07/21/2026
Great family! 😍
For some families, horses are a hobby.
For the Guthrie family, horses are simply a way of life.
Long before Kelsey Rudy ever stepped into a show pen, her parents, Roxann and Dutch Guthrie, were building the foundation for what would become a lifelong family tradition. The two met as young horse exhibitors at county fairs in Michigan before reconnecting years later while attending Michigan State University. Horses have been at the center of their family ever since.
Today, Kelsey calls Vassar, Michigan, home, just five miles from the same family farm where she grew up riding horses with her parents and grandparents.
"I learned everything I know from my mom and dad there," she said. "We've always taken a lot of pride in keeping our horses at home because I think you build a great relationship from that."
That family-first philosophy still guides everything they do.
After spending her youth career showing under Dan and Wendy Huss, Kelsey eventually found another lifelong mentor in trainer Brenda Jeter. Although Brenda is now based more than 1,000 miles away, the relationship has never changed.
"She helps me from 1,300 or 1,500 miles away," Kelsey laughed. "She's been with us through it all. She's family."
This year's PHBA World Championship Show carried a different set of emotions than usual.
Just days before leaving for Springfield, Kelsey said goodbye to CowboysAintEasyToLuv, affectionately known as Waylon.
Waylon wasn't just another show horse.
"He could do anything," she said. "Hunter Under Saddle, Trail, Ranch, Western Pleasure—but hands down, he was the best Showmanship partner I've ever had."
Losing him left a hole that was impossible to ignore.
"It's really hard to be there without him."
Still, Kelsey found comfort in the next generation.
This year she showed two horses she and her family bred themselves: the half-brothers VS On The Roan Again, known as Willie, and He Bee Lazy Lopin, or Merle. While each has developed into a talented all-around horse in his own right, they represent something even more meaningful—a breeding program built at home and a family legacy continuing to grow.
"There's definitely a little extra level of excitement when you get to win on a homegrown baby."
Willie earned a paycheck in the added-money Trail, while Merle collected World Championships in Hunter Under Saddle and Hunter In-Hand and Reserve World Champion honors in Showmanship.
Meanwhile, another member of the family made her own World Show debut.
Kelsey's young daughter, Chesney, climbed aboard Willie for her very first Leadline class.
"She gave Grandma a little wave from the middle of the class," Kelsey laughed.
It was a small moment, but one that perfectly captured what this World Show was really about.
The horses may change over the years. New foals grow up, old champions are remembered, and little girls become leadline riders.
But the tradition continues.
From Roxann and Dutch, to Kelsey, and now to Chesney, the Rudy family's story has never really been about winning ribbons.
It's been about building a life around horses—and passing that love on to the next generation.
