Just call her Kimberly MacGyver.
Kimberly Lansidel can look at any piece of metal, sort it by type, and instantly calculate whether it would be better to scrap the piece or repair it.
Before Lansidel arrived at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, she built a shed. When she goes home afterward, she has a roofing job planned.
In between those two projects, Lansidel will show her 3-year-old, SS Im Slim Shady, in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity.
“I’ve done all the work on him,” Lansidel said. “I bought him as a late 2-year-old from Pat Mitchell in Montana. I had a friend go ride him who said, ‘Yeah, he’s a nice horse.’ He’s a good boy. His name is Eminem.”
Lansidel won the 2001 Intermediate Non Pro Futurity on Da Chics Tune, sired by Smart Chic Olena and out of Tune Miss Red.
She loves riding horses more than just about anything – but not more than she loves her children. Lansidel gave up showing for many years so that her son and daughter could ride. Her daughter, Holly Lansidel, earned a scholarship to ride on the Southern Methodist University equestrian team.
“She got Rider of the Year for reining,” Lansidel said with pride.
Lansidel began scrapping metal for the extra cash while her children were growing up, but she quickly developed a good eye and learned how to repair things to maximize her dollars on every project – even ones around her own home – through a combination of tinkering and watching videos.
“I fixed my dryer,” she said. “The coils came apart in the back, and it wasn’t working. The washing machine, the bearings in my son’s car … I fixed the steering in my tractor, and I’ve changed out the starter in my truck.”
The list of items Lansidel has repaired is much, much longer than the list of items she won’t work on. That list has a single item.
“Electricity,” Lansidel said. “I don’t do electricity.”
While Lansidel is a non pro, she is also an NRHA judge. Other non pro exhibitors who are interested in learning more about becoming a judge can go to nrha.com/judges. Anyone who wants to learn more about the judging process can audit the judge applicant seminar Jan. 10-11, 2024, in Oklahoma City.
