and have no regrets!
WOULD YOU EVER GO ON A REALITY SHOW? IF SO, WHICH ONE? No, I don’t think I’d do very well on TV
FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Depends, any sport is fun in person! I usually only watch Football or Rodeo on TV, but I’ll watch the Royals play some if we aren’t losing all the time.
FAVORITE TEAM? Kansas City Chiefs (let’s be honest, I really just love Patrick Mahomes)
FAVORITE RESTAURANT? Any place with cheap Mexican food.
FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican Food!
