It Is What It Is Today

By Shelby Roberge

My name is Shelby Roberge, and I am 13 years old. I recently received a letter asking me for my story, but in my story, my horse is my partner and my friend. So that makes my story, our story, which begins with his story. 

Itiswhatitistoday, or Oliver (as we call him), started his journey as a racehorse; he has a tattoo on his upper lip, but after researching records through the Jockey Club of America, it was clear he did not end up competing in any races. His story then takes him from middle America to Texas, where he was briefly owned and given the name “Brownie.” 

The couple who owned him then inquired about training, which resulted in trading “Brownie” for training toward another horse. The training facility then worked and exposed “Brownie” to western trail work, selling him to a new owner in Idaho. “Brownie” made the trek from Texas to Idaho, and was renamed “Sawyer.”  

Unfortunately, “Sawyer” and his new owner ended up not being a good match. So, he was then sold to a neighbor who had horses. This family gave “Sawyer” his new (and final) name, “Oliver.” In their short time together, Oliver had started to make great progress in 4H, but they ultimately decided it was best to put him up for sale. 

That’s when I met him, in the fall of 2022. We were searching for an additional all-around family and 4H horse, and one that could be a companion for my rescue Arabian, Liberty. Since Oliver had been moved around a lot, his background at the time was unclear, and he was thought to be a Thoroughbred, Arabian, Quarter Horse cross, and seasoned trail horse.

Still, the meet and greet went great, and I fell in love with him! Several people were interested in him for various purposes; one buyer wanted a barrel horse, another for 4H, and I was looking for something that was a little more English-versatile. We loved his personality and daintiness, and his trot was so smooth. Of all the interested parties, we were chosen to purchase him, and boy, am I glad! 

As I started trying out new disciplines and riding more, Liberty was not physically able to do much more than light work, so I started riding Oliver more, and competed in my local 4-H club’s show a few weeks after I got him! 

This is where I found out Oliver was a natural when it came to dressage, but I also found out he could be hot-headed. Then, winter came, and that ended our riding season. I was so excited to get riding as soon as the snow melted, but I quickly found that three months of not doing any work was not the best for him… let’s just say I spent a lot of time in the dirt! 

After a lot of groundwork and TLC, we started to get back on track. Then came the challenge of figuring out what discipline we wanted to do, and what discipline would be best for him. We tried many things before we found our love for dressage, and I believe dressage helped grow our bond tremendously! 

In the winter of 2023, we boarded Oliver and spent each week riding – as long as the temperature stayed above 20 degrees! We had a goal and a discipline now. 

By spring, my best friend and I decided to take on some USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized shows together! We entered our first dressage show in May, and while we didn’t get our qualifying scores at the first show, we rode beautifully. And we got to see the Aurora Borealis! Fast forward several shows, and my best friend with her new horse and me with my Thoroughbred, both qualified for the Great American/USDF Regional Dressage Championships! We will be attending the Region 6 Championships in Oregon in October. This year has been both memorable and successful. 

This spring, we found Oliver’s tattoo and were able to piece together his history. This helped explain a lot of his insecurities, like why he could be unpredictable, but also his courage to work with me through so much. Itiswhatitistoday was his registered name, and that is the name – of all the names he’s had – that describes him the best.  

In conclusion, Oliver and my story wouldn’t be so special if it weren’t for all the people around us. I want to give a special thank you to my coaches, my best friend, my parents, who always help me make my dreams a reality, and all the other people who have been a part of our journey. 

And remember, when it comes to working with horses, it is what it is today!

YourDressage note: Shelby and Oliver finished in the top ten in their Training Level Junior/Young Rider Championship, and fourth in the USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Finals 13 & Under at the 2024 Region 6 Championships after the submission of this story!