Turning Grief Into A Legacy
Brittany Childs, of Newnan, Georgia, has turned grief at the beginning of 2025 into a legacy that she and her family hope endures for years to come, in a way horse lovers can appreciate.
In January, Brittany lost her father, Blair Pritchett, after an 18-month battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“Glioblastoma is terminal and there is no chance of survival, so the past year and a half was tough and January was tough,” Brittany shared. “Watching him decline was terrible.”
Horses have always been part of the Childs family’s life, and after Blair’s passing, Brittany turned to them for comfort. Little did she know that a bright light was just ahead. “My mom had always loved horses, so my sister and I rode from the time we were two and three years old,” she said.
The sisters began at local open shows before advancing to AQHA competition in their teens. Over the years, they’ve worked with several trainers including Brittany’s sister, Ansley, who now trains professionally.
“Ansley has a lot of green horses," Brittany said, "When they get to a certain point, I show them in the Green Non-Pro classes and sometimes in the Amateur classes if I feel they’re ready.”
While attending the Big A in July, Brittany, Ansley, and their mother, Jennifer, experienced what Brittany describes as a turning point. “My mom and I just had this epiphany as we were watching all these high level Amateurs showing their finished horses and I am always showing the green ones,” Brittany said. “My mom told me that she thought it was time that we bought something more suitable for me to show in the Amateur classes.”
Finding Kamo
Fate soon intervened in the form of long-time friends.
“Jennifer McGrath has always been my side coach, in addition to my sister,” Brittany said. “We told her what we were thinking, and she said, ‘Well, Kamouflage Me Dark, known as Kamo, is kind of, but not really for sale.’ Jennifer’s daughter, Kamiah, was prepping her for the AQHA World Show at that time, but they let us try her, and we just fell in love. Being able to purchase this horse from such good friends was really a full-circle moment.”
The family decided to purchase Kamo, a decision that brought healing and joy.
Since then, it’s been a whirlwind for Brittany and Kamo, a ten year old brown mare by Dark And Available and out of Assets Little Vixen.
“The year has definitely gone to a higher note since we got Kamo,” Brittany said. “She is such a blessing in our lives. She has a home forever with us. She is by far the best horse I’ve ever shown. My daughter will turn two years old in the fall, and Kamo will be her Small Fry horse too. She’s a dream.
“I showed her in the last round of the Big A after we did the transfer with AQHA there. The NSBA World Show was really our first big show together. I try to ride five times a week and we were figuring each other out. I’m so used to riding green horses so I have to keep reminding myself that I need to do less. She’s easy to figure out. We had our personal best go in the Green Showmanship. Even though we had a small technical error on a transition, I was very happy for how much we’ve improved."
Brittany and Kamo showed in Green Amateur Showmanship, Novice Amateur Equitation, Green Amateur Horsemanship and Amateur Horsemanship at the NSBA World Championship Show and are looking forward to showing at the All American Quarter Horse Congress and Florida Gold and Gulf Coast shows this winter.
Reflecting on the addition of Kamo to the family, Brittany believes her father would be pleased. “My dad always said he was proud of us, trying to make it on our green horses, but I think he would be blown away by Kamo. It’s a blessing the Lord put right in our lap,” she said.
Best of luck to Brittany and Kamo!
About NSBA
Established in 1983, National Snaffle Bit Association has expanded from its roots in the Western Pleasure discipline to recognize various disciplines and eight breed associations in competition. NSBA’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike.
National Snaffle Bit Association has more than 20,000 active members and more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. NSBA members earn more than $13.5 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows annually, and the association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more about NSBA, please visit nsba.com.
