JUNIOR PLEASURE DRIVING

CAROL HARRIS WINS A SPECIAL ONE.

BY TONYA RATLIFF-GARRISON, JOURNAL FIELD EDITOR

Those watching the junior pleasure driving finals received a treat as they watched Carol Harris stride across the arena, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd.

 Her gelding, Larks Happy Days, had just won the class with AQHA Pro Horseman Kevin Dukes at the reins, and she was on her way to be a part of the victory lap.

And what a victory it was.

It was the first world championship in a number of years for the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee and it was with a horse by her beloved Rugged Lark.

The Journal stopped the pair later to ask about the World Show win. Listen in on what they had to say:

Tell me about this horse.

AQHA Vice President Frank Merrill and his wife, Robin, present the world trophy for junior pleasure driving to Carol Harris and Kevin Dukes.

Carol: This horse is very special. He is not only special to me but he’s special to Kevin.

I think so much of Kevin, and I wouldn’t send this horse to anybody else. I thought this horse was going to be a nice horse, and he was a nice son of my Rugged Lark. There was only person that I wanted to have him and that was Kevin Dukes.

Kevin and his wife, Melissa, and his children are like family to me. I know that I can trust them with anything I love. He certainly didn’t let me down.

Did you expect Larks Happy Days to win the junior pleasure driving?

Carol: I certainly didn’t expect him to win. This horse is very green. He has not had a lot of exposure to the show world. Gosh, I don’t know how he did so well. Kevin just drove him so beautifully and gave the horse confidence.

I have to admit, I looked up in the stands at some of my friends and they said, “That horse deserves to win it, Carol.”

And I said “Oh, no, there’s no way. I don’t think so. But do you think so?”

And they said “Yes!” And I have to agree. Kevin drove him beautifully.

And I’m lucky. I’ve been so lucky in the horse business. I’ve made the right friends. And they have been so good to me and you can’t do anything in this world without the right friends. And I’ve been blessed with good horses and good dogs and good family and great friends.

Kevin, what makes this horse special to you?

Kevin: No. 1, he belongs to Carol and her daughter, Wendy. These two people are very special to me.

And No. 2, he’s by Rugged Lark, one of the industry’s all-time greats. And you know, this was this horse’s fifth horse show, and he has only been driven in three horse shows. He just stepped in there like he’s been to a million of them. I thank the good Lord for good horses and good people.

Carol: I agree. You know what, to have so many friends up in the stands who were happy about this. I think they knew what it meant to both of us. And to Wendy, my daughter at home who owns the horse with me, she was happy to stay at home and take care of my dogs and horses back in Florida. I just can’t wait to tell her myself.

Kevin: And another great thing about this horse is how gentle he is. My daughter, Mattie, who is 6, and my son, Clay, who is 3, both rode him around last night. I told them they were my good luck charms

What was it like coming down from the stands into the arena to accept the trophy?

Carol: You know, you can’t say how it was. You do it and the thrill was there, and all of a sudden it actually happened. My horse won. It’s something you can’t expect. You just hope for and when it happens, well, there’s no feeling like it.

And I got this guy to thank for it, and that’s the nice thing about the whole thing.

Kevin: Good horses make good trainers. They make you look good.

Carol: Well, you looked good, honey. Oo-wee!

Kevin: Well, thank you. Every time I’d go by (her in the stands), she’d go “Whack! Faster!” And there’d we go.

Carol: I’d tell him, “You’re doing good. You’re doing good.”

What is Larks Happy Days like?

Carol: He has a wonderful personality.

Kevin: He’s so much like his Daddy.

Carol: Yes. Very much so. He’s like his Daddy.

Kevin: It’s like when we were in the line up and they had the big screen out there and he was out there watching at all of the horses up on the screen as they left. He’s a unique individual.

Carol: He’s got the same personality (as Rugged Lark). He’s got the same look in his eye. He’s going to give us a lot of pleasure.  We call him Fonzie. He’s Larks Happy Days, and you know Fonzie was the hero of that show. And now you’re the hero.

Kevin: No. Not me.

Carol: Oh, yes you are.

Kevin: No, the horse is.

Carol: Yes, the horse is the hero.

WINNER STATS Horse name: Larks Happy Days Pedigree: Rugged Lark x Emma Big Leaguer by Im A Big Leaguer Exhibitor: Kevin Dukes Owner: Carol Harris Trainer: Kevin Dukes Breeder: Stephen Holloway Total class entries: 19 Purse: $8,502.88 World Champion Prizes: Custom gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, Cripple Creek World Show jacket, Tex Tan silver halter and spurs, Justin ostrich Techno Crepe boots, 100 pounds of Nutrena feed, Professional’s Choice and WeatherBeeta product. Total purse and prizes for the 2006 AQHA World Championship Show: $2,457,010