21 years of SouthCon!

When SouthCon began in the fall of 1988, it joined a handful of southern live shows. Lee Francis held the Florida Model Horse Club Live in Miami, which was the main live show at the time. The Palmetto Classic was held by Jana Morton in Myrtle Beach, SC for several years. Carla Clifford also held the Space Coast Classic annually in Florida. Paula Hecker started up the Sunshine State Live Show a few years later.

SouthCon had just 10 entrants its first year- and was held on my front porch! The 1989 show was moved to the first Saturday in May and SouthCon remained a spring show until 1997, when it moved to the first Saturday in October, a date it still occupies today.

There have been many interesting real horse events at SouthCon over the years. Attendees enjoy the American Morgan Horse in demonstrations showing the breed's suitability for various disciplines. The show's competition has always been top notch and countless winners at SouthCon have gone on to be NAN Champions.

As anyone who has ever organized a live show knows, it's the people who attend that make the difference. SouthCon has become the oldest live show in the south, and I couldn't have done it without all of you! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for supporting the show for the last 21 years. Let's go for another 21!

I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane. I'd love to add more pictures to this page, so if you have a favorite picture taken at SouthCon, send it to me and I'll post it here for everyone to enjoy! Hope to see YOU in this year's pictures! -Laura Behning

Lisa Rivera up on Reminiscing (aka "Marie"), Morgan mare owned by Brookridge Morgans, during the lunch break at the first SouthCon in 1988. Somewhere I have pictures of Lee Francis riding Marie sidesaddle at this show, but I can't find them!


Another photo from the 1988 show. The CM Appaloosa stock horse in the center foreground is a Kathy Maestas remake. Kathy was one of a handful of artists whose work dominated the live and photo show rings of the time.


We got some very good press in 1990 from MORGAN MAGIC magazine. The article mentions Lesli Jeffreys (now Kathman) and her first foray into live showing! Hard to believe this was 18 years ago now!


1990 show- a color version of a picture that was included with the above article. Sylvia McCaskill is on the far left in a red shirt, behind the Morgan mare Willy Remember Me, with Lori Nye up. Kristi Hillyer Peters is wearing the teal THHN T-shirt in the center. Is that Tina Ferro to her right? I am on the taller Morgan mare Radiance Eliza Babe. I am not sure who all else is in the picture except that Marv Walker is next to the last on the far right. I know the picture is kind of distant, but does anyone recognize anyone here- maybe yourself?!


Sylvia McCaskill grooms the hair mane and tail on one of her models before a class at the 1990 SouthCon.


Saddling up to ride during the lunch break at the 1994 show. From left to right: Jaime Dick, Meighan Daly, Patented (Morgan gelding), two gals I can't remember (anyone?), myself, Reminiscing (Morgan mare, dam to Patented), Laura Schmidt, and Lisa Algarin.


Lisa Algarin on Patented at the 1994 show. Also could be titled "I made a convert!". Lisa now breeds Lippitt Morgans at her Claywood Morgans in Little Mountain, SC. Does anyone know who that is on Marie on the left?


Laura Behning and Jessica Hecker (isn't she darling?) at the 1998 show.


Lisa Algarin, Kathy Blair, Tina Ferro, and Megan Daly at the 1999 SouthCon, with the OF Morgan class in the foreground.


The awards for champs and reserves have varied over the years at SouthCon. In the early days large rosettes were given. The search for a more "useful" award led to Hagen Renaker minis being given in the mid 90's through 1997. In 1988 the awards were a resin pin of a Morgan filly, sculpted by Laura Behning and painted in the winner's choice of color. In 1999, the awards were these Morgan pins pictured here, a stallion this time, again sculpted by Laura Behning and painted in the winner's choice of color. From 2000-2004 a mini scale resin model by Laura was given, and since 2005 the awards have been mugs and coasters also featuring Laura's Morgan Horse artwork.


2001 show: Bint Naboor, owned by Tammy Breckinridge, winner of the CM Arabian costume class wearing the gorgeous costume Stephanie Annee donated to the SouthCon Auction. Photo courtesy Jill Griffin.


2001 show: Teresa Ward and Katrina Trent, center, chat with Paula Hecker and Elaine Sulser, right. Photo courtesy Lorri Savage.


2002 show: Fitzowyn and his mate Penelope were one-two in CM Ponies. These lovely Pour Horse china customs are owned by Lisa Sents.


