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2-YEAR-OLD WESTERN PLEASURE INDESCRIBABLE WIN. BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR It was a standout field of youngsters for the 2-year-old western pleasure finals at the 2008 World Show on November 19. The names on the go sheet have been a familiar sight at the top shows across the country all show season long. When AQHA Pro Horseman Gil Galyean on Sure Am Hot and Team Wrangler Member Mitch Leckey on No Doubt Im Lazy were the last exhibitors left, the two longtime competitors shook hands. When the announcer called Gil for reserve, you could see Mitch take a huge breath. In the stands, owners Frank and Linda Berris of Sparta, Michigan, stood up and cheered, and the audience joined in. Frank and Linda purchased the horse at the end of October. “It’s indescribable; I’m shaking,” Mitch said in his in-the-arena interview, giving the colt a pat. “It was an amazing ride, and I don’t know what to say.” He said more in his winning run interview with the Journal, along with Frank and Linda. Q. This is a pretty big win! Frank: Oh, I love it. I love it for my wife, Lin, and I love it for Mitch, as hard as he works and as much as we love this horse. This is the most fabulous win we’ve ever had in our lives. I can’t think of any better feeling than this is right now. How ‘bout you, Lin? Lin: It’s pretty good. (Smiling, she patted Mitch on the back.) He works hard; he really works hard. He did a good job. Q. Were there any challenges coming into today’s class? Mitch: Not really, it was very easy. I got up this morning, and he had felt like he was getting a little tired yesterday in the prelims, and I got up about 4 a.m. and just brought him in the pen and walked him, rode him about 20 minutes this morning and that’s all we did. (He laughed.) It just happened. Q. Was it fun to be in the pen? Mitch: It was amazing. Unbelievable. Q. Did you have any idea that you’d walk out with a world championship? Mitch: None whatsoever. Frank: I did. He’s a good enough horse. It was hard to believe you were watching a 2-year-old class here. All those horses – that’s the 15 best horses in the world, and you can’t believe they’re 2-year-olds, they’re all so broke and beautiful. And to win that class is such an extreme honor. I just can’t think that there’s a better feeling in the world. I love my wife, and I love Mitch! Q. Is there anyone else you all want to thank? Mitch: Definitely my wife, Jen, she helps a lot. She gets on the colt so I can see what he looks like, and then she watches me and critiques me and it was definitely – people don’t realize that the horses are a team sport as much as anything. It takes a team to get it there. Fun Fact: Frank bought No Doubt Im Lazy for Linda to show, and they're headed to Florida in December for the Florida Quarter Horse Association Gold Coast Circuit. "We're just going to have a blast with him," he said. WINNER STATS Horse name: No Doubt Im Lazy
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