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Cassandre Ehrle Amateur Horsemanship. Showmanship. Equitation.
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For the Love of a Good Horse
For lifelong competitor Aubrey Jacobs, horses are more than a hobby. They’ve been a way of ife for as long as she can remember. Sharing passion for the sport and the partnership of a great horse with the people she loves most makes the ride worthwhile. With Ur Heart Or Mine, she’s enjoying one of the best rides yet.
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Aubrey Jacobs has been around enough good horses to know when one is special.
and Judy Zeitler of Abrams Wisconsin, whom Aubrey has worked with since her youth days.
She grew up in the horse industry. She showed all-around horses as a kid, moved into futurity horses as she got older, and has spent much of her life traveling to the same major shows that still fill her calendar today. Winning matters to her. She’ll be the first to tell you that she’s competitive. After a lifetime spent showing horses, Aubrey has also learned that some seasons are worth appreciating for reasons that go well beyond awards or wins.
Her first impression had little to do with the show pen. She was first drawn to the gelding’s quiet demeanor and friendly presence. “He was calm and quiet from the start, and he’s stayed that way,” says Aubrey. “He’s very uncomplicated.”
This year, Ur Heart Or Mine, better known as “Elway,” is giving her plenty of reasons to appreciate the ride. “He’s better than I ever imagined he’d be for his first show season,” Aubrey says. “I wasn’t expecting it. We’ve been pretty competitive from the start, and he has made it super fun and enjoyable.” The three-year-old western pleasure gelding, by Heart Stoppin and out of a Lazy Loper mare, came to Aubrey almost by chance. She purchased him from the Hatten family in Iowa during Back to Berrien last year after her husband, RJ Jacobs, and her father, Ray Alderman, spotted the two-year-old. “RJ and my dad always have their eyes open,” Aubrey says. “They said, ‘We’re going to go try a horse.’ It wasn’t planned at all, but I’m super happy and fortunate we came across him when we did.” Elway and Aubrey compete under the guidance of Mark
That demeanor has proven to be as much a part of his appeal as his natural ability. “He’s an old soul,” Aubrey says. “He’s super friendly and a little bit goofy. He’s one of those horses you just enjoy being around. He’s in your pocket all the time.” Under saddle, it’s Elway’s natural way of going that stands out. Aubrey describes him as forward and straight, with the balance and consistency required for a strong western pleasure horse. “We joke that he barely lifts his feet off the ground,” she says. “He makes it look effortless. Everything looks easy for him, never forced or mechanical.” And this season, easy has translated into winning.
A Season to Remember Elway made his show debut in April, and he and Aubrey wasted little time finding their way to the winner’s circle. At the Orange Blossom Classic and A Sudden Impulse, their first show together, Aubrey and Elway were unanimous champions in the Three-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure, champions in the PREMIER | SEPTEMBER 2026 | 55
Intermediate Non-Pro, and Reserve Champions in the Three-YearOld Non-Pro. Trainer Mark Zeitler had a standout debut of his own aboard the young gelding, winning both the Three & Over $55,000 Maiden Limited and Intermediate Western Pleasure and placing third in the Open. From there, Elway kept delivering. At The Madness, Aubrey swept the Three-Year-Old Non-Pro divisions, winning the Limited, Intermediate, and Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Zeitler added wins in the Three-Year-Old Limited Open and the Three & Over Novice Horse Limited and Intermediate Open Western Pleasure. Then came The Premier, where Aubrey and Elway earned the Breeders’ Color Three-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Championship and Reserve honors in the Level 2 Three-Year-Old Non-Pro. Zeitler added two Reserve Championships in the Open divisions. By the time they arrived at the NSBA World Championship Show in Tulsa, Elway had established himself as a standout three-yearold. And Tulsa only added to the gelding’s winning résumé. Aubrey and Elway were unanimous World Champions in both the BCF ThreeYear-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure and BCF Three-YearOld Color Non-Pro Western Pleasure, along with another World Championship in the Three-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure. They also earned a Reserve World Championship in Intermediate Non-Pro. Zeitler and Elway added a unanimous World Championship in BCF Three-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure and multiple Reserve World Championships. For Aubrey, the results have been gratifying. But what she appreciates most is knowing that every time she walks into the pen, Elway is prepared to give her an honest opportunity. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had one quite to this caliber,” she says. “It makes showing more fun knowing that when I go in, I’ll be competitive as long as I do my job and show him off to the best of his ability.” At NSBA, Elway competed in class after class and continued to answer every time he was asked. “Every time, he shows up and gives you his heart,” Aubrey says. “He never cheats. He never misbehaves.” That’s also why the plan moving forward as the team prepares for 56 | PREMIER | SEPTEMBER 2026
Her family remained part of that journey, with a futurity horse often finding its way into the barn. Then horses led her to another important person in her life. Aubrey and RJ first met at the Congress when they were 13. They remained friends for years before eventually dating while Aubrey attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Today, they’re raising their son, Randy Jacobs III, known as JJ, and Aubrey says motherhood has changed the way she approaches the sport. “Time in general is more precious after having kids,” she says. “Between family, motherhood and work, you don’t get to structure everything around showing horses anymore.” Rather than pulling her away from the sport, the competing priorities have given her a greater appreciation for the opportunities she does have. “When you get the opportunity to ride and show, I’m more aware of it,” she says. “I don’t let imperfection ruin the experience. I love enjoying my horse and the people I’m blessed to share it with.” Having her parents, the Zeitlers, Randy & Holli Jacobs, RJ and now JJ at the shows brings Aubrey’s horse story full circle. “I’m super fortunate that I can enjoy it and do it with my whole family,” she says.
