Get to know Mallory...
Meet Mallory McKewen: 2015 Ontario QHA Queen. This beauty certainly has the brains, as well. She recently completed her MBA and works full-time in Corporate Finance. Get to know Mallory better in her interview below!
1.) Name and Association representing:
Mallory McKewen – Ontario Quarter Horse Association
2.) Where are you from? Tell us a little about your hometown.
I grew up in the outskirts of a small town called Prescott, Ontario where we had a small barn and a riding arena so I was able to keep my horses right in my backyard. Prescott is very much a tourist/retirement community along the St. Lawrence River with a population of approximately 5 thousand; everybody knows everybody. Currently my living situation is vastly different: I live in a condo downtown Toronto, which is the largest city in Canada having a population in excess of 5 million. Toronto is an exciting place to live and a great place for a young professional to jumpstart their career, however I do often miss the small town life – especially now that I have to drive over an hour to get out of the city to see my horses!
3.) Why did you choose to compete for the title of 2015 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen?
As a little girl I looked up to the Queens and it became a dream of mine as I watched several Congress Queen crowning’s when I was competing in the Youth Team Tournament. The Congress Queen Competition is unlike anything else within the industry and I love the combination of horsemanship, written testing, interview, and public speaking. Furthermore, I’ve had so much fun as Ontario Queen and especially enjoy talking to younger girls who see me as a role model as well as promoting Quarter Horses and AQHA shows to those who haven’t tested them out yet. As Congress Queen your boundaries expand outside of your own province/state and across the entire industry; I would love to be able to have that experience and have such a positive impact on horse enthusiasts everywhere.
4.) Are you currently in school? Employed?
I recently graduated with my Master of Business (MBA) degree. After nearly 7 years of post-secondary school, I am now working full-time in Corporate Finance at a Software company.
5.) Favorite horse memory or accomplishment?
There are two major standouts for me: The first was in 2008 when I rode for Team Canada at the AQHA Youth World Cup. This was an experience of a lifetime where I had the chance to represent my country while also meeting youth from across the world who shared the same passion. While the competition was intense, the camaraderie both inside and outside of the arena was phenomenal. The second was last year in the 2014 Congress Queens’ Competition Horsemanship because I had the opportunity to ride my old youth horse “Rupert”, who I’d had to sell when I was in university. My heart still aches that I had to sell him – to this day he’s the best horse I’ve ever had and I would do anything to get him back. Although they say they will never sell him, his current owners (Kathleen Moyle & the Burnett Family) were gracious enough to let me to borrow him back for the Queens’ Horsemanship. Although I hadn’t ridden him in 4 years, we still shared that same chemistry we always had and he was phenomenal for me.
6.) Interesting fact about yourself?
After selling Rupert, I tracked down his full brother who I bought as a long yearling. I broke him out myself and 2015 is his first year in the show pen. I’m showing him under the number “1017” which represents October 17th 2014: the day I got to show Rupert again, as well as the day I got my dog Molly (who I picked out at Congress Puppy Alley the morning of Queens’ Horsemanship!)
