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August 26, 2004
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The Kings Mountain Herald
Page 7B
SPORTS
PROCTOR
From 1B
Newman, now 30-years-old, spends his time
with the younger folks in the family, Lauren
and Krystal Proctor. The two girls, daugh-
ters of Lisa Proctor’s husband Melvin
Proctor, learned to ride on the 15.3 hands
tall horse.
The girls, now teens, compete in opens
and NBHA shows. Their mother is Glenda
Waters.
Years ago, while attending a horse show,
the two girls, then pre-schoolers, were wide-
eyed at the other children dressed in color-
ful outfits riding across the arena. Lisa
Proctor asked them if they wanted to ride.
“I didn’t get it out of my mouth. They
were saying, ‘yes, yes,” she said.
When Lauren first rode Newman her feet
didn’t fit completely into the stirrups.
During one of her first shows, Newman
made a turn and Lauren slid off the horse.
Instead of galloping away, he calmly stood
there and turned his head looking at the lit-
tle girl.
“I knew then we had a baby sitter,”
Proctor said.
Other parents approached the Proctors
after the show, wanting to purchase the
horse. No deals were made.
Newman continued to adjust his pace to
his rider. Lauren could kick the horse and
he wouldn't go above a trot. With Krystal,
who was older, he would go a bit faster.
“I could get on him and he knew it was
time for business,” Proctor said. a
Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey,
attired in a Colonial costume, rides
Newman during the city’s Independence
Day celebrations.
When Proctor loads other horses into
their trailer, Newman stands at the fence
wanting to join them. Sometimes he still
does. Because the National Barrel Horse
Association has a scoring system that makes
room for all ages of horses, he can still par-
ticipate.
“He feels useful,” Proctor said.
Angel, a 19-year-old mare Proctor com-
peted with from 1993 to 2000, also continues
to race in an older division. Proctor plans to
continue bringing the horse out “as long as
she enjoys it.”
- Angel, bred with Regal Secret, a son of
famed triple crown winner Secretariat, has
produced Dollar. The horse has a good
chance at success with Secretariat's gene for
speed and Angel's “cow shoulders” which
enable a horse to go low and turn, a useful
ability in barrel racing.
“If they don’t have the speed there is
nothing I can do,” Proctor said.
Dollar’s half-brother Troubles, the son of
Proctor’s horse Gypsy and Regal Secret, is
also training to barrel race. Regal Secret
belongs to Kenny and Debbie Harris of
Maiden.
Melvin Proctor located Regal Secret. A
horse enthusiast himself, he rode bulls until
1997 when a work-related injury sidelined
him. Today he is Lisa, Lauren and Krystal’s
biggest fan.
Last week was Dollars first time barrel
racing away from home. Proctor took him to
the Double D Ranch for an exhibition run.
The competition is open to men, women,
youth and pee-wees.
Proctor says it takes most horses six
months to become accustomed to the events.
“It’s like a wonderland to them, the lights,
the music, the tractor,” she said.
Proctor also brings Thunder out to the
Tuesday night race most weeks as a warm
up for weekend competition in Southern
States Pro Rodeos across the southeast,
International and National Barrel Horse
Association and Carolina Rodeo competi-
tions. They also practice three to four
evenings each week.
The Kings Mountain woman first rode
horses as child on her aunt and uncle’s farm
almost every Saturday along with her
cousin. The horses weren't pedigree, instead
they were trail and plow horses purchased
at sales.
“We rode with or without saddles; it did-
n’t matter. We were brave then. We jumped
creeks, rode trails,” she said.
Proctor’s parents’ yard was too small to
keep a horse but she filled her room with
statues. After Proctor’s father took her to a
rodeo, she looked at the other girls in their
fancy outfits and “was hooked from then
on.”
Proctor is a detective sergeant at the
Kings Mountain Police Department.
Local youth Haley Craft, Meghan Perrigo
and Casey Cerley have competed in NBHA
World Youth Competition in Jackson, MS.
Cerley placed in the top five in division
competition.
Benefit golf tourney set at Woodbridge
The Tee to Green Golf Association’s 15th
annual sickle cell and scholarship fund rais-
er golf tournament will be played
September 25-26 at Woodbridge Golf Links.
Entry fee is $125 per person or $500 per
team and includes dinner at the course on
Saturday and refreshments each day. Hole
sponsorships are also needed.
For tee times call tournament director
Eddie Chambers at 487-0902 and for other
information call Dan Jolly at 482-1834 or
Calvin Miller at 487-9802.
‘A par three challenge will be held on
Friday night at Challenger Three Golf
Course.
Cleveland Regional
. Medical Center and
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Seties 2: Jai Chi
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Try on a new and different method of
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CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Three members of the Leigh family of Kings Mountain are on the East Gaston coaching
staff. Left to right are son Andy, daughter Ashley and father Tony.
By DWIGHT FRADY
Special to The Herald
There's a Kings Mountain connection on
the coaching staff for 2004-05 at East Gaston
High School.
Tony Leigh begins his second season as
a teacher and football assistant (defensive
coordinator) for the Warriors. Principal
Eddie McGinnis and Athletic Director Ken
Howell hired two of Tony's children, 24-
year-old Andy and 19-year-old Ashley, to
coach with the Warriors. :
Tony came to East Gaston a year ago as
an assistant to head coach Mark Latham
after having served as a football assistant
(coaching the secondary) for 15 years at
Kings Mountain. He also was head coach in
baseball. He is in his 28th year of teaching
and coaching overall. At East Gaston, he
teaches health and physical education.
Andy works with the offensive line in
football. He was a standout lineman in foot-
ball at Kings Mountain and later was a solid
fixture at offensive guard for four years at
Father, son, daughter
on East coaching staff
Mars Hill. During his senior year with the
Mountaineers, KM advanced to the state 3A
finals in football at Chapel Hill before
falling to Winston-Salem Carver.
Andy works with the In-School
Suspension (ISS) program at East Gaston.
Ashley is currently enrolled in the nurs-
ing program at Cleveland Community
College. She starred in volleyball, softball
and basketball at Kings Mountain and
attended Mars Hill for two years, where she
was a member of the volleyball team.
While at Kings Mountain, she played on
two state title teams in volleyball. Her
coaching duties at East Gaston will involve
being the head coach of the Lady Warrior
jayvees in volleyball and serving as an assis-
tant on the varsity.
Tony Leigh says he is thoroughly enjoy-
ing his teaching and coaching jobs at East
Gaston and knows that Andy and Ashley
feel the same way. “It’s a great school with
wonderful kids, administration and staff,”
he said.
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