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Mr. And Mrs. Hughes (left) With Vickie And Her Favorite Horse
Vickie Is A Winner
~ ' r \~
‘An Angel In The Saddle’
[Reprinted from “The
Walking Horae Report”, Fe
bruary 7, 1977]
BY SARAH COFFEE
At the Trainers’ Show
early last year, a darling girl
with swinging locks of gold
mounted on a bold going bald
faced bay mare captured the
hearts and fancies of crowd
and judges alike, in addition
to a most impressive blue
ribbon. The ever-smiling an
gel in the saddle was Vickie
Hughes, the horse COPY’S
HOT PANTS, and that was
the beginning of what was
definitely their year.
In coming this far, you
must go back a lcng, long
way. Vickie’s association with
horses commenced when she
reached the tender age of two.
Leadline and costume classes
saw the tiny blond bombshell,
even then with a smile on her
face despite the braces on her
legs, skyrocketing to the
winner’s circle. These begin
ning show ring efforts were
shared with her older brother
Warren who was to become
the guiding light of encour
agement and effort in Vickie’s
equine career.
Bom March 13, 1964 to
Farrell & Anna Lou Hughes,
Vickie and her family reside in
the tiny town of Burnsville,
North Carolina. Until she was
six year old, the perfection of
the little lady was marred by
leg braces. These had to be
worn to correct the stance of
her feet and legs. Despite the
braces, she was on* horseback
and in the show ring every
chance afforded. The Hughes
recall the many offers from
the Shriners who were a part
of the horse shows they
attended, who often queried
about Vickie to see if they or
their hospitals could ever do
anything for her. Mrs. Hughes
remembers Vickie’s elation
when the doctors finally took
the braces off and let her have
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the cowboy boots she had long
desired.
Horses continued to be a
major part of Vickie’s life as
her nine years older brother
Warren was bitten by the
same bug she was. Warren
showed for several years,
working and preparing his
horses for the ring himself
until football and college
intervened. An excelling ath
lete, Warren’s career on the
football field was abruptly
ended his senior year in high
school when in the season’s
opening game he suffered a
severe knee injury, tearing
loose every ligament in his
leg. Confined to a wheel chair
for more than two months,
Warren still cheerily encour
aged Vickie in her equine
activities. Now a junior at
Western Carolina, Warren
holds a real estate brokerage
license and plans to continue
into the study of law. His little
sister still comes first with
him and he would literally do
anything for her.
Vickie complied with her
brother’s wishes, becoming a
determined and talented
equestrian. Her initial Cele
bration competition was in
1974 and yielded a ninth place
tie on her gelding EBONY’S
GO BOY. At that time, Vickie
and her mount were under the
guidance of Dickie Wall. The
following year, with Ashe
ville, North Carolina’s Larry
Wheelon on the rail, she
upped her Celebration place
ment to the green streamers
denoting sixth. Since Vickie’s
accomplishments as a horse
woman were ever increasing,
her parents decided it was
time to obtain for her a horse
with which she could be a big
time winner. This was what
Larry Wheelon looked for and
was exactly what he found, at
Buddy Hugh’s bam during
that 1975 Celebration. They
purchased the bold bay mare,
COPY’S HOT PANTS and she
and Vickie became a com
bination ranking of juvenile
perfection.
The rule of this striking
combination over the junior
juvenile division has been one
of popularity and talent. From
the Trainers’ Show at Stone
Mountain they went on to fill
the winner’s circle at many
shows, such as the Smoky
Mountain Walking Horse
Classic; Asheville's Land Os
The Sky Summer Festival;
Hendersonville and Lincoln
ton, North Carolina, and
South Greenville, S.C. before
hitting the Celebration prim
ed and ready. Their victory in
juvenile eleven and under
class B was both well
deserved and well received,
and a happier girl, family, and
trainer could not have been
found on the big Shelbyville
surface. It was the culmina
tion of their dreams, the
attainment of their goals, and
a stepping stone to the future.
