Faith, Love Of Horses Leads Mater Dei Junior To Help Others

Trainer Lillian Shively knew she had a special pupil in Hunter Chancellor, but a tragedy for the teenage equestrian rider made Shively realize she was mentoring someone with the maturity and strength not seen in some adults.

As Hunter was finishing a victory lap with her horse Trixie at the American Royal horse show in Kansas City this past November, the horse suffered a ruptured aorta, collapsing and dying as Hunter tumbled to the turf.

The two had been through a lot over six years of competing in saddle seat events, winning 42 of 50 events, never finishing lower than second. And now Hunter, bruised and with a ripped uniform, had to deal with not only losing her close companion, but with the possibility of missing out on winning the Triple Crown, the highest achievement someone in her discipline can attain.

“As we got ready the next day to go to the finals, I noticed she was not herself that morning,” said Shively. “There were tears rolling down her face, and she said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ My arm was already around her, and I hugged her tight and said, ‘There’s only one person who can help you, and that’s God. I know you have a deep faith, and now is the time to call on that faith.’”

Shively said Hunter looked up at her and declared, “I can do it, Mama Lil. We can do this together.”

Hunter then climbed aboard a horse named Leo to claim the rarely-achieved Triple Crown. “It’s an unbelievable competition,” Shively said. “Most people don’t realize it, but it takes a lot out of you physically and emotionally.”

The will, focus and determination Hunter displayed that day is emblematic of how the junior at Mater Dei High School in Evansville has accomplished so much in her 17 years, Shively said.

“I could keep trying to come up with words, but I can’t find the right one in the dictionary to describe her. I don’t know if it exists,” said Shively, who has trained dozens of champion riders at DeLovely Farms in Rockport, but none as accomplished as Hunter.

Hunter started competing in 2006, and in that time she has racked up 152 career wins and a staggering 26 world championships spread over five divisions.

Her parents, Steve and Terri Chancellor don’t consider any of those victories as her greatest achievement. Terri said their daughter’s biggest accomplishment combines her deep love of horses and a genuine concern for those in need. It’s called Horses Against Hunger, and it’s a nonprofit foundation designed to gather food items for food pantries and other organizations.

Terri and Hunter arrived at the idea together after reading an article about a similar initiative involving soccer players. Hunter was inspired by the story.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Mom, we’ve got to do this. This is what I feel,’” Terri recalled.

Horses Against Hunger started in November 2011, just in time to assist food pantries and resource centers for that holiday season. It began with Hunter helping to collect items at DeLovely Farms, and it has now spread to horse farms and stables in 10 states. The campaign has raised thousands of pounds of food and nearly $30,000.

“Ever since it started, it has grown a lot more than we thought it would,” Hunter said.

“I’ve never seen such a focused teenager,” said Terri. “She sets her mind on something and works so hard toward it. I know I am her mother, but I am in awe of her.”

The Chancellors are parishioners at Resurrection Church on Evansville’s west side. Hunter said her faith is a constant source of encouragement in all that she does.

“If I’m struggling, I look to God. He gives me strength,” Hunter said.

 Tad Dickel, Mater Dei president, said Hunter stays equally focused in the classroom, where she takes a challenging course load and is a member of the National Honor Society and the school’s Service Club. She also interned this past summer with John Boehner, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Hunter is an outstanding student, and her teachers recognize her strong work ethic,” Dickel said. “I am impressed by her desire to use her God-given talents for the betterment of others.”

Terri Hunter and Shively mentioned several instances where Hunter has given advice to other young girls, either at the horse farm or at school. They said many look up to her and follow her lead.

“She’s their Justin Bieber,” Terri laughed.

After helping the United States claim the five-gaited World Cup championship last month in South Africa, Hunter was honored as Junior Equestrian of the Year by the U.S. Equestrian Federation at a special ceremony in Louisville, Ky., this month.

Hunter won’t be riding horses much longer, with college calling in a little over a year, but she said she has enjoyed the valleys as well as the peaks in her time in the saddle.

“I put so much into it, and the horses put so much into it,” Hunter said. “It feels good to interact with another living animal and develop a relationship with them.”