AMATEUR YEARLING GELDINGS

READY FOR GOLD.

BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR

“I’m Jennifer Jubb, the ecstatic winner!” the veterinarian from Florence, Alabama, said, introducing herself to the Journal crew. “It’s the first time I’ve won the World.

Jennifer won the amateur yearling gelding world championship with Readyfortheweekend, her daughter, Laura Young’s, horse. They placed in the top four under all five judges, with two judges placing the gelding first.

“It means everything to me, it really does, I love to show my horses,” she said.

Jennifer Jubb, a veterinarian from Florence, Alabama, won the gold trophy in amateur yearling geldings with Readyfortheweekend.

The horse is trained and fit by AQHA Pro Horseman and Team Wrangler member Randy Jacobs of Dover, Ohio.

“We’ve been in his barn for about five years, and he does a tremendous job for us,” Jennifer said.

Laura won the 2006 youth world championship in amateur yearlings with the horse. Jennifer and Readyfortheweekend were third in amateur weanling geldings at the 2005 World Show. They bought the horse as a baby in August of 2005.

“I was looking for a really nice gelding,” Jennifer said. “I don’t like to buy horses that have a name. I like to buy horses that are either babies or have never been to a horse show, and have Randy and my family make our own horses.

“We went to the Youth World last year, and Randy and Laura and I went horse shopping, everywhere to everybody’s farm,” she continued. “We went to Chip Knost’s first, and I saw this fabulous baby gelding, and I just fell in love with him. But I, like everybody else, am always worried there’s a better one down the road.

“I think we looked at 50 or 60 babies that day, and we got in the car and I said, ‘Randy, I’m ashamed to tell you this, but I want the first baby I looked at.”

That baby was Readyfortheweekend.

Jennifer loved horses as a child, but didn’t get back into Quarter Horses until 1999. That year she was Justin Rookie of the Year 31-49 with her horse Admire The Sun. A graduate of Mississippi State University, she has a companion animal practice in northwest Alabama.

“I’m a veterinarian, so I love to look at gorgeous form to function and look at balance and cleanliness,” she said. “I just think (halter horses are) absolutely beautiful.”

She and her husband, Ricky Young been married for 23 years and have two daughters. When asked whom she’d like to thank for the win, Jennifer teared up.

“I’d like to especially thank my wonderful husband (who) supports me in all this and takes care of everything when I’m gone,” she said. “And I have a great staff that allows me to be gone for three days at a time at my veterinary hospital. And, of course, Randy Jacobs.”

Randy will be showing the gelding next week during FedEx Open Week.

“I can’t tell you how exciting (this) is,” Jennifer said. “I don’t know if it feels like this the 100^th time, but it’s really exciting the first time.”