official publication of the pinto world championship • June 18, 2012 • vol. 6 no. 8
Day Eight Under Eight At the Pinto World Championship, children do not have to wait until they get older to win a world champion buckle. Even those 8 years old and younger are sweeping away with awards of all kinds in the leadline division. Ashton and Landon Johnson are two leadline riders. Ashton is 4 years old, and his pony April is taking him far. The young rider said his favorite part about showing April was “getting a ribbon and a belt buckle” in Walk Only Boys Western Pleasure, 5 & under. Ashton’s brother Landon enjoyed showing his pony Penny in halter because he could go in by himself, but the 7-year-old said it was “kind of scary” as well. He enjoys riding his bike at the PWC and showing with his brother. Lissie Shaber is a 6-year-old leadline rider. She has been riding her horse Summer since before she was 2 years old. “She be’s good for me,” Lissie said about the mare. This is the leadliner’s first year at the PWC. Her favorite class is English Pleasure, and the 6-year-old said the best thing to do at the PWC is, “showing my horse of course!”
Carlee Shock is 8 years old. This is her second year at the PWC, and next year she will move up to the walk-trot age division. Her horse, Undeniably Special, is 3 years old, and the team has been very successful so far this year. Carlee calls him Rodney, and together they have won five buckles at the 2012 PWC. Her favorite part of the show has been “going over the logs and posting.” Mason Matos is 7 years old. He is showing his 16-yearold horse, Happy, at the PWC for the first time this year. Mason is a well-rounded rider. The leadliner said all of his classes at the PWC are his favorite. “I like them all.” Mason has been riding Happy for quite awhile. The pair is from Florida. “It took two nights for us to get here,” Mason said. But for Mason and Happy the drive was worth it. Mason and the other individuals are just a handful of the 8-year-old and younger riders at the PWC this year. Keep an eye out for these young exhibitors because they are becoming a strong force in the show ring.
PWC Press • No. 8 • Page 1