Harley D Zip has now won it all.
Before arriving in Amarillo for the 2007 Bayer Select World Championship Show, “Harley” had western riding world championships in junior, senior, amateur and youth. The only one he lacked was a Select World title. But when Kerry Papendick turned 50 in January, there was the opportunity of expanding his resume.
“The girls kind of pushed me into this,” Kerry said of her daughters Kristina and Ali, who have both ridden Harley to Youth World championships.
“The girls said if you’re going to be able to step it up and get in there, why don’t you just try it. So when I was able to get him qualified, the pressure was on.”
Did the girls give their mom any advice on how to show Harley?
“They said, ‘Just make sure you go for it and think all the way through the course,’” Kerry said.
Harley and Kerry were seventh in the draw of 15. As they entered the Amarillo National Center, Kerry smiled and asked Harley to move into the pattern.
“Basically I wanted to make sure I got my spots right -- where I was supposed to jog and lope off,” she recalled. “I made him go wide at that first cone so he didn’t think he was going down the line. I knew I needed to push him hard after the pole, but I didn’t do a real good job of it. But he saved me on it. Then I just made sure I got my pace going like every western rider hopes.
“I love this pattern. This is a fun pattern.”
As Kerry brought Harley to a halt after his backup, she reached down and patted his shoulder. She was confident that they would mark high.
But the score was not announced right away. Kerry waited patiently for the next draw, Alen Dick and Rebas Stormin Norman, to finish their pattern, hoping that the score would be broadcast. The announcer finally came over the load speaker and said that Kerry’s ride would be reviewed by the judges.
“It scared me,” she said. “Nobody was around to tell me exactly what the review was but then all the other exhibitors said, ‘Just hang in there because sometimes the reviews are to your advantage.’ So I feel a little bit better.”
But it was a long wait. It wasn’t until the riders came back into the arena for the awards presentation that the score was announced: a 227. Harley had a Select World championship.
“This trophy was so special because now he has every category in western riding won,” Kerry said. “He’s pretty special.”
Although Kerry was thrilled to win this world championship, she just wished her girls had been there to see their mom ride.
“Kristina was at college and Ali had to stay at home,” she said. “But my husband got here and he got to see it so that was really special. But I know my phone is probably ringing, ringing, ringing from the girls.”
At only 12 years old, Harley is far from retirement and will continue to show. Kerry said her daughter, Ali, will take him to the 2008 Ford AQHYA World Championship Show and Kerry hopes to bring him back to Bayer Select World next year, too.
“He’s definitely part of the family and he’ll stay a part of the family,”she said. He’ll be around with us forever.”
