Scott Beasley, son of Ray and Jo Dee Beasley, is the current world champion in the youth division in the halter showing event of the Palomino Horse Association. The association is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He took top honors in the association's World Championship in Tulsa this year. But that's just one of a number of titles Scott has won showing horses. He has taken top point honors in shows in 10 states-Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio and Oklahoma.
In March he will be honored at an awards banquet and tour of the Washington, D.C. area.
He is also a national Youth Director of the Palomino Association and helps make decisions for the National Youth Club.
But for Scott, showing and riding horses is second nature.
"He has been working around horses since he was in diapers," said his mother, who is Scott's coach.
He is following in his mother's footsteps-only earlier. Jo Dee Beasley has been involved in training and showing horses since she was a child and has been virtually immersed in the business for 20 years.
Eighteen years ago, shortly after moving to Bladen County, she married Bladen native Ray Beasley. After she married, she worked for eight years for other horse trainers in the area. Ten years ago, the family opened a horse boarding and training facility-Beasley Stables-on NC 53 between Elizabethtown and White Oak.
The family operation specializes in training and showing Quarter Horses, primarily Palominos. Most of the horses boarded and trained by Beasley Stables and taken to horse shows by Jo Dee and Scott have out-of-state owners. Not only do the Beasleys train and show horses, they provide instruction to young people who want to learn to show horses.
Scott began showing horses when he was only four years old, and has been winning shows and point titles since his first year.
"I wasn't involved in as many classes at that time," he said, smiling. "But now I compete in seven classes-mares, geldings, grand and reserve, showmanship, color and riding."
A fourth grader at Bladen Lakes Elementary School, Scott was the youngest child to ever win a high point award (reserve world championship) in the Palomino Association.
Jo Dee explained that the high point award goes to the individual with the most accumulated points for the year, which means Scott can't miss many events during the year.
"It's like the NASCAR championship in a way," said Jo Dee. "If you miss events, you can't accumulate points there."
As a result, Scott has competed in more than 30 events in 10 states this year. Jo Dee said the hectic schedule of trying to get Scott to shows and keep him on track in school has not been easy.
"It takes a lot of juggling to find ways to get him to the shows and back, because I have to take the horses down earlier when the shows are out of state," Jo Dee said. "But with the help of friends and family members, we've been able to keep him in the competitions."
Scott said he has always liked horses.
"I like horses so much, sometimes I think I go kind of crazy about them," he said, laughing.
Scott said he plans to "become a veterinarian and get rich," and become a bull rider in his spare time.
"And if I have the time, I'd like to continue showing horses," he added.
Scott said he does not want to be a horse trainer, "it is too time consuming!"
"I will just hire my mom," he added.
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