Gowan, or, if you know him by his stage name, "Light em' Up" was the horse that nobody wanted nor liked, although that wasn't the case for Becca Sheets. He caught her eye the first time she saw him and noticed something in him that nobody else did.

"Light em' Up" has been announced multiple times to accept Saskatchewan Hunter and Jumper Championship awards, along with being honoured with the Hunter of the Year award.

Sheets has been riding since she was ten years old and has now logged a total of seventeen years upon horses' backs. Gowan's been a part of that journey for five years now. Bringing him home, nobody had an interest in him, no one liked him. Most people questioned why Sheets even wanted him.

According to Sheets, he was difficult to train, didn't want to listen, didn't feel the need to co-operate. After two hard-working years and a lot of dedication, Sheets was able to show everyone the potential that Gowan was hiding.

Killarney Sheffield, Gowan's breeder, said Sheets has done a "tremendous job" with Gowan. 

"Becca purchased the resulting foal as a lightly started four-year-old and she has done a tremendous job with him. Becca is the driven kind of owner every breeder dreams of placing their special babies with when the time comes."

Sheffield will be heading to Saskatoon to attend the Saskatchewan Horse Expo in February 2020 to accept the 2019 Breeder of the Year award on behalf of Gowan, along with Sheets to accept the Hunter of the Year award.

According to Sheffield, the Equine World is full of hard work, blood, sweat and tears.

Sheets said that one day it's two steps forward, the next day could feel like you've taken two steps back. Working alongside a 1000 Ibs animal with a mind of its own takes a lot of dedication and consistency.

Building and trusting on the bond you've worked so hard to achieve every day pays off in the end. When, In Becca's case, she can walk up on stage and accept an award on behalf of her beloved horse Gowan, that she's worked very hard to achieve.