AMATEUR YEARLING MARES

POM POMS GOES FROM ORPHAN TO WORLD CHAMPION

BY MEGAN ALPERS, JOURNAL INTERN

Charles Ames of Dallas, Texas, was looking for a horse for his daughter, Audra, when he came across a fuzzy filly at Chip Knost’s farm.

“She was just a good-looking little weanling,” Ames said. “She had hair all over because she was in a pasture. My daughter fell in love with her; I fell in love with her, my wife fell in love with her, so we decided to buy her.” 

The brown filly was registered as Pom Poms and even at a few months old, had already experienced a lot.

Pom Poms and exhibitor Charles Ames in amateur yearling mares.

“This mare was orphaned when she was a month old,” Ames explained. “Connie (the stallion manager at Knost’s farm) brought her in and got a surrogate mother and raised her out in the pasture. That’s why we nicknamed her ‘Connie,’ for Connie, Chip’s stallion manager.”

By the time she was a yearling, Connie had won a youth world championship with Audra, and at her first World Show, beat 21 other yearling mares for her title.

“This horse has never been beaten, and that’s great,” Ames said. “She’s put together so well. She’s refined; she’s a super nice mare.”

Connie will have a chance to prove her undefeated status next week when Pro Horseman Ted Turner shows her in open yearling mares.

Ames summed up his favorite aspect of showing at the World with a word and an ear-to-ear grin.

“Winning,” he said.

WINNER STATS Horse name: Pom Poms Pedigree: Touchdown Kid x Ace Aleata by All the Aces Exhibitor: Charles Ames, Dallas, Texas Owner: Audra Ames, Dallas, Texas Breeder: Bitter Lake Quarters and Paints, Tuttle, Oklahoma  Total Class Entries: 21 Purse: $7,014 World Champion Prizes: Gold trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, Cripple Creek jacket, Tex Tan silver halter and lead, Justin ostrich Tekno Crepe boots, Professional's Choice products, Nutrena feed, neck ribbon