2-YEAR-OLD MARES

COOPER SMITH WINS HIS SECOND YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

BY TONYA RATLIFF-GARRISON, FIELD EDITOR

Cooper Smith leads JR Zips Kid up to receive his youth world championship trophy.

Cooper Smith is good about sharing. He has to be.

Not only is he showing JR Zips Kid, but so are his father, his mother and his grandmother.

“It can be tough sharing her but she’s for everybody and everybody gets the chance to show her, so we all take turns,” the high school sophomore said.

And if “Carrie” does as well for the others as she did for him, he’ll be happy. On August 11, the sorrel mare won the 2-year-old mares at the 2007 AQHYA World Championship Show in Fort Worth, Texas.

“She’s has a lot of muscle and is real showy. She’s just really a nice mare. She showed very good.,” Cooper said.

Cooper credits the mare’s commendable behavior in the show ring to the practice session he had with her the week before Ford Youth World with his dad and trainer, AQHA Professional Horseman Jason Smith, and three other students, including his sister Shyanne.

“We’ve been practicing with all of them, and we worked with them all last week,” he said.

Although this is Carrie’s first world championship, it is the second for Cooper, who won 3-year-old geldings with JMK Dynamic Fella at the 2006 Ford Youth World

“It feels good to win again,” Cooper said. “I usually show two and this is the first year I’ve only showed one because my sister has JMK Dynamic Fella this year.”

Another example of Cooper’s generosity, considering he is also the registered owner of the gelding.

“I don’t mind at all though,” Cooper said. “My grandmother even got a Select World championship on him last year. I hope my sister does as well with him as we did.”