Girl, her $2 horse shine in fair events

Alli Bondurant, 13, and her $2 two-year-old Arabian horse Sundance made her mom, Gina Dell, proud in the showmanship competition on Sunday at the 2010 Northwest Montana Fair.

“There were about 29 in the show and she placed in the top 10,” Gina said. “I think she did really well.”

The Daily Inter Lake featured Alli and her family in a story last September when her fondest dream came true of winning a horse of her own with a $2 raffle ticket purchased at the fair. 

With recent developments, her story seems more and more reminiscent of the classic book and movie “National Velvet” in which 14- year-old Velvet Brown wins a piebald jumper with a raffle ticket. Like Velvet, Alli was determined to win the horse.

Year after year, Alli had scraped together $15 to $20 from her parents and friends to buy as many tickets as possible for the annual raffle sponsored by the Arabian Horse Club of Western Montana. Every year, her dream remained just that as someone else led away the yearling.

In 2009, her parents had a terrible financial year, so Alli was able to buy just one $2 raffle ticket with the last of her own money.

In an ironic twist of fate, her ticket was drawn at Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply on the very day her mom and stepfather, John Dell, signed the papers to sell their home and half-acre of property, leaving no place to keep a horse.

Velvet Brown’s family faced similar economic stress in the book. Her father, a butcher, was overwhelmed when she won the horse and inherited more horses from a neighbor but no money to support them.

Prior to winning Sundance, Alli’s family was looking to move to Arizona since John, a truck driver and heavy equipment operator, had experienced a drastic drop in business. The amazing turn of events caused them to look at all their options again.

“Wherever we end up, Sundance will definitely be with us,” Gina said at the time.

Alli’s good luck in winning the yearling became the harbinger of better times for the gelding’s new family. After the story appeared in the Daily Inter Lake, Murdoch’s donated some feed and tack.

“Murdoch’s been awesome,” Gina said.

Next, her husband got a job with the state of Montana and the family was able to stay in the Flathead Valley. Over the winter, Sundance was boarded at Bella Vista Arabians, where Alli received help training the yearling.

“We went out there every day to see him, pet him and work with him a little bit,” Gina said.

In another surprising turn of events, the family moved back to its former house and half acre when a sale after a lease period didn’t materialize. Once again, they had room for a horse.

“We went back home and built a fence,” Gina said. “Our neighbors have two horses so he has company.”

Sundance has become a family focus with everyone including Alli’s older brother and father, Chip Bondurant, supporting the project. Alli, an eighth-grader at Kalispell Middle School, has not shirked her duties when it comes to horse ownership.

“She’s such a little mommy,” Gina said with a laugh.

Alli’s story again recalled “National Velvet” when she competed in horse showmanship for the very first time and made the top 10. In the book, Velvet won the Grand National steeplechase but Alli may catch up with her when she begins riding Sundance after he turns three.

“She’s started training him for barrel racing — you get the horse to learn the patterns of the barrels,” Gina said.

Alli’s mom said she was a nervous wreck during the competition but her daughter handled the stress. Even when Sundance got spooked and bolted, Alli was bruised but undaunted.

She can’t wait to break him to ride so she can compete at horse shows and barrel racing as well as take trail rides with her stepdad. Gina couldn’t be more grateful for the help the family received or prouder of how her daughter took on the responsibilities of ownership.

Sundance brightens all of their lives and proved dreams, passionately pursued, come true.

 “Alli can see him in his paddock from her bedroom window,” Gina said. “She is still the happiest kid in town.”

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.