Worth all the fuss

COEUR d'ALENE - Fifteen-year-old Leanne Asper of Lake City High School and her Arabian horse, XL Giorgio, have developed a strong bond - and fast.

The bond between her and Giorgio, a 12-year-old gelding, has been forged in just three years, on quiet trail rides around her rural Kootenai County home, and through hours of grooming and fussing over the horse.

"I like that he's not the easiest to ride," Asper said. "He likes to wiggle around and go sideways."

And though he might be a difficult horse for some people, both Asper's patience and the fussing she's done over him have made him a completely different horse for her.

In the short time she's had the horse, Asper has won reserve national champion honors the last two years in a row.

Leanne's parents are Alan and Diane Asper. Diane said, "She's just done a lot with him on her own. She's a natural at riding."

Diane said her daughter rides with great posture in the saddle and has "calm hands."

This month, Leanne returned home from Albuquerque, N.M., and the U.S. Youth Nationals of the 2010 Arabian and half-Arabian Championship Horse Show with another award.

She earned the Arabian pleasure driving (ages 17 and under) reserve champion honors. That followed 2009, when she earned Arabian English pleasure junior owner-to-ride (ages 13 and under) reserve champion honors.

To receive such accolades, Leanne needed her strong bond with the horse, and her knack for communicating with the animal.

"Her and this horse just hit it off," Diane said. "You have to be able to communicate - they're a team."

Leanne said she wants to take her strengths and worker hard and become a national champion in driving, which involves the horse pulling her in a buggy.

Leanne, who also competes in cross country, track, and basketball in high school, doesn't like doing what's easy. Driving requires a greater degree of communication than other horse competition events, because there's less physical contact between horse and rider.

"You have to know your horse more," Leanne said. "It's more difficult to get him to do stuff."

Leanne and Giorgio will place higher in future driving competition by working on Giorgio's neck strength, using better equipment, and increasing his endurance. But the real key to future success will be the trail rides and bonding at home on the family's 150-acre ranch along East Fernan Lake Road, west of Coeur d'Alene.

The youth competition season runs roughly from January through July. During the season, Giorgio spends his time mostly in California and traveling to competitions.

But it'll be about five months before the season begins again, giving Giorgio plenty of time up here at home with Leanne.

"Right now, it's good for him to get out and just be a horse," said Diane.

Giorgio and Leanne will train two days per week, and go for rides the other five days, which gives them plenty of time for bonding and communicating.

"He comes out here and gets a vacation," Diane said.