2002 show: Left, Tiffany Martin (GA), left and Elaine Sulser (GA), right, set up their CM Trail entries while Justine Lavin (FL, left background) and Jeanne Farnsley (FL, right background) observe.


2002 show: Going Baroque is a silver dapple sabino warmblood mare painted by Sarah Minkewicz Breunig on a Kathleen Moody "Utopia" resin. Owned by Polly Cleveland, Baroque has been a consistent winner at SouthCon for the past few years.


The 2003 show featured a Combined Driving demonstration by USEF driving competitors Dave (third from the left) and Lisa (holding "Vic") Holec and their Morgan gelding, Victor Allen. After the presentation, which included informative handouts on the parts of the harness (quite useful for model horse performance classes in harness!), everyone had a chance to take a few turns around the field behind a good Morgan horse!


Left to right: Lesli Kathman, Jackie, Jeanne Farnsley, and Paula Hecker chat in between classes at the 2005 show.


Ah HA Cindy, caught you!! Cindy Dilks has been a regular at SouthCon through the years (photo from the 2005 show).


At the 2006 SouthCon, Coral kept soaking up all the attention she could get! Paige Patty, Susie Diehl, Katie Zajdel and Valerie Hussain are pictured.


Valerie Hussain goes for a ride on Pat at the 2006 show.


Three of the many custom glazed beauties shown by Paige Patty at the 2006 show. The first is a chestnut tobiano/sabino Assateague filly named Lass'Ateague, Paige's "Wee Bairn" sculpture glazed by Paige; the other two are draft foals also glazed by Paige- Conner is the brown tobiano, and Ramblin' Rose is the bay silver sabino. Lass'Ateague won the CM Glaze Other Breed Foal class and went on to be Champion Custom/Resin Foal. Photos by Lisa Algarin.


The December 2006 issue of THE MORGAN HORSE magazine featured writeups from Morgan owners who had participated in the AMHA's fall "Celebrate the Morgan" promotional event. Since SouthCon is a part of this effort to introduce more people to the wonderful Morgan breed, TMH printed a nice article about the show, garnering a bit of hobby publicity, as well!


Here is a view of the "show hall" (barn aisle) early in the day at the 2007 show. We were pretty packed. We had 23 entrants from GA, SC, NC, and Florida. We could have had many more - the show was full two weeks ahead of the show date, so I kept a waiting list in case of cancellations- but we only have so much space. The competition was (as usual) pretty incredible!


207 SouthCon: the sculpture is by Brigette Eberl of Germany. I think Tom Bainbridge painted it. Not sure who made the tack and rider. His name is Snowdrift and he is owned by Sandy Wierman. He won the CM EP and CM Other English classes and was Champion of the English Performance division. In halter, he was Reserve Champion of the CM/AR Light Breeds division.


Each year there is a horse that is my favorite. This guy was easily that horse for the 2007 show. A Maureen Love (my favorite artist) sculpture in silver bay, Autumn Silver won the CM Morgan class, was CM Light Breeds Champion AND won the overall Best Morgan in Show award. Owned by Lisa Sents.


The Friday evening before the show anyone who wishes can come and ride a Morgan. In recent years we've used Patented (Big Bend Doc Davis X Reminiscing), an 18 year old gelding, for this very important job. One of our regular SouthCon attendees is Paula Hecker from Tallahassee FL. In 2007 Paula brought her 10 year old daughter Jessica to show at SouthCon. Paula has three girls but only Jessica is really horse crazy like her Mom :-) Jessica has been on Pat before but since she was only 2 then, she didn't remember. She groomed Pat and then got a lesson on the lungeline. By the time we finished it was getting dark, but she had figured out how to use her seat to get Pat to halt, walk on and was gleefully urging him into a trot, just a grinnin' away. She had no fear and was a very quick study! The inset pic is of her on Pat (giving Pat a pat :-)) at SouthCon 1999, when she was 2; her Dad is supporting her up there and Lisa Algarin is holding Pat.


Whenever I talk to anyone about "my friend Lisa" I have to be specific about WHICH Lisa. It is a kind of running joke, since I have THREE "horsey" friends named Lisa. Well, all three of them were at the 2007 show so I finally got a picture of them together! L-R is Lisa Sents, Lisa Algarin, and Lisa Holec. Lisa Sents loves Morgans and they are her favorite breed, but doesn't currently own a horse. Lisa Algarin breeds Lippitt Morgans at her Claywood Farm in Little Mtn., SC. Lisa Holec is the non model horse person of the trio and she owns about 15 Morgans currently, including the silver dapple mare Foxton Fawn.
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