BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR
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| Debby Brehm and Shez Elusive, of Lincoln, Nebraska, won the 2007 Select world championship in aged mares. |
Debby Brehm of Lincoln, Nebraska, won another world championship with her mare Shez Elusive, aka “Lucy,” this time in a tough aged mares class at the 2007 Bayer Select World Championship Show. The two were the amateur world champions in 3-year-old mares at the 2006 AQHA World Championship Show.
The Journal caught up with her right before she took her winning photos with K.C. Montgomery.
How does it feel to walk in the pen with that set of mares?
Pretty good! I felt pretty excited. There were five world champions in there – my mare being one of the five. It was fun to go in there with folks who had a good chance of beating me.
It was just our day. I was real happy. We’d won the 3-year-old amateur mares at the World Show and decided to try the Bayer Select World this year. And I’m glad we did – it was fun.
What stood out about Lucy today?
She's really good about showing herself when the judge is there. She puts her head up, her ears up. She’s so easy to show; she likes to show. Sometimes she’s a little lazy when the judge is not there, but when she knows the judge is around, she shows, and that helps a lot.
Who helps you with your horses?
Denny Hassett (of Auburn, Kansas) has been my trainer for 24 years now. He’ll go find something, and he’ll call me and say, “I found something,” and I’ll just buy it. I don’t have to look at it; I don’t have to see it; I just know it’s going to be good. And that’s the great relationship that we have. It’s something you find with several trainers in the Quarter Horse industry.
How did you get this mare?
Normally I show geldings. This is the only mare I’ve ever shown. We put the word out that we were looking for one. I like the Mr Elusive bloodlines, and that’s what this mare is.
Tom Robertson and his wife, Mary, (of Saline, Michigan) heard we were looking and e-mailed me some pictures. I called Denny, and he said, “So, am I supposed to fly up and look at her?” And I said, “No, take a trailer and go pick her up.” She was gorgeous.
She had mistakenly gotten bred. They’d flushed embryos on her, and one of them didn’t get flushed out. Her 2-year-old year, it ended up she’d gotten pregnant. She was in the broodmare band when Mary heard we were looking for something. (Lucy) was a fresh face – the mare hadn’t been out. So her 3-year-old year was her first year to really be out there.
It was a lucky find. Sometimes you get lucky, and we did in this case. We just love her a lot. My daughter has been showing her about two years, and it’s been good.
Is she spoiling you?
Well, I’ve been showing off and on my whole life, so, it’s tough. Each world championship win you really appreciate, because they don’t come very often. When they do you really appreciate them. This is my fifth, and I’ve got seven reserves. I’ve shown over 24 years, too, that’s pretty good, but there were a lot of years where I wasn’t in that first (cut).
I’ve been very fortunate to have some good horses and a good trainer, and the judges seem to like what I’m showing.
Horse name: Shez Elusive
Pedigree: 2003 mare by Mr Elusive x Forever Sassy by Coolest
Exhibitor: Debby Brehm, Lincoln, Nebraska
Owner: Debby Brehm
Trainer: Denny Hassett, Auburn, Kansas
Total class entries: 17
Purse: $3,400
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle with 14K gold overlay, Tex Tan product, Cripple Creek Outerwear logo jacket, neck wreath. |
