Francine Barnes knew she and Zippos Ace Of Spades had their best ride ever in the 2008 Bayer Select World Championship Show western riding finals, but she didn’t know if it was good enough. She hadn’t paid attention to any of the other competitor scores and as the placings were called out and there were fewer and fewer riders left in the pen, Francine began to realize that perhaps she and “Ace” had won the world title, just like they had done in 2006. She was right. With tears in her eyes and cell phone to her ear, Francine told her daughter, Nicole, that she had won as she rode Ace out of the arena, carrying her gold trophy. Still stunned by her win, the Journal caught up with Francine behind the arena to ask her about her winning run.
Q. Can you go through your ride?
I had to keep a good walk. My trotline was good. I had a good pace going. When he came around to do the first lead change, I’m going, “Oh.” He felt a little squirrelly to me. So I thought, “OK, we’re just going to push up a little bit.” We went around and did the first change and we hit the log and I had to rock him up a little bit. After that he was just on a roll. It was the best ride I’ve ever had. I didn’t care about the score. I just knew it was the best ride I have ever had. It didn’t matter. It was the best ride I’ve ever had.
Q. Did you know what the other exhibitors had marked?
No. I did not know until they had gotten to fourth place that I had won. I really had no idea. I heard a two-twenty something when I was in the barn practicing but I was 10th to go and I didn’t really listen to any of the scores. I was doing my game.
Q. How did it feel when you realized you were the world champion?
(Francine pauses for a second, as tears well up in her eyes.) Actually, this was even better than the first time. The first time I was here, we won. I really had no expectations. I was just going to come in and have a good ride.
Francine Barnes and Zippos Ace Of Spades won their second Select world championship in western riding.
Q. What made this world championship better?
I’m a little bit better of a rider now (she laughs). I ride better now.
Q. Does your daughter, Nicole, help you with riding advice?
Yes. She was on the phone, “Do this! Do that!” She’s in Chicago. She just boarded a plane now and I was just talking to her on the cell phone while I was coming out of the arena because she’s coming here, and I can’t wait to see her. She’s the one that has ridden this horse forever.
Q. Tell me a little bit about Ace.
He loves to eat. He loves to eat. That’s his very favorite thing. He loves treats. He is very good hearted. He’s just a fun horse to ride. He’s 11 and there’s times he’ll get lazy but then there are other times you’ll underestimate him and it’s like, “Hey! Where did this come from?” He’s just a great horse.
Q. Will you continue to show him?
Yes. I plan on it except I can’t ride him at (the All American Quarter Horse) Congress this year because Nicole is going to be riding him at the (AQHA World Championship) Show. So she is taking him back from me again.
Q. Is it tough sharing Ace?
Very hard (she laughs again). Because one minute she’ll say, “Mom, you can have him now.” And then after she thinks about it, after another month, she will say, “No, I think I’m going to take him back.”
Q. Who is your trainer?
Brad Kearns. He’s been great. I don’t know what I would do without Brad.
Q. What advice did he give you going in?
He just said, “You practiced great. Just do what you did in practice. Just go out and ride. You have nothing to prove. You’ve done it once before. Just go out there.” So I did.
Q. Who would you like to thank?
(She pauses, tears welling up in her eyes once again.) Oh, there are so many people to thank. My daughter, my son, my trainers, my mom, my dad, my husband – mostly my husband who has been here all the time with me. And just all my friends and family. The Lord has just made it possible. It’s just been great.
Fun Fact: Francine’s daughter, Nicole, was the Sooner All-Around Amateur with Ace at the 2006 AQHA World Championship Show.
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Zippos Ace Of Spades Pedigree: 1997 gray gelding by Zippo A Ward x Nosilksocks by Mr High Socks Exhibitor: Francine Barnes, Glenview, Illinois Owner: Nicole Barnes, Glenview, Illinois Trainer: Brad Kearns, Grayslake, Illinois
Total class entries: 43
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
