Don’t be surprised if you’re in Woodside and you see a giant draft horse pulling a wagon with a small 11-year-old girl at the reins.
That 11-year-old is Serena Houghton, nicknamed Stubbs, of Woodside. And she knows exactly what she’s doing.
In fact, she was just named junior state champion by the California Draft Horse and Mule Association for her success in showing and riding a Clydesdale draft horse named Cy at competitions in Grass Valley, Ventura and Los Angeles. The “high point youth” title is given to a kid 12 and under who scores the most points at these three venues.
“He’s been my best friend,” Serena says of Cy. “I’ve been working with him for three years.”
Draft horses are equivalent to two regular horses, and in times past were the 18-wheelers of their days, says Serena’s proud father, Paul Houghton of Woodside.
The youth competitions attract thousands of spectators, from both town and country.
“The agricultural community has a romantic notion about seeing wagons, unique harnesses, and other things of old,” Houghton says. “Urban people, many of them equestrians, are attracted to the big, powerful horses.”
Stubbs’ favorite event is called Gamblers’ Choice, in which the horse pulls a cart carrying the rider and negotiates a number of obstacles in a limited period. The horse has to parallel park and back up, for instance. “Cy is careful, not showy, so I usually get a lot of points,” she says.
“Showy” refers to the practice of hitch horses to raise their legs and hold their heads up high — skills that are critical to the “showmanship” event. For this event, the mane, forelock, and tail are all braided in special ways. Stubb’s mother, Enong Houghton, makes the rosettes by hand that are incorporated into the braids.
The “pleasure” event is meant to show the old-fashioned practice of driving a draft horse from farm to town. Costumes are worn, or to just be informal, the horse is equipped with light running gear.
Some other events are “team,” with at least two horses and a wagon; discipline rail, which is very formal; and riding the horse bareback and on a saddle.
Working with draft horses “is almost a lost art,” says Houghton. “It’s an esoteric subset of the horse world. They are the gentle giants, tractable and calm.”
Stubbs says that Cy is gentle, easygoing, and not too big for a Clydesdale. “He watches out for me,” she says. “When I was 9 years old, he would wait for me if I fell off.”
Driving horses through Woodside is what Stubbs sometimes does when she is not preparing to compete, says Jean Williams, breeder of Clydesdale draft horses at the Williams Ranch in Woodside, and owner of Cy.
“She has been an exceptional kid from the first day I met her,” Williams says. “She loves to compete, loves to learn, and works hard. She has a great spirit and temperament, and is willing to try anything.”
In the summer, Stubbs goes everyday to the Williams ranch. When school’s in session, she goes only on weekends. At the ranch, she washes horses, cleans out stalls, and practices for shows.
“Right before a big show, I practice braiding two or three times a day” for the showmanship event, says Stubbs. “I drive Cy around and practice things like backing up.”
In their leisure time, Cy and Stubbs go off on a trail.
As to her future with horses, Stubbs says: “I don’t really know. I want to try out other things, like dressage and jumping. Then I will decide.”
