Performance Halter Mares

Big wins in big classes for Brogan Thompson

by Christine Hamilton
The American Quarter Horse Journal

After showing almost two hours in the August 3 youth performance halter mares class, Brogan Thompson of Ocala, Florida, was standing on the arena wall thinking she hadn’t made her goal. It was the first finals class of the 2012 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show.

She was hoping for a top 10 placing with her mare, Cowgirls Do It Best, in their first Ford Youth World appearance in a halter class. But when show officials called all the placings but the world championship, she just couldn’t imagine she’d won over all 31 other mares entered in the class.

“When they called out my number (for first), I immediately started crying,” Brogan said. “I never would have guessed.

“All I cared about was getting in there and getting her shown, and she did amazing – I couldn’t have asked for anything else.”

But the 17-year-old didn’t have much time to think about it – she had to get ready to show A Certain Gentleman in performance halter geldings. With 66 total entries, the class had two splits.

“I was in the second split so I had a little bit of time to change and relax and celebrate,” she said.

She made the finals with the gelding and ended up with the reserve world championship, again, utterly surprised.

“My mare is really laid-back and wants to be (dragged) around and doesn’t really want to do anything,” she said, “and my gelding is more hyped up. He gets excited when he goes in, and he wants to be out there and show. They are total opposites.”

Brogan has been showing AQHA for about five years. She got her first pony at age 5 and started running barrels at 11 “and it just went from there.”

“I want to thank Mike Hawkins (of Reddick, Florida), my trainer with both the horses, and also Scott Kennedy (Ocala, Florida), he helped me a lot with both of them. (Scott) has my aged mare. They are both amazing trainers and amazing people, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Her show outfit – a long, black coat – was a “good luck” loan from Scott’s wife, Breda.

“She loaned it to me last year and I did good in it, so this year I borrowed it again,” Brogan said. “(Breda) has won at (the All American Quarter Horse Congress) in it.”

Brogan has already had a full Ford Youth World, though it was just the first day of showing – up at 5 a.m., dealing with show nerves and standing several hours in the halter pen; she has been drinking a lot of water to battle the Oklahoma heat.

“I still have an aged mare (RPL Ms Cheerful) to show, and trail and the pleasure (with Cowgirls Do It Best). I’m not even halfway done!”