As Jay McLaughlin finished circling his cow for the second time and the horn sounded, he pumped his fist in the air triumphantly and pulled Fuel N Shine to a stop. The crowd applauded wildly, and the judges awarded the pair a 444.5. They had worked fifth in the finals November 20, and that score would hold up through the rest of the riders. During the championship interview in the Jim Norick Arena, Jay said that moment felt like a world championship. “It’s my first,” he said. “I’ve had silvers and bronzes and maroons, but never gold.” Jay and the buckskin circled the arena one more time at a gallop as Jay held the trophy aloft and slid to a stop. Fuel N Shine’s owners, John and Kari Lapke of Lapke Quarter Horses agreed to talk about the 4-year-old stallion.
Q: Congratulations. Is this your first world championship? John: It’s our first trophy. Kari: And Jay’s.
Q: Do you have a special place to put it? Kari: On top of the fireplace.
Q: Tell us about your horse. John: We bought him as a 2-year-old from Bill and Michelle Cowan of Oklahoma, and he showed with Todd Crawford at the Futurity last year. We didn’t get much done because he got sore. I took him to Jay this winter, and tried to get him qualified for the World. We took him home and bred mares for two months – pasture-bred mares. I took him back to Jay and he showed him 24 hours later and finished his points up about two days before the end of the season.
Q: What’s it like as you’re sitting there in the stands watching? Kari: Nerve-wracking. Exciting. Especially after the prelims. John didn’t get to watch. He was in the field combining, but I got to watch, and I thought he looked really good. We both had a good feeling about him the last couple of weeks, just an unusual, weird feeling that he was going to be good. We’ve never had that feeling before. Something about it I guess.
Q: What were you thinking during the final circle? John: I was thinking it was good. I didn’t know the cow work was going to be that high a score. I thought it was a little tougher cow than that. Kari: He had a tough cow, but he controlled him well.
Q: What’s next for your horse? John: We’ll worry about that tomorrow morning. There’s a little bar in the Biltmore called Chisholm’s. Kari: We’ll party a little bit.
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Fuel N Shine Pedigree: 2004 buckskin stallion by Shining Spark x Boomerita by Boomernic Exhibitor: Jay McLaughlin Owner: Lapke Quarter Horses, Logan, Iowa Breeder: William and Michelle Cowan, Ardmore, Oklahoma
Total class entries: 67 Purse: $54,062.30
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket, world champion patch, Tex Tan product, Justin Boots
