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Hunter Germain is a freshman at Snowflake High School (SHS), a two-time winner in the Mustang Tip Challenge and a rising star within the ranks of the Snowflake FFA program, but most of all, she is a girl that loves horses.
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Last year, Hunter took on the Mustang Tip Challenge in which she adopted a wild mustang that she named Rebel and spent 100 days working on ground training. In the December of 2018 Hunter competed with Rebel at the Welcome Home Ranch in Gilbert, winning Overall Champion in the youth division taking home $1,000, a belt buckle and several ribbons.
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It was that training experience that her FFA Advisor Heather Scott, who is also the agricultural science teacher at SHS, encouraged Hunter to write about in her application for the Arizona FFA Star Greenhand competition that will be finalized in May.
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Scott shared that Hunter is a very intense student and an avid learner of anything horse-related. “Hunter started practicing with the horse judging team, studied very hard for the State FFA Horse Test and then competed in the State FFA Horse Judging Contest on March 1,” said Scott. “After she scored 50 out of 50 on the second class of mares, I knew she would be placing well in the contest and she actually won the whole competition.”
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Hunter said she had so much fun working with Rebel in the Mustang Tip Challenge, that she took on another mustang this year, which she named Outlaw. With only 65 days to train instead of 100 due to the government shutdown, last week, Hunter and Outlaw took Reserve Grand Champion in the youth division, winning $800 and a bunch of ribbons.
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According to her dad, Bruce Germain, who is a certified farrier and trainer with Chelsie Natural Horsemanship, Hunter was 18 months old and on an elk hunt with him and her mom, Dawn Germain, when a group of horseback riders rode into their camp.
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“That’s when we found out that Hunter had an infatuation with horses,” said Bruce. “She wandered around all of them wanting to touch them as well as hug and kiss the horses.”
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The infatuation grew into Hunter’s first horse at the age six, a miniature horse that she road with a bareback pad. Two years later, Hunter graduated to her first full-size mare, and Bruce figured it was time she learned from a professional how to train her horse.
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That professional was then known as Chelsie Kallestad, owner of Chelsie Natural Horsemanship. Not only did Hunter learn the natural horsemanship training techniques, but two and a half years ago, Chelsie offered Bruce a job as an assistant trainer.
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Chelsie said, “I hired Bruce to train colts and start them with me.” Bruce, whose divorce with Dawn was finalized at the same time, added, “We worked together well. At first, we were just best friends, but over time our relationship blossomed.” Two years ago, in December, Bruce and Chelsie where married in the arena on their horse ranch west of Holbrook.
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Because her mom lives in Show Low, Hunter went to the Blue Ridge schools through seventh grade. “I had an option to go to the Snowflake Junior High School (SJHS) and transferred a month or so into my eighth-grade year,” shared Hunter.
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Near the end of her eighth-grade year at SJHS, her class was given a tour of the high school. During that tour, Hunter learned about the various electives as well as the FFA.
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“I remember hearing about the horse judging and what the kids were able to do with their horses, and I knew I had to be a part of the FFA,” continued Hunter. “I love the FFA; the people I have met, the opportunities I have had and the friendships I have made.”
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Scott also noted, “I greatly appreciate Hunter’s work ethic and her ability to be a natural leader in the FFA.” Elected as second vice president for the 2019-20 Snowflake FFA Chapter, Hunter is set to meet the challenges and become an integral part of the officer team.
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When not in school or spending time with her mom, Hunter can most often be found working with her horses and doing clinics with her stepmom and her dad.
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When asked what she had learned in the years she has worked with horses, Hunter said, “I have learned to work with my horse not against him. I have also learned that my horse has something to tell me and I should listen. The ups and downs are of all of it are worth it by far. When you get knocked down, you should get back up. It is so rewarding to have this relationship with this animal that you never thought possible.”
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As Hunter stood next to her horse, Blitz, she added, “I want to spend my life with horses. I would like to become a trainer, farrier and even equine dentist. Horses are my happy place and my entire heart.”
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