Leslie K. Connor
Born in Joplin, Missouri, Leslie was raised with horses. Her father, Jerry Connor, was an avid Arabian horse enthusiast, and her involvement has been continuous since childhood, either as an owner, breeder, trainer, exhibitor, or judge. She began riding at four, and exhibiting at nine, and she continued to show while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas. She has owned, trained, and shown many Class “A”, Regional, and National winners. Competing in halter classes, and in most of the performance classes in the Arabian division, she has won literally hundreds of trophies and ribbons. She has won the United States Equestrian Federation overall National High Score Award in the Arabian division (the King Saud Cup) twice, and the Reserve High Score Award once. She has won numerous MAHA state high point awards, several USEF Zone High Score Awards, and the USEF National High Score Arabian Halter Gelding Award with a horse she bred, trained, and showed.
​
Leslie became a licensed judge in the Arabian Division of USEF in 1975. She has judged a vast number of approved Arabian shows throughout the United States and Canada (including Scottsdale), numerous Regional Championships in the U.S., Regional Championships in Brazil and South Africa, the U.S. Egyptian Event, the UK International Arabian Horse Show, ECAHO “A” show, in England, the Emerald Trophy Show, ECAHO “B” Show, in Belgium, the Victorian Classic in Australia, the Arabian Horse Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas and in Scottsdale, the Arabian US Open at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in New York City, and the prestigious Arabian World Championship Horse Show in Paris, France. Of special note, at the the U.S. National Championship Arabian Show, she has had the honor of being invited to judge the in-hand classes 6 times, and the performance classes 5 times. She has also judged the U.S. Arabian Youth National Championship, the U.S. Arabian Youth and Mid-Summer Nationals, and the Arabian National Championships of Canada (twice), Australia, Sweden, Brazil (twice), and Namibia!
​
Leslie is also licensed with USEF to judge in the Friesian (R), Andalusian (R), National Show Horse and English Pleasure divisions. She is an approved judge for the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, and is carded with the American Miniature Horse Registry (R), the American Shetland Pony Club, Modern (R), and Classic (R)), and the American Miniature Horse Association (Senior). She has judged the Andalusian National Championship Show, the IFSHA World and Grand National Championship Friesian Show, several Friesian Regional Championships, the Friesian National Championship of Colombia, the GHRA World Show, the GSHA Grand National Show, the Gypsy Vanner National Show, and the American Haflinger Association National Show. She has judged many important Miniature Horse shows including the MHA of Australia National Championship, the IMHR of Australia National Championship, the MHC of Great Britain National Grand Championship, the ARC UK Championships, the New Zealand MHA National Show, and AMHA and/or AMHR shows in England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Leslie has judged several AMHA Regional Championships in the U.S., the AMHA European Championship in Belgium, the AMHA World Championship Show four times, and the AMHR Nationals three times. To date, she has judged over 375 approved and rated breed horse shows in 13 countries, on 5 different continents, over 60 of which were Regional, National, or World Championships.