“True horse lovers may grow old in body… but never in spirit. Because a soul that once learned to trust a horse never ages.” -Unknown.
This might not be the first time you’ve heard someone say horses keep you young. But Linda Hamilton of Arizona is the living embodiment of the phrase, since she’s still horsing around and competing at age 82, with no signs of slowing down.
She’s at Sun Circuit now, March 2026, with her horse, Magnificent Dreamer, aka “Reggie,” competing in ranch events, including ranch riding, ranch on the rail, and ranch trail, with a smile on her face and a heart full of gratitude.
In fact, even in her golden years, she explains she’s just as horse crazy as she ever was. “It just keeps me going, keeps me moving. And I like it. I don’t want to play tennis or play golf anymore,” Linda says. “And I don’t shop anymore unless it’s about the horses.”
Her approach, and her zest for the horse life, must be working, as she’s just coming off a big win in January at the 2026 $50k added Ranch Challenge at the Southern Arizona Quarter Horse Association Saguaro Classic. She and Reggie won the Level 1 division in the challenge that included true-to-life ranch obstacles such as a bridge, a trot serpentine, jumps, and a pen of cattle.
“I’ve been competing since I was a kid and it’s fun,” she reveals, but she notes it’s the entire picture and lifestyle that keeps her going. She adds, “And you know what? I have a really nice horse. About four or five years ago, I thought, you know, at my age, if I want to show, I better do it now before I get so decrepit that I can’t. So I bought this horse from Bob and Dana Avila, and he’s been a dreamboat for me. I trail ride him most of the time, more than I ride in the ring.”
She also preps Reggie herself after a lifetime of experience at it, she explains. “He knows the routine. All he needs to be is legged up. So that’s what we do, is just leg him up on the trail. And about a week before a horse show, I find the patterns and do part of the patterns, and there we go.”
Linda says she can’t saddle anymore, so somebody has to saddle for her, like Dana Avila or her friend, Lori, or her barn help regularly steps up to volunteer. “I’ve got boarders that come and help. They see me leading my horse up and say, ‘Linda, can we help you?’ It’s wonderful to have such a supportive relationship with everybody.”
Her advice to others is to just keep going and keep trying. “Don’t quit; if you like it, then do it.” A perfect example of her determination: at the SAQHA Saguaro Classic, she won the high point in ranch on the rail, high point in ranch riding, and she “bombed the trail!” Linda says, “I know trail is not my thing, but I go in anyhow because I hope one of these days to get better. If I live long enough,” she laughs.
