Childhood dream becomes a reality

By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
What started out as a childhood dream to have a horse win a national championship title has become a reality for Angie Anders of Hartselle.
“Emmie,” Anders’ three-year-old Palomino mare, turned the trick last July when she was judged best in her class at the Palomino World Show in Tulsa, Okla.
Angie began her horse show career as a child and gained statewide recognition as a 4-H competitor. In 1974, she was chosen as the Junior Rodeo Queen for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo and named the Youth High Point winner in the North Alabama Open Show Circuit.
She was also a repeat winner in the State 4-H Horse Show held in Montgomery each year.
Her career suffered a major setback as a 15-year-old competitor when Poco, her western pleasure and halter horse, was diagnosed with an equine disease and had to be sold for slaughter. She also had to give up her two other horses because they tested positive with the same disease.
She went on to graduate from high school and college, got married and had two children and poured all of her time and efforts into her family and helping to manage her family’s three businesses: Anders Dump Truck &Excavation Service, Anders Landscape Supplies and Crowdabout Creek Farms.
Angie decided to buy another horse and show it in halter classes about two years ago.
And to help her she was able to get Kenneth Turner, a well known trainer who previously worked with James Kifer’s JMK Quarter Horses in Hartselle.
They hit the road in 2008 showing “Buddy,” aka JMK Freedom Fighter, a four-year-old palomino gelding. Buddy went on to win High Point Halter/Color horse in Alabama and was ranked among the top five halter class horses in the nation. He also was judged World Reserve Champion at the Palomino World Show in 2008.