ALEXANDRIA — Horse ownership can be a rocky road, burning through time and money with vigor, but for Lexi Mechem and her mother, Melanie, it was worth every minute and dime.

Lexi, a 10-year 4-H member, competed in her last Madison County 4-H event on Saturday, while her mother watched from the sidelines.

“I’ve cried about it all day,” said Melanie Mechem, the 4-H horse and pony president. “I’m so proud of her, and this has been such a good experience.”

Mechem was in charge of overseeing all of the 101 horse and pony competitions that took place at the fair on Friday and Saturday.

“142 people participate in the different events,” said Melanie, who is finished serving her term as president upon the completion of the fair. “Me and Lexi are going out together.”

Lexi has owned horses since she was eight years old, and her current horse Jerry is a champion American quarter horse.

“He’s such a good boy,” Lexi said while patting Jerry’s nose. “I got lucky because when you buy a horse you just take a gamble on what their temperament is going to be, but he’s a gentle giant.”

Lexi and Jerry will be competing in the World Championships in Oklahoma City at the beginning of August.

“I’m competing in showmanship and equitation,” she said. “We didn’t make it to the finals last year, but this year that’s the goal.”

Melanie Mechem, a teacher at Eastside Elementary School in Anderson, said she was amazed that her daughter had come so far in her ability.

“She’s out there in an arena that is bigger than the coliseum with the lights shining down on her and the judges standing on a platform watching her every move, she must have ice water running through her veins.”

Owning Jerry has not always been easy for the Mechems, though. They live in a suburb of Anderson and do not have the room to keep him at their house, so he is housed in barns around Madison County.

“In that barn are my vacations, Mommy’s new sewing machine, and Daddy’s new corvette,” Melanie said, gesturing to Jerry’s stable. “But I’d give it all up in a minute for her.”

After the world championships, Lexi will be moving on to Purdue to study veterinary medicine. And Jerry, he will have to stay home.

“I always thought we were going to sell him, but he’s sort of a part of her soul,” Melanie said of the big brown steed. “I don’t have the heart to sell him, so he’ll be like a big, expensive puppy that she can go visit.”