Clara Nemeth

My name is Clara Nemeth. I am 14 years old and live in Delaware, OH with my parents, Scott and Winnie and younger sister, Aviana. 

I have been involved with horses my entire life. We had a horse farm in Saline, MI where we bred, raised and showed our Quarter Horses for ten years prior to moving to Ohio. My Grandparents train and race Standardbred horses. My Mom, Winnie, is the Standardbred Program Director for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.  We are involved with both harness racing and AQHA.

I show my horse, Jacks Are Sleepy Too, who I bred and raised, in Western Pleasure and Horsemanship. We may add Trail, Showmanship and Halter this year. Since we have had to learn together, we started showing Pleasure as a four year old and then added the Horsemanship and Showmanship.

Something that would be impossible to give up are my friends and family.  They are always by my side, supporting me and I could not be more thankful for that.

Something that no one knows about me is that I am a seventh generation horseman.  Both of my parents also grew up showing horses as well.

If I am not at a horse show you will find me at my trainers barn (Piper Performance Horses) practicing or at one of our New Vocations Racehorse Adoption farms working with the retired Standardbreds.

I see my future self-following in my family’s footsteps in working with New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. New Vocations places over 300 retired racehorse’s a year into new homes.

If I could ride any horse it would be Mito Cierra. This horse was bred and trained by Karen DeVlieger and then won the Congress with Clark Bradley.  He also is the grandsire to my horse. 

A goal that I would like to accomplish while showing horses would be to win a Congress Championship in Horsemanship.  I showed at my first Congress last year and was so excited to be Top 15 and a Finalist in Western Pleasure with a horse I bred and raised. 

Both of my parents are huge role models for me and set a good example to follow in accomplishing my goals. My Mom was reserve champion at the Congress on a horse my Dad trained and together they have accomplished great things.

My biggest dream that I have accomplished is placing at the Congress my first year showing there.

My biggest accomplishment outside of the show arena is helping many retired Standardbreds as they move on to a new career as a riding horse. I have been involved all of my life with New Vocations from riding the retired Standardbreds to speaking to hundreds of people at events such as Rolex, Equine Affaire and the Standardbred World Show to help promote the breed and what they can do beyond the track. It is very rewarding to see these horses succeed in their second careers.

Interviewed by Courtney Hilty