Kathleen Conklin

& John Henry

John Henry is a 16-2h mule.  His dam was a Percheron horse and his sire was an American Mammoth donkey.  He has accomplished many things in his short life.  I purchased him as a totally unbroke and untouchable 4 year old.  Within 6 months he was fox hunting in first field with the Old Chatham Hunt.  We continued to hunt for 5 years 2-3 times a week for 4 months a year as well as show under saddle locally.  Also during this time I taught John Henry how to drive and since that time we have become very involved in Combined Driving Events [CDE] and Pleasure Shows.  In 1998 I took him to the National Championship Mule and Donkey show in Shelbyville, TN where he earned the title of "1998 National Champion Pleasure Driving Mule".  Since then we have competed up and down the east coast and won many championships.  John Henry was the first mule to ever compete at the home of the United State Equestrian Team in Gladstone, NJ.  At that CDE he was not only the first and only mule on the grounds but he won his division and was the first mule in the nation to compete and win a CDE against horses. 

Last  summer John Henry's number of "firsts" lengthened when we were invited to show at the very prestigious Walnut Hill Driving Competition.  Walnut Hill is the very best pleasure driving show in the nation and John Henry was the first mule allowed to compete there.  To top it off he was Reserve Champion in his division against all the horses.  To continue the tradition we were invited back this year and John Henry was Champion in the Trade/Commercial Division.

Because of John Henry's winning ways, at the annual meeting of the USEF in 2000 a rule change was passed to allow mules in all levels of combined driving up to and including international levels of the FEI.  This was a great accomplishment because the USEF had, at that time, a 50 year ban on mules competing against horses at their registered shows.  Mules are now allowed to compete in USEF rated Endurance and Dressage as well as Driving.  More John Henry Photos; 

http://john.henry.org/