Kallus Racking Up the World Titles in Horsemanship

A local girl won several world championships at the American Paint Horse Association Youth World Championship Show in Fort Worth earlier this summer.

Teagan Kallus, a 12-yearold student at La Grange ISD, won team and individual horse knowledge and horse judging titles as well as several riding awards atop her horse Stanley.

To anyone who knows Teagan, the awards should come as no surprise.

“She’s very driven,” her mother Tina Kallus said. “She rides 5-7 days a week, she’s extremely dedicated and puts in a lot of hard work.”

Horses have been a part of Teagan’s life almost from the start.

“I think I could ride before I could walk,” Teagan said. “I competed in my first show in Houston when I was five with a horse my brother gave me.”

This summer’s world championships tested Teagan in a variety of ways.

She was part of the Texas Paint Horse Team that won the World Youth Team Tournament title.

Teams compete in a knowledge relay, jeopardy contest, and performance classes, which test their knowledge of horses, teamwork, and horsemanship. Teagan competed on the jeopardy team with Reagan Stovall, Sabine Lazo, and Emme Graves. As a team they won this contest.

Teagan also competed in the Knowledge Relay with the girls listed above and also Shelby Kee and Reagan Jennings and the girls placed second in the world in that event.

Teagan also competed in the APHA Horse IQ Youth World Championship Judging Contest. She along with Aubrey Alvarado, Annalise Rivadeneira, and Lacey Thomas represented Texas Paint Horse Association. Teagan was reserve junior individual halter and reserve junior individual performance, she was also the Champion overall junior individual winning a $250 scholarship. Her team won the Junior World Champion Judging Team title and they received belt buckles.

Teagan and her horse “A Timely Invitation” aka “Stanley,” competed in showmanship 16th place Western Horsemanship earning 5th place overall, Western Pleasure 14th place, and in Trail they were 4th place. This was Teagan and Stanley’s first-ever World show.

Teagan usually trains with her mom Tina Kallus, but for this show Teagan and Stanley were under the guidance of DeDe Lanoue 3D Show Horses of Cypress (near Houston). To work with DeDe, Teagan had to get someone to drive her to Cypress almost every day for practice.

“Teagan and DeDe have worked really hard for this,” Tina said.

“I’ve had him (Stanley) for three years and it’s been really fun to watch our growth,” Teagan said. “I’ll watch videos from when we first started and I’m like, ‘wow we’ve come so far.’”