Horseshoe Indianapolis team member wins AQHA East Level 1 Halter Championship

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Marianne O’Neill, longtime table games dealer at Horseshoe Indianapolis, brought home the top prize at the recent Sunday, April 28 AQHA East Level 1 Championship in the Halter Class.

O’Neill, a native of Shelbyville, earned the blue ribbon championship at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio. She shows and rides in honor of her daughter, Erin, who passed away in a fatal accident in 2016 at the age of 24.

Erin, a graduate of Southwestern High School and Harrison College, worked as a massage therapist at the time of her passing. She was also a beverage server and bartender at Horseshoe Indianapolis. She was very involved in Shelby County 4-H has a teenager and won Indiana State Fair Champion Horse and Pony in 2006.

In honor of Erin, Horseshoe Indianapolis became a sponsor of the Amateur Performance Halter Mares Level 1 Champions last year, the class Marianne competes in. This year, she brought home first place with her horse, Suddenly Im a Diva, who she calls “Scarlet.”

“Erin and I showed for many years together,” noted Marianne. “It helps give me a purpose and a bit of joy to ride and show horses again after taking a break from it. Honoring my daughter’s life is all I can do now, and I ride in her honor.”

Marianne has worked on and off at Horseshoe Indianapolis since its inception as Indiana Downs in 2003. She also works as a flight attendant. She has won several awards in horsemanship over the years including AQHA Intermediate of the Year for Indiana in 2019. 

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