Shannon & Happy | Project 27 Photoshoot

Shannon & Happy’s Horse & Rider Session

Private Stable in Plainfield, WI

I am so excited for you to meet Shannon and Happy, the next horse and rider duo that I’m featuring in Project 27. Theirs is a story of love, trust, and the choice each and every one of us have when it comes to our relationships. We as humans constantly are making the choice of whom we welcome into our lives–but animals do the very same. And if you don’t believe it, I implore you to read on about Shannon and her heart horse, Happy. These two have a bond that proves once again that the relationships we share with animals can be just as complicated as the ones we forge with our friends and family. 

Happy, whose registered name is Smart Two Timer, is a seven-year-old registered Quarter Horse. “I knew he was my heart horse the moment I met him,” Shannon says of her first time riding Happy. “Before I even considered buying him, Happy chose me. It’s almost like he knew we were destined to do great things.” Happy’s previous owners seemed to agree. “They told me that he was a completely different horse with me. I knew he was something special.”

Shannon was no stranger to horses while growing up; she often would go riding with family and friends. But it wasn’t until she was fifteen that was able to convince her mom to dip into the college fund to buy a horse of her own. And Happy captured Shannon’s heart from the very beginning. She could tell he was a hard worker with a kind and goofy disposition, and his charming “handlebar mustache” had her hooked. And of his unpredictable and spunky personality, she adds, “Others have tried to ride him and failed because he won’t do the work for them–but he does the work for me.”

Happy was strictly a roping horse when Shannon purchased him, but she knew he was destined to be more than a one-trick-pony. With hard work and determination, she helped Happy to develop into the barrel racing, pole bending, competition winning horse he is today. Happy has gone on to win money, buckles, state titles, and Queen titles with Shannon by his side, but her favorite memory of Happy is of their first rodeo together, which ended very differently than the competitions that ultimately resulted in awards. 

“By no means was it a good day. We had terrible runs, and I couldn’t even stay in the saddle!” Shannon recalls fondly “But from that moment on I knew I wanted to continue with this newfound love and create as many memories with him as possible.”

From the drama that comes with being a teenager to the struggle of fitting in with peers, Shannon is no stranger to the challenges that come with growing up. But Happy was a constant in her life–something she could rely on, no matter what. “He makes it feel like there isn’t a worry in the world,” she says. “The stress of school and work just melts away the second I sit on top of him.”

Shannon and Happy were the missing pieces in each other’s lives, and just like all of the participants in Project 27, I came away from my time with them in awe of what a relationship can look like between a human and a horse. Horses are so intuitive and intelligent, and the fact that they so deliberately choose their people makes it that much more of an honor to have them in our lives.

I can’t wait for you to meet more of these amazing horse-and-rider duos.