MARY CLARK GETS A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR HER BIRTHDAY.
BY LARRI JO STARKEY, COPY EDITOR
Photons Cowgirl, Don Bell and Mary Clark wearing her birthday jacket.
In a class of 34 performance mares, Triple J Ranch of Sarasota, Florida, bred four. One of those mares, Photons Cowgirl, claimed first place under three judges, second under one and seventh under one. The golden trophy was like an 88th birthday present for Triple J Ranch owner Mary Clark. She took a break before the performance halter stallions class to talk about Photons Cowgirl and her sire, Photon.
Q: Happy birthday. Mary: Thank you. This is absolutely the best present.
Q: You had a lot of mares of your breeding in the ring today. Which one did you think would win? Mary: “Cowgirl,” I was hoping. Either Cowgirl or Photons CD.
Q: Tell us a little bit about Cowgirl. Mary: Cowgirl is a horse I raised, and she does roping. Don Bell was sure he could make her a champion, so he saw her last year and took her for me this year and has done a beautiful job with her. But everything we’ve accomplished has been entirely due to Jay and Rhonda Holmes, who run the ranch for me and who have trained and worked all my horses for me, and that’s why we are where we are.
Q: Could you tell us about your birthday jacket? Mary: This is my coat with all my working horses on it. I have seven horses here in 30 classes, which is pretty exciting, and they gave me the coat for my birthday. Rhonda won this coat with A Downtown Donna for being fourth in the heading.
Q: When you were watching all those horses, what were you thinking? Mary: I was thinking “How did I ever get here?” And how old Photon would have loved it.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about Photon? Mary: Photon was a wonderful, wonderful horse. He died at the age of 25 a couple of years ago. Christmas before last. He had a wonderful disposition and a wonderful brain, and that was all I was interested in breeding. I never planned to breed anything that could do anything in halter. We’ve had lots and lots of babies, and they have done very, very well.
Q: What’s next for your program? Mary: We have a lot of Photon mares. We’re breeding them, and we’re going on to do many disciplines, mostly the cow disciplines.
Fun Fact: Photons Cowgirl was in foal during last year's World Show. This year, a recipient mare has Cowgirl's embryo, leaving her in show shape.
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Photons Cowgirl Pedigree: 2001 bay mare by Photon x A Cowboys Sweetheart by An Obvious Cowboy Exhibitor: Don Bell Owner-Breeder: Triple J Ranch, Sarasota, Florida
Total class entries: 35 Purse: $19,491.50
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
