Classic Performance of the Week: Stacy Westfall

Live like you were dyin’…

As the All American Quarter Horse Congress draws nearer — it begins on October 1st in Columbus, OH — we think it’s fitting to share one of our all-time favorite performances by Stacy Westfall. Although we’re not alone in our love of this performance, we still can’t help but get a bit verklempt when we watch it.

In 2o06, Stacy won the All American Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle Reining competition on Whizards Baby Doll (better known as Roxy), a 2001 mare. They competed to Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dying,” and the results were astounding.

The performance not only wowed the horse world, but also went viral among non-equestrians. Rumors surrounding the performance abounded. One of the more astonishing rumors was that Stacy was deaf, mute and that she had trained Roxy in a matter of weeks. Insert hard eye roll at the matter of weeks notion. 

No matter how many times we see this performance replayed, we always get a little choked up when we watch it. Whether it’s how broke Roxy is, the evocative song lyrics, the knowledge that Roxy is no longer with us or a combination of the above, a few quiet moments and deep breaths are necessary once it ends.

So, for this week’s classic Performance of the Week, we celebrate Stacy Westfall and Roxy.

Go riding!