Vickie’s love for animals
extends to everything four
footed. She has her own pets,
dogs and cats, but seems to
attract others by the score.
She spends many hours at the
Hughes’ own bam with her
pleasure horses, and estab
lishes special rapport with
both animals and people. Her
plans for the future revolve
around the Walking Horse
and include the possibility of
becoming a full-time profes
sional trainer.
While horses are number
one on her list of sporting
activities, Vickie is very
athletically inclined. She loves
swimming, roller skating, was
a member of a clogging team
and takes part in other sports
her school’s athletic program
includes.
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■■
The twelve year old young
lady is a student at Yancey
Middle School near Burnsville
with science, history, and
math her favorite subjects.
the Hughes have lived in
Burnsville all of Vickie’s life.
It is the home base of Mr.
Hughes’ business of Scenic
View Estates, a developing
concern which features the
building of summer homes.
Full of life and vigor,
Vickie Lou Hughes is a
shining example of youth
today. She is a young lady
who is a credit to her family
and to every endeavor she is a
part of. The ever-smiling
angel, in the saddle or out of
it, Vickie has a love for life,
horses, and her family which
is all encompassing. She
doesn’t need anything else.
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y^ileyi^sheviM^fKljS^gl
Fred Riddle Honored;
Chops Wood At 101 j
In recognition of May as
National Senior Citizen’s
Month the Pickens County
Council on Aging’s Informa
tion, Referral, and Outreach
staff saluted one of Pickens
County’s oldest residents,feed
Riddle.
Fred Riddle, age 101, will
be 102 years young in August.
He lives in a log cabin on Star
Route, Pickens, and is stili
chopping wood and shooting
rabbits a few miles northwest
of Pickens off Shady Grove
Rd. Riddle is a native of
Yancey County, who has
several nieces and nephew-s
still living there, among them
are Maude Riddle of Burns
ville and Carlo Riddle. He is
married to Augusta Anglin
Riddle, also from Yancey
County, and moved to Pickens
from North Carolina in 1918.
■ PCCOA Outreach Workers
v (sometimes referred to as
PLEA), visit Riddle every few
months to see if he has any
needs. He is delightfully
independent and his only
unmet need in the past three
years has been for a new pair
of glasses.
After working with the
S.C. Commission for the
Blind, the Department of
Social Services, Community
Action Program’s transporta
tion, and Riddle’s neighbors
and friends, everything was
Democratic
Officials
Elected
The Democratic Executive
Committee met Saturday,
June 18, and elected the
following party officials for
the next 2 years. Chairman-
Mack B. RAy, Ist Vice
Chairman-Evelyn H. Pate,
2nd Vice Chairman-Mary
Jane Silvers, 3rd Vice Chair
man Bill Buckner Jr., Jewel
W. Mclntosh Secretary,
treasurer and Harlon Hol
combe, Representative on
State Committee.
arranged and Riddle received
his new glasses on November
3, 1976.
Riddle can see again. He
already has a garden started.
Riddle, at age 101, enjoys
good hdalth. He almost never
sees a doctor. His good health
and longevity can partly be
attributed to lade of worry. He
certainly has not had to worry
over the “energy crisis”. He
chops his own wood with
which he heats his cabin and
cooks his rations. If his cabin
gets too hot on summer nights
for comfort, instead of turning
on a fan he simply, moves
outside to sleep under the
stars.
Riddle is part Choctaw and
to this fact he attributes his
non-grey hair. His father,
states Riddle, died early at
age 87 but his grandfather
lived to be over 120, Riddle
matter of factly said “We
don’t die, we just dry up and
blow away.”
The Pickens County Coun
cil on Aging’s outreach staff
chose to salute Riddle to help
celebrate National Senior
CitizensJMonth because of his
indepeftdent nature, good
health and wealth in the
knowledge of the past at age
101.
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THE YANCEY JOURNAL JUNE 23, 1977
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