SPECIAL NOTE:
2008 AQHA WORLD SHOW TENTATIVE DATES!
NOVEMBER 8-22, 2008 (dates tentative)

Read below for a special recap of this past year's world show.

SENIOR WESTERN RIDING

HARD-WON TROPHY.

BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR

Harley D Zip wins a consecutive world championship in senior western riding with AQHA Pro Horseman Jason Martin.

After all 15 goes in the senior western riding finals on November 16 at the 2007 AQHA World Championship Show, there was a tie for first.

AQHA Pro Horseman Jason Martin of Pilot Point, Texas, and Harley D Zip, aka “Harley,” scored a 236.5 early on, third in the go.

Then seventh in the go, AQHA Pro Horseman Leonard Berryhill of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Vital Signs Are Good, aka “Lucy,” scored another 236.5.

The judges called for a ride-off, and it would be one of the most exciting western riding finals ever, with two multiple world champions battling it out for the gold trophy.

Harley D Zip could be called a king of western riding.

Since winning his first western riding world championship in the 2000 junior western riding, Harley D Zip has earned multiple world championships in the class in every division. His most recent titles include the 2007 Select western riding world championship with Kerry Papendick, and the 2007 youth western riding world championship with Kerry’s youngest daughter, Ali. The horse is owned by Kerry’s eldest daughter, Kristina.

(Click on the link for the Select and youth winning run stories.)

He was also the reserve Sooner Trailer Superhorse at the 2006 World Show, and won last year’s senior western riding,

But, Vital Signs Are Good could certainly be called a queen of western riding.

Her list of titles in the class is no less impressive. On the way to carrying Kristin Glover to the 2007 Sooner Trailer All-Around Amateur Award just last week, the mare won the amateur western riding (click here for the winning run.)

She’s probably best remembered for her win in last year’s amateur western riding, scoring a record-setting 237.5, the all-time World Show high score in the class.

The air in the arena was tense as Harley entered the ring first for the ride-off. Jason moved the gelding into a cadenced extended lope while World Show DJ Marcela Riegel played “Born to be Wild” over the sound system. It was a flawless ride.

Marcela changed the tune to “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” when Leonard rode the little roan mare in. But when she loped over the pole, the sound of her slight tick was clearly heard. The crowd continued to whistle their appreciation until she was done.

What was Jason thinking about back in the barn waiting for the re-ride?

“Really just not to stab a change and to keep pushing and try and get every half point I can,” Jason said in his Journal Spotlight interview in the arena.

Harley’s owner, Kristina, was thrilled with the win.

“It’s pretty cool,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve actually gotten to be here and watch him run; last year I wasn’t able to be here. To see him go back into it for the re-ride, that was awesome.”

Originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, Kristina is currently studying architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington, just 40 minutes away from Jason’s and Charlie Cole’s High Point Performance Horses where Harley lives.

And what was she thinking during the wait before the re-ride?

“That he could do it again,” she said. “That’s all I wanted. I just wanted him to kick it out there and he did it 10 times better than he did in the first go in the finals.”

She also added that the crew at High Point Performance Horses knows exactly how to keep the bay gelding happy.

“As long as he’s happy, he’s going to give you all that he has,” Kristine said. “Treat him like a king!

“You’ve got to pull him out of the stall, and whatever mood he’s in you’ve got to go with it. Luckily, today he was in a good mood. I took him out and got some energy out of him and then he was good to go.”