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| Cee Cee McDonald and Chockfullachocolate walk up to receive their world championship trophy in performance halter geldings. |
Cee Cee McDonald has been waiting a long time for Chockfullachocolate to get the recognition he deserves.
The Bernard, Iowa, resident has been showing “Opie” since he was a 3-year-old. The gray gelding has qualified many times for the AQHA World Championship Show and also showed at the 2006 Bayer Select World Championship Show. But he has never won the coveted “golden pony.” That is until this year’s Bayer Select World Show when the 12-year-old gelding topped a field of 17 in the performance halter geldings.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Cee Cee said. “It’s our first one, and this horse has been showing for a long time.”
Opie regularly shows in all-around events like showmanship, western riding, horsemanship and equitation. He just started showing in performance halter this year when AQHA added it as an approved class.
“He’s been doing well in performance halter this year. He’s only been beaten one time,” Cee Cee said.
Opie did so well at Bayer Select World in performance halter that he was first under all five judges.
“That was just unbelieveable. A dream come true,” Cee Cee said. “When I heard the announcer say that, I didn’t think I was going to get across the pen. My knees were just shaking, and I was just trying not to cry.”
But a few tears did escape, and as Cee Cee accepted her trophy and other prizes from AQHA First Vice President Ken Mumy, she reached over and gave Opie a big pat on his shoulder.
“He’s such a good horse. He’s so much a part of our family,” she said of Opie.
Opie will also be showing in western riding and trail at the Bayer Select World, so Cee Cee is hoping for more gold. But if he doesn’t win another, she says she is happy he at least won one.
“I’ll semiretire him after this show,” she said. “But we’re not giving up this class. I’m going to keep showing him in the performance halter a couple of times a year, and hopefully we’ll be back down here again next year.”
