For Beth Nenninger, it was love at first sight when it came to horses, and that passion doesn't show signs of fading any time soon.

"I used to watch horse shows, and it would just click," said Nenninger, 22. "I saw people out there showing their horses, and it was just for me."

Once she got her own horse, she was really hooked.

"We bought it from a guy who said the horse may be good enough to take to a local show," Nenninger said. "So we did, I won, and that taste of winning stuck with me. From that day forward, I've been spoiled."

Horse showing is a sport that needs few things: just a few judges, someone to show the horse and a lot of invested time.

"We perfectly groom them and then just lead them out in the arena, then the judges judge," Nenninger said. "It's a lot like the dog shows that you see on ESPN."

Nenninger will not only walk the horse but occasionally ride it.

"This way the judge can see how the horse moves," she said.

Nenninger is starting to climb out of the area and become more involved in bigger shows, which she hopes to continue. In October she attended the national show in St. Louis, and her horse, Sportsmanlike Conduct, was the 2002-03 Grand National Champion Park Pleasure Racking Horse.

The name comes from a horse named Sport that Beth once owned. After Sport died, she started looking for another horse and found one listed in the newspaper that had nearly identical characteristics, so she expanded the name and it stuck.

Nenninger now attends Southeast Missouri State University and majors in agribusiness. She plans to graduate in May.

"I really don't know what's going to happen after that," Nenninger said. "I hope to stay involved with horses, whether it's for a career or just when I come home. It would be great if I could incorporate both."

Immediate plans include competing nearly every weekend during the summer. It's a big commitment considering there's little money involved in the sport.

"If you want money, you have to be good," Nenninger said. "I'm not in it for money. If you don't love it, you aren't going to stick with it, money or no money."

Besides competing every weekend, Nenninger said she plans to spend time with her family, which is becoming more involved with horses

"My dad is pretty into it, and my mom goes to shows with us," Nenninger said. "I guess slowly it's becoming a family affair."

Gators swimmers finish strong in sectional event

Steffan Troxel of the Cape Gators' Swim Club finished 18th in the 400 IM on Day 2 of the Speedo Central Sectional Championship at St. Peters, Mo., on Saturday. He finished in 4:15.1, nearly six seconds better than his previous best. In Saturday's prelims, Ashley Tellor had a career-best 1:09.47 but missed the 100 breaststroke finals; Jameson Kuper had lifetime bests in the 200 freestyle (1:48.1) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.8).

On Friday, Troxel finished 10th in the 1,000 freestyle in a personal-best 9:47.06 and was the top finisher from the Ozark LSC.

Area caller places fourth in national competition

Jeremy Palmer of Jackson placed fourth in the recent owl-hooting championships at the National Wild Turkey Convention in Nashville, Tenn.