TYLER, TX.- Zadie and Turbo Fenton (Mvskoke) are siblings who are now championship winners. Zadie, who is 12 years old, has won the Arabian Horse Championship twice this year. Her brother Turbo, who is 16 years old, won the 2023 Western Endurance Racing Championship in California.
When the siblings received their respective awards, they were both happy and excited to win first place. “I was so happy because I really accomplished what I was working towards,” Turbo said.
Both siblings have pursued their respective passions for years, and are excited to see what lies ahead within their divisions. Both have been training and practicing diligently to reach their goals and achievements.
Zadie has been training with horses since she was eight years old. She enjoys spending time with them, and enjoys learning new things while also meeting new people.
Turbo has been racing for three years now. His interest in racing came from his father. “He races and I kind of always thought that was a really cool sport,” Turbo said.
Zadie has friends and family that participate in the Arabian Horse arena. As for Turbo, it is rare for him to see his friends race since it is an entirely different sport.
Preparation through training can be challenging for both siblings. “It’s getting to know the horse in a matter of time so you’re able to show it and you have to kind of know what you are doing. You have to have a lot of practice to be able to hop on a horse and you have to figure out how it works,” Zadie said. Zadie currently has a half-Arabian horse, one she has owned for seven months now.
For Turbo, endurance racing requires a lot of preparation as well. He uses a racing car simulator to help him prepare and become familiar with what the race track is going to look like.
The siblings both have trainers. Turbo’s coach has been racing for years. They help Turbo with his diet, and with exercise. They also give pointers when Turbo is on the track.
Dedication and Passion
Training schedules depend on the day of the week. For Zadie, she practices after school every Monday, Friday and sometimes Saturday. Turbo tries to practice five times out of the week on the race simulator. “Since we will be strapped in a car with G-Force which is taking a side toll on your body, so in the endurance aspect of this racing, I try to do gym exercises and running,” Turbo said.
Turbo is currently running in an endurance race. He recently finished an endurance series where he drove a Honda Civic Type R. According to Turbo, that is a street car that has been turned into a racing car. Eventually he wants to step into a Ligier JS2 R.
Zadie idolizes her horse trainer. “She’s been pretty successful and I just want to be able to do what she does,” Zadie said.
Turbo has always looked up to his father. He mentioned how they are alike, sharing the same hobbies like car racing. He teased about going up against his father in a race. “I’m always trying to be better than him,” Turbo said. In terms of looking up to more famous figures, Turbo admires Travis Pastrana. He views him as an “all around action sport guy”. Turbo has watched Pastrana participate in dirt bikes racing, car racing and other sports.
Racing All Over the Country
Zadie has traveled all over, including Oklahoma. The furthest she has traveled is Scottsdale, Arizona. She won the Arabian Horse Championship in Oklahoma City. Zadie wants to win two more championships within her division with her current two horses.
As of right now, Turbo is running two series. One is a 30 minute race which is set at a faster pace and takes place in Oklahoma. The other is an endurance race, which can last anywhere from two to six hours. The endurance race takes place in states like California and Utah.
Turbo’s end goal is to drive fast enough where he can receive calls from anybody to say, “hey come race this car at this place”. Turbo stated that in the meantime he is looking to physically and mentally prepare for any race that comes his way.
“It is kind of a dangerous sport but it really gets you going and it gets you energized and everything like that,” Turbo said. “If you were to try to get into it, I would say just make sure you are devoted, make sure you really love it because it’s a fun sport and it can really help clear your mind whenever you get going, just work for it and it’ll pay off.”
Zadie agreed with her brother’s advice. “You just have to find a good trainer that can make you better so you can be more successful when you’re older,” Zadie said. “You have to know what you’re trying to get to so you have to find the energy to be able to go out and just ride horses all the time so you’ll get better.”
Both receive support from friends and family for their hobbies.
Zadie and Turbo’s father, Lance Fenton, said he enjoys watching his children pursue their respective passions. He wants them to be more familiar with their Mvskoke roots, and become involved with the environment and their heritage.
“It’s really humbling for me to be able to take them to all of these different places around the country and expose them to different people with different perceptions. So I feel really blessed that I get to do that and watch them grow and learn while they are passionate about the hobby that they are participating in,” Lance said.