CHILDERSBURG, Ala. – When we are talking about Cha Cha Time and her owner Corey Reynolds, we are not horsing around!
Corey Reynolds is a 52-year old man that has a passion for clearing his mind after a long day of work.
Corey is an Ultrasound Technician at Coosa Valley Medical Center (CVMC) and has been for 27 years. The way he relaxes is by showing his love to his family and his horses. His wife, Tasha, his children, Cordarious, Courtney, and Kyla, and his grandchildren, Jordyn and Khazi, share Corey’s love for Tennessee Walker horses.
Corey’s love for these incredible animals started some 40 years ago, and he now owns three of these beautiful creatures.
Choo Choo, Butterscotch, and Cha Cha Time now take up a lot of his time. Competing and caring for these lovely beasts is not all fun and spotlights, however.
Feed costs rise all the time, and shoeing can be quite expensive. Nevertheless, Corey has taught himself to shoe his own horses. The cost of shoeing a competition horse can range from $100 to $150, and they have to be changed every four to six weeks.
Two years ago when Corey decided to purchase a horse named Cha Cha Time, he knew without a doubt that there was something special about her. She is now four years old, and with the help of Corey, she became ready for Tennessee Walking or Racking competition.
Usually, there is a show every weekend from March until September, and Corey has traveled all over the southeast to compete. He has an enormous collection of all of his awards as well as Cha Cha Time’s trophies.
In October of last year, Corey took Cha Cha Time to Decatur to compete in the World Championships of Racking Horses.
In the first preliminary round, the team finished third out of seven horses. Two nights later in the next round, they finished second out of five horses. In the championship round on Saturday, the Childersburg native and his ride won the World Championship.
Before that win, the four year old Tennessee Walker also earned a state championship in Montgomery in September.
That’s not all.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Corey was informed by the American Racking Horse Association that Cha Cha Time has been named Horse of the Year for 2022.
Corey would like to thank everyone who has helped him along the way, including Gary Wayne Smith who really helped him with competing.
He says that it could not have been done without his wife and his best friend, Tasha.
“I knew something was very special about Cha Cha Time the first time i laid eyes on her,” Corey said. “It has been a real blessing to watch her develop into a champion.”
On March 25 in Alexander City, the first show of the new year will be the East Alabama Spring Show. Corey will be there, and he would love to see a lot of familiar faces as well.
Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, Corey will be on McCurley in the Morning to talk about his love for horses and competing.
And who knows, it may just be Cha Cha Time again!
