The morning sun was bright on the first halter class and first set of finals for the 2008 Bayer Select World Championship Show – nine stallions lined up for the 2-year-old stallion class. James “Jim” Bramblett of Vine Grove, Kentucky, and his homebred Smash My Package were called last to go in, and then last to go out. It’s the first world championship for the 2008 Bayer Select World and the first for this horse and handler. The Journal caught up with Jim, warm from the work of showing and elated with the win.
Q. How does it feel to win your first world championship?
Jim: It feels great! We got reserve world champion last year with this colt as a yearling (in the amateur) in Oklahoma City. We were looking forward to bringing him back to the Select. I just turned 50 last month; this is my first Select, first time here.
Q. What made the difference for the colt this year?
Jim: Well, he was a yearling last year and he’s a 2-year-old this year, and all horses mature and change differently. He’s made a nice colt, and he just keeps getting better.
Jim Bramblett of Vine Grove, Kentucky, and his newly crowned Select world champion 2-year-old stallion Smash My Package. Jim and wife, Debra, bred and raised the stallion.
Q. What’s the best thing about him?
Jim: He’s a nice stallion; he’s easy to handle for the most part. I had a little bit of trouble standing him up early on, but he came into himself. He’s a little more docile than a lot of them to handle.
Q. Is there a trick to getting him shown?
Jim: Not a big trick – just as long as he knows who is boss. He’s OK with it. The best thing about him is we bred him and raised him. He’s not only our first world champion; he’s a bred and raised world champion. That’s pretty special.
Q. What are your plans for him now?
Jim: We’ll probably just take him to the (All American Quarter Horse) Congress and back out to Oklahoma City for the open (at the AQHA World Championship Show), since, naturally, I’m not eligible to show him in the amateur. We’ll show him in the open and then, hopefully, stand him at stud.
Q. Who do you want to thank?
Jim: I want to thank my wife, Debra, for supporting me. And I want to thank Dave and Reinie Williamson, they run my farm and have their own business there. They fit and trained the horse, hauled him here and got him here. They did all the work, and I guess I get all the glory.
Fun Fact: Jim and his wife, Debra, own Bramblett Quarter Horses in Vine Grove, Kentucky. They stand the stallions Maxxis, Intensely Obvious and JMK In Reality.
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Smash My Package Pedigree: 2006 sorrel stallion by The Package x JMK Simply Smashing by Mr Yella Fella Exhibitor: James "Jim" Bramblett, Vine Grove, Kentucky Owner: James and Debra Bramblett, Vine Grove, Kentucky Trainer: Dave and Reinie Williamson, Vine Grove, Kentucky
Total class entries: 9
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket, world champion patch, Tex Tan product
