Eileen Cravens came to the 2007 Bayer Select World Championship Show only wanting to make at least one final. Not only did she make the finals in all five of her classes, she also was named the Sooner Trailer Bayer Select All-Around Amateur.
“This is unbelievable,” the 51-year-old said. “I just get chills. I never expected this earlier in the week when it all started.”
Eileen and her 14-year-old gelding, Lopin Leaguer, competed in western riding (placing seventh), trail (fifth), horsemanship (second), hunt seat equitation (ninth) and performance halter geldings (12th).
“I’ve never been to the Bayer Select World,” she said. “I’ve showed in amateur at the AQHA World Championship Show once. But I just came down here wanting to make a final and/ or maybe a top 10. I had no clue that this would ever happen.”
This is not the first all-around win for Eileen and “Dillon”. They were the select all-around champions at the 2006 All American Quarter Horse Congress.
“I’ve being showing for about 10 years with Quarter Horses,” she said. “I was a little bit a late bloomer compared to some. My kids started and then I showed just hunter under saddle for nine years, and then I got my all-around horse almost two years ago. And it’s been an amazing ride since then.
Although Dillon is a phenomenal performer, Eileen said the sorrel gelding has a few quirks.
“He’s got an amazing personality like the Energizer Bunny,” she said with a smile. “He comes out everyday just happy. He can be a little bit of a handful. He doesn’t like the cow pens, even though he’s on a farm with cows but I think that keeps him going.
“But he’s just great. He has been everywhere and done it all. He’s unbelievable.”
Besides Dillon, Eileen also credited her trainer, Brent Tincher, and her family for her all-around win.
“Brent is a great teacher,” she said. “He was wanting to leave early today but when it came out I might win the all-around, he stayed. He told me, ‘This is too important. I’m not going anywhere.’”
Although Eileen’s husband, Dana, was in Amarillo to watch her show, her daughters weren’t able to make it.
“My husband flew in on Friday and he doesn’t get to many of the shows, so that’s real exciting to have him here,” she said. “Unfortunately, my daughter, Annie, who’s been with me showing Quarter Horses since she was in walk-trot wasn’t able to make it. We took her to college in Chicago last Sunday. So she can’t be here but we’ve been on the cell phone a lot.”
She’s also been on the phone with her other daughters: Katie, Eileen’s oldest who also used to show with her mother, and Stephanie, her youngest who shows a Thoroughbred in three-day eventing.
“They are always supportive,” she said. “They’ve just been great.”
Eileen already has Dillon qualified for at least one Bayer Select World class and hopes to be back in Amarillo again next year.
“I love the (Bayer) Select World Show,” she said. “The people are so friendly, and of course I’ve done well. That makes it fun, but the people at the show are so supportive and rooting for each other. When you’re standing out there in the lineup you just kind of gab about what you did right or wrong. This show is so much fun.”The Sooner Trailer Bayer Select All-Around Amateur award goes to the horse and rider team earning the most points in three or more events in two different categories during the Bayer Select World.
Named the reserve all-around amateur champion was Annette Kimball, who competed on Kelvan Gogh in working hunter (first), hunter hack (first) and equitation over fences (first).