Seeing the Industry From Another Perspective Horses aren’t only part of Aubrey’s family life. They’re part of her professional life, too. Congress is simple: keep him happy, prepared, and fresh. “He’s such a chill guy,” she says. “We’ll just keep prepping the way we have and wait and see how it goes.”
Horses in the Family For Aubrey, enjoying a season like this is even sweeter because horse showing has never been something she does alone. It’s a family affair that started long before she was born. Her parents, Ray and Tracy Alderman, met through showing horses, so horses were always a part of Aubrey’s life growing up in Wisconsin. Her dad had a background showing pleasure futurity horses, while her mom competed in the all-around events. Aubrey initially followed the all-around path before her dad encouraged her to try futurity horses, where she discovered how much she enjoyed showing young horses and the futurity side of the industry. “I found a love for showing the young ones,” she says. “Seeing the prospects and watching the improvement is fun.”
A 2021 graduate of Southern Methodist University, Aubrey is the regulatory manager at dac® – Direct Action Co., Aubrey works on the regulatory side of the equine nutrition company while also contributing to its marketing and social media efforts. dac® develops vitamin and mineral products designed to support animal health and performance. For someone who spent much of her life viewing the horse industry primarily as an owner and exhibitor, working within it has broadened her perspective. “I enjoy it immensely,” Aubrey says. “I’m so fortunate that I get to work in the horse industry while enjoying horses, too.” Her regulatory responsibilities also make the work personal. She knows what goes into the products she feeds her own horses, and she takes pride in knowing the same products are being used by horse PREMIER | SEPTEMBER 2026 | 57
owners across disciplines. “It’s given me a different perspective,” she says. “I used to be an exhibitor and an owner. Now we’re a company serving all aspects of the industry and other disciplines. It’s fun to contribute to the industry in a different way.” Ironically, despite spending her working life in the horse business, Aubrey laughs that a typical day at work rarely puts her anywhere near an actual horse. “In my day-to-day, I rarely see a horse,” she laughs, “even though my whole life is in the industry.” Perhaps that’s another reason she appreciates her time in the saddle so much.
A Team That Grows With You Aubrey’s definition of family also extends beyond relatives. She has worked with Mark and Judy Zeitler for nearly 15 years, a relationship that has carried her through multiple horses and stages of life. “They’ve watched me through all my phases,” Aubrey says. “They’ve always supported me.” That longevity means Aubrey can trust Mark to prepare Elway while balancing a schedule that no longer allows her to spend every day in the barn. “I’ve placed a lot of trust in Mark to prepare him,” she says. “We’re a great team. He’s taught me how to follow him well.” But the relationship goes beyond training horses. “If we’re not around horses, we’re family and friends and can enjoy life without talking horses,” she says. “They’ve watched me grow up from when I was 13. Now I’m married with a son, I have responsibilities, and I can’t be in the barn 24/7. But we’re still a team. It’s been great to have them in my corner.”
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Aubrey and Elway will head to the Michigan Futurity, a show her family has supported for years, before turning their attention toward the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Aubrey plans to show in the Three-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro, while Zeitler will take the reins in the Three-Year-Old Open and Limited divisions. One accomplishment is still missing from Aubrey’s résumé. A Congress Championship. She’s been Reserve Champion more than once, and she makes no secret of wanting to finally win one. “Me being my competitive self, I would love to win,” she says. But these days, that goal comes with an important qualifier. “My goal in life and horses is that I don’t become so focused on winning that I forget the blessing of the journey and doing this with my family and my trainers, who are like family.”
pen on a talented young horse and knowing she has a chance. And after a lifetime in the industry, she still gets excited about the next prospect, the next futurity and the next great ride. But she’s also learned to recognize when she’s in the middle of a particularly good chapter. This year, with her family nearby, longtime friends in her corner and a quiet, steady three-year-old named Elway underneath her, Aubrey knows exactly how fortunate she is. A Congress Championship would certainly make the season sweeter. But either way, she’s having a pretty good ride.
Article written by Elizabeth Arnold Photography by Shane Rux Photography, Ali Hubbell Photography & Cody Parmenter Photography
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