No one is putting Hayley Walters over a barrel when it comes to standardbreds
by Chris Lomon
Championing the standardbred breed is always twice as nice for Hayley Walters.
Whether she’s trackside or in the rodeo arena, the young horsewoman from Delaware is a passionate advocate and powerful voice, sometimes literally, for the breed that traces its bloodlines to 18th-century England.
A competitive barrel racer, Walters and her two retired standardbreds, Special T Rocks and Firecracker Graham, often turn heads when they arrive at events.
It hasn’t always been a warm reception for the daughter of groom and driver Kyle Walters.
“I went to this one show series and people found out I have a standardbred,” Hayley said. “And they looked at us as though we wouldn’t be able to compete against their quarter horses.”
The reaction after Hayley and her horse walk out of the ring is typically quite different.
“I have had some doubtful times, people thinking that I am not able to compete because I have a standardbred,” she said. “But I know in my heart that we can do it. Firecracker Graham is placing against other breeds and doing so well. Special T Rocks has done the same. He won a buckle for me. I wouldn’t be shocked if Firecracker Graham won us a buckle this year. They are both so talented.”
A son of Rocknroll Hanover out of the Artiscape mare Ladys Special Girl, Special T Rocks hold status as Hayley’s heart horse.
Her connection to the 18-year-old bay gelding, who won 56 of his 201 starts, along with $751,386 in purse earnings, dates back to her pre-teen years.
“When I went to the barn with my dad, he actually got to groom him for [trainer] Joe Hundertpfund,” she said. “He was an open pacer in Delaware, and everyone knows who he is. I fell in love with him. He was such a nice horse, and he had a big personality.
“Once he retired, I got him and retrained him to be a riding horse. He’s the best horse I could have ever asked for. I can point anything at him and he’ll do it. He tests me at moments, for sure. We are going to the National Standardbred Show in September. I don’t ride English, but I put an English saddle on him, and he acts like we ride that every day. He reminds me of why I love horses so much.”
Hayley’s passion for horses and horse racing was developed at an early age.
She often accompanied her father to the Hundertpfund barn, where she gladly lent a helping hand.
“My dad has always been in racing – his entire side of the family has always been it,” she said. “He started out as a groom for Joe, and he was gracious enough to allow my dad to bring me to the barn when I was a little kid. I would brush the horses, give them bubble baths and I’d jump in and clean a stall, too. I thought it was fun and I never saw it as work.”
When she wasn’t at the barn, Hayley somehow found a way to be around horses.
“I would go to my grandmother’s and she would babysit me,” Hayley said. “We would go across the street, and I would ride a pony named Honeybun. I realized that I loved horses, so that’s when I got the chance to go to the barn and do all that.”
A life-changing moment came one morning when Hayley had a front-row seat on the racetrack.
“My dad would put me on his lap, and I would jog horses with him,” she said. “I loved it so much and it made me want to take care of the horses and help them. I fell in love with them.”
So much, in fact, that despite an often-hectic barrel racing schedule, Hayley is a steady presence at the races and in the barn.
She brings a broad set of skills to the racetrack whenever she’s called upon.
“If Joe needs someone to fill in for his staff, I will fill in for them,” she said. “I graduated from school a year early, so I have more chances to do that. I go to the track, whether it’s Ocean Downs, Harrington or Dover, and I do a lot of catch paddocks, especially for Joe. I don’t take care of a certain number of horses. I just help out.
“If they are close when they are coming down the stretch, I do try to stay quiet, but I will catch myself saying things like, ‘Come on, you can do it.’ Even though they aren’t my horses, I get nervous myself because I want to see the horse do well. I just love being around the horses at the track and paddocking for people. I love helping out in the barn, too. It’s something fun that I get to do.”
Keeping pace with a busy life is her biggest challenge, a skill born of necessity, but one she has mastered.
“It can be time-consuming, taking care of my horses and then being at the track,” she admitted.
But the rewards make every challenge worthwhile.
“The best part is when you see the early mornings, the long nights, the blood, sweat, and tears pay off,” she said. “It is so rewarding. Whether it’s one of my horses placing in the ring or seeing a horse I have helped out with win a race, it’s the best feeling.”
As is showing the barrel racing world what standardbreds are capable of.
For Hayley, those moments are a mix of pride and passion, as well as a platform to showcase her adoration and respect for her favorite breed.
Each time she competes, she sees perceptions continue to change.
“My two horses started placing and then people started to realize what they can do,” she said. “They don’t just show up, they go in and show everyone how talented they are.
“I like to do barrel racing for a lot of reasons, but mostly to let people know that standardbreds have everything it takes to be successful in that world.”
