When venturing around the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity you may come face-to-face with the ever-helpful and friendly Walt Larson. Larson is the Official Show Steward for the SWRHA Futurity, walking the grounds to lend a hand and keep an eye on things.
“I am a liaison between management and the exhibitor,” Larson said. “I am the interpreter of the rulebook, so if there are issues or problems, it’s my job to go look in the rule book and say ‘Yes you can do that, no you can’t do that.’
“I also watch out for the welfare of the animals. That’s our key [focus]. I walk through the barns and check the horses two or three times a day to make sure everyone is in good shape.”
Now retired, Larson was a manufacturing engineer in the aerospace division at Honeywell for more than three decades. He worked on F-15s, F-18s, Chinook helicopters and Apache helicopters building engines. Larson traveled around the world to work on machines and teach others.
These days, you can find Larson frequenting the reining circuit. He first got involved in the in the sport thanks to his wife, Wendy Larson, who has been showing for nearly 20 years.
“I was her groom and her driver, and that’s how I got into it. I started out as a scribe and I really enjoyed it. My wife was showing heavily then, and I worked my way up,” Larson said.
Eventually, a friend suggested that Larson would make an excellent Show Steward, so he went through that certification process.
“I’ve been very fortunate, I got to work the last four [NRHA] Derbies, and the last three [NRHA] Futurities. I am pretty proud of myself actually, to tell you the truth,” Larson said. “I get to go to the Futurity again this year, which I’m happy about. I enjoy what I do.”
Larson will be setting foot in the stirrup next year too. His homegrown three-year-old prospect Wimpys Diva Chic (Wimpys High Bid x Smart Chic Olucy) is in training with Marco Ricotta.
“We’re going to let him show [her] right off the bat, I am a green reiner,” Larson said. “She’s out of my mare that I use to [show] so it’s my filly all the way. I’m very excited.”