March 2026 Real Rider of the Month · Colorado Springs, Colorado
March took the scenic route.
We checked our 2026 Real Rider calendar and found a missing month. That one is on us. To make it right, we held a random make-up draw among March applicants who had not already been featured. Abby Pacheco’s name came out.
So, announced fashionably late in September, meet our March 2026 Real Rider of the Month: Abby Pacheco of Pacheco Performance Horses. No time machine required.
Her application arrived on March 7. The story below comes from what she shared then: more than 20 years with horses, a varied training program, and a barrel mare with enough personality to fill the calendar herself.
Meet Abby and the horses behind her program
Based in Colorado Springs, Abby primarily barrel races, but her riding also includes ranch versatility, backcountry trails, and training. In her March application, she described a group of AQHA and APHA horses ranging from 3 to 12 years old, including mares, geldings, and one stallion.
Abby also shared that she is a certified equine massage therapist. Alongside her work as a trainer, that background informs the attention she gives her own horses and her clients’ horses.
Rita brings the personality
One horse stood out in Abby’s submission: Bug In My Rita, known around the barn as Rita. Abby described her 2026 barrel-racing futurity horse as competitive, athletic, and quirky.
“She’s like riding a stick of dynamite!”
Abby Pacheco
It is an introduction that tells you plenty about how Abby sees the mare: a talented individual with a personality all her own. Her account is full of affection for Rita’s antics and the daily work of keeping up with her.
A routine that follows the Colorado seasons
Cold, wind, and snow shape winter horse care in Abby’s part of Colorado. In her application, she explained that hosing horses off is not always an option during those months, so liniments and sprays fit more readily into her routine. Summer brings more opportunities for hosing and using poultices.
Abby described Draw It Out® Liniment Gel as a daily part of her program for her own horses and client horses, and named MasterMudd as her preferred summer poultice. She first noticed Draw It Out® at local feed stores, where the green and white logo caught her eye.
When other riders ask what she uses, her standard is straightforward:
“I only recommend products I trust and use personally.”
Abby Pacheco
Different work, different scenery
Abby’s approach to riding includes sufficient warmup and cooldown time, consistency during the week, and variety. Her examples include circles in the arena one day, a trail ride the next, and maneuver work on another day. She values giving horses different work for both body and mind.
When she heads for the trails, Eagle, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountains are favorite destinations. Closer to home, she named Douglas County Fairgrounds as one of her favorite arenas. She also shared her support for NBHA and local horse rescues.
From a futurity prospect to a mountain trail, Abby’s submission gives us a look at a horsewoman whose days cover a lot of ground. We are glad to make room for her story, even if our calendar needed a little remedial training.
Congratulations, Abby. March is officially yours.
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Meet the other 2026 Real Riders
Based on Abby’s March 7, 2026 application. Selected in September 2026 to fill the missed March feature. Product mentions describe her personal routine.
