SOONER TRAILER ALL-AROUND AMATEUR

NICOLE BARNES HOLDS AN ACE.

BY ABIGAIL WHITAKER, JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

Nicole Barnes wins the Sooner Trailer All-Around with Zippos Ace Of Spades.

In her first year to compete as an amateur, Nicole Barnes of Northbrook, Illinois, is the 2006 Sooner Trailer All-Around Amateur at the World Show. 

Nicole showed Zippos Ace Of Spades in five events – making the finals in four – to earn 53 points and the title of All-Around Amateur.  “Ace” and Nicole won the western horsemanship world championship and placed third in showmanship at halter, western riding and trail.

“I just wanted to come and have a good horse show and, honestly, I just wanted to win a trophy,” Nicole said.  “I didn’t care what class it was in, and I didn’t care if it was first, second or third. I just wanted one and now I have four, and I’m totally amazed.”

Although she is new to amateur competition, Nicole picked up several impressive titles as a youth competitor. She was the 2004 western riding reserve youth world champion and 2005 showmanship youth world champion. She is also a former Markel Insurance High-Point Youth and a past officer with the Illinois Youth Quarter Horse Association.

The 2006 run for All-Around Amateur featured several past champions and Nicole was grateful to be competing alongside each of them.

“It was definitely an honor. It’s a wonderful group of horses – the top five just continue to amaze me,” she commented. “I just feel fortunate to be in that group, let alone in the top. I’m absolutely pleased.”

Nicole was sure to give credit to Zippos Ace Of Spades for helping her to achieve so much. She has ridden the 1997 gray gelding by Zippo A Ward and out of Nosilksocks by Mr High Socks, for the past four years and said she was ready to reward him with plenty of treats.

“He’s kind of like a big dog, more than a horse,” she admitted. “If he could sit in my lap and let me pet him all day, he would. He’s fantastic, really phenomenal. He’s 50 percent of the team.”

A 20-year-old college student, Nicole trains with Brad and Valerie Kearns, of Grayslake, Illinois. Now that she has won the All-Around Amateur, Nicole said she would continue to ride, focus on school and try to think of new goals.

“I’ve accomplished just about everything that I’ve ever dreamed of,” she explained, “so I guess I have to try something new or figure something else out.”