WEANLING STALLIONS

THE PLANTIFF WINS.

BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR

Gary and Denise Werner’s homebred stallion The Plantiff took home the 2006 world championship in weanling stallions in the first halter class of the morning, November 17.

“(AQHA Pro Horseman) Luke (Castle) toted him to the (AQHA Bayer) Select World (Championship Show) for me, and we had a world championship there,” Denise said. “And it was a repeat performance today.”

The Plantiff won the weanling stallions world title. His handler, Luke Castle, and Denise Werner posed with the colt.

The Plantiff was in the top four on all five judges’ cards, with two firsts and two seconds. At the Bayer Select World, the stallion placed first under all five judges. Denise’s sister, Cris Basket, led him in the amateur weanling stallions during Bank of America Amateur Week, placing fourth overall.

“He showed great today. We drew the first hole on the right side, and he showed so good,” Luke said. “He did for Denise, too, out at the Select. He’s a show horse.”

“He loves it,” Denise added.

Does the horse have any personality quirks that come out when he shows?

“He didn’t have, I think it was probably the first show when I showed him, his first out,” she said, and smiled. “He’s gotten a little bit bolder since then.”

How hard is it to keep a youngster in peak performance between big shows?

“That’s the heart of it,” Luke said. “It’s hard to do. You almost have to back them up, take some weight off of them and then bring them back up. And keep their legs sound, that’s a big part of it.”

It takes keeping a watchful eye on them every day and customizing the program for each individual.

“We walked him about five minutes one day and then long-trotted him about 15 the next,” Luke said. “You’ve just got to watch them every day and stay on top of it. That’s key to it -- every day.”

Denise has several World Show appearances, and her husband, Gary, is an AQHA judge and Pro Horseman. They are from Lees Summit, Missouri.

What are their plans now for the youngster?

“He’s really nice-minded, and he’s (HYPP) N/N, and we just hope he’s gonna go far for us,” Denise said.

“We’ve got to regroup now!” Luke said. “He’s qualified for next year (with the world championship). We’ll just kind of see how it goes.”