November 19 was pretty routine for Beth Case, a 24-year-old trainer who works for Jason Martin and Charlie Cole’s HighPoint Performance Horses in Pilot Point, Texas.

She lunged Dont Ya Just Love It, a 12-year-old gelding by Dont Skip Charlie, and rode him for about 15 minutes. Then when “his little girl,” 11-year-old Shelby Ratliff arrived, she gave “Lyle” another routine spin on the lunge line.

When it was time to enter the World Show arena for the senior hunter under saddle class, it was still business as usual.

Beth Case is all smiles as she rides to accept her first world championship trophy.

“I just rode him like regular, and he was good, as usual,” Case said.

But as the announcer called out the World Show finalists, then began ticking off the results, beginning with 10th place, Case started getting a little nervous as she remained in the lineup.

Until, that is, she and Lyle were the last ones standing.

“Then it was pretty cool,” she said.

The win was the first world championship for Case, and the first open win for Lyle. He won youth world championships in showmanship in 1998 and hunt seat equitation in 1999 with Joetta Leeanne (Meredith) Bell. Last year, he was reserve world champion in senior hunter under saddle.

At the 2005 All American Quarter Horse Congress, Lyle gave Shelby Ratliff an easy ride to a fifth-place finish in novice youth hunter under saddle.

“He packed her around,” Case said.

And two other members of the Ratliff family have shown the versatile horse, who has points in halter, showmanship, western riding, trail, horsemanship, hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation and pleasure driving.

So for all that he’s done – and especially now that he’s an open world champion – Case knows his owners are grateful to this people-loving horse who nickers at all who pass by his stall.

“I’m sure his owners will bring him everything he wants,” she said.