By Josie Fladager
Mark Newell had always been the groom at 14 Karrot Ranch. But when his wife Shannon was plagued by an undiagnosed pain in her leg that made it difficult to even walk, the Marine veteran stepped up to the plate for their showing and breeding program. From “hay man” to exhibitor, Mark moved into unexplored waters, loving what he found.
“Showing horses has been one of the biggest pleasures I’ve had. I fell in love with it,” Mark said. “I’m proud to be a part of [APHA] and of making a future.”
Shannon struggled for five years to find the cause of her pain; she finally found answers after the couple moved to their current home in Chino Valley, Arizona. Eight surgeries and a skin graft later for a leg ulcer caused by a vein disease, Shannon’s leg healed, and she made her showing comeback in 2019.
Mark and Shannon have built a thriving breeding program that includes Without Chrome, a 2006 sorrel solid mare they purchased from the Gregg Reisinger dispersal sale. The mare, who was in foal to Mr Zip O Rock when the Newells bought her, produced Red White And Chrome, a 2021 sorrel overo mare. Named for the couple’s extensive family history in the military, the filly was third in Overo Color and finished sixth in Amateur Overo Color with Mark at the 2022 APHA World Show. They hope to return to the World Show in the future with more horses.
“We have three foals that will be eligible [for the new owner/breeder/exhibitor awards] next year. We had originally planned to sell some of them, but when they announced that, we decided we are going to keep them and see what happens,” Shannon said.
“That’s one thing I really enjoy about the Paint shows is that everybody supports each other,” she continued. “It’s basically one big family!”
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[Reprinting all or part of this news release is permitted, so long as credit is given to the Paint Horse Journal and a link provided back to apha.com.]
About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded in 1962. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.