A senior account executive with Kudelski Security, Stephanie Zoanni has been at the Houston-based firm since 2014. Outside of her professional pursuits, Stephanie Zoanni enjoys traveling, listening to music, and working with reining horses.
The term "reining" refers to a competitive equestrian event that essentially demonstrates the skills and athletic ability a working horse needs to perform day-to-day duties on a ranch. The practice of reining can be traced back to the American ranches of the 18th and 19th centuries, but it didn't become a competitive sport until the American Quarter Horse Association recognized it as such in 1949.
Today, official reining events are managed by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), an organization founded in 1966. During a reining event, competitors are judged on technical and stylistic elements showcased when running one of 10 NRHA-approved reining patterns. All of the pre-approved patterns feature the same elements, including small and large circles of varying speeds, flying lead changes, 360-degree spins, and sliding stops.
Although the quarter horse dominates the sport, the Arabian and Morgan horse breeds have also performed very well in competition. Regardless of the breed, a horse must demonstrate certain characteristics to excel at reining skills. The best reining horses are fast, athletic, good-natured, and highly trainable. Of course, the horsemanship skills of the rider are also very important.
