3-Year-Old Amateur Mare and Gelding AQHA Wins Go To Trahan and Dobbs

By: Brittany Bevis

Scott Trahan was in for a pleasant surprise this afternoon at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show when he was named a World Champion in the Amateur 3-Year-Old Mares class with his horse Chita Kid. Originally purchased for her breeding potential, and as a gentle show horse for his 12-year-old son Christopher, Trahan never imagined the mare would go on to win an Amateur World Champion title.

“I bought her six months ago from Chris Arentsen up north,” he says. “Also, I bought the stallion, Attencion, who won the World last year. With her being N/N and him being N/H, I could see those two making pretty babies. I bought her primarily to breed and for her show potential. She is so quiet that my son Christopher can show her. He’s mainly going to get on her next year when she is an aged mare. I never really dreamed she would do this.”

“Christopher’s confidence is getting better. He has cystic fibrosis, so that’s something we have to keep in check. That’s why he didn’t go to the Congress this year. There are some new drugs out there on the horizon, that will come out next year, that would be a game changer in his life.”

Not only is “Whitney” gentle enough for young Christopher to show, she also has the conformation and muscling to succeed at the top level of competition. However, her development into an elite show horse wasn’t an overnight process.

“We bought her from Chris Arentsen’s place up north [in Trenton, Illinois], and the Texas heat down here [just didn’t agree with her]. It took us months to get her acclimated. [Trainer] Roy Donn has done a good job. His experience level has really helped us. Every time we hit a wall, he went around it and managed that mare perfectly. I knew today, when I saw her in the makeup area, if I could get her shown, she was going to be a hard one to get around.”

Looking forward to next year, Trahan plans to breed Whitney to his stallion Attencion and continue with her career in the show pen, possibly making an appearance at the APHA World Show in Solid Paint-Bred classes.

“We’re probably going to breed her next February,” he says. “I like those girls, so a bay filly would be nice. Both of Attencion’s babies are black, so he has that gene. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to throw a black with that bay.”

In a very tough Amateur Three-Year-Old Geldings class, the World Champion was Travis Dobbs with This Big. The Reserve World Champion was Vicki Shawver with Under Cover Secret. Rounding out the top three was Amy Grabe with Westexascowboy.

In a fun coincidence, the last time Dobbs won an AQHA World Champion title was in 1994, as a youth competitor, showing in the Youth Three-Year-Old Geldings class. After 20 years, Dobbs has come back to win the same class with another three-year-old gelding, This Big.

“We originally bought him for my son Cooper, and the horse has really matured and come into his own,” Dobbs says. “He has made a really nice, big horse.”

“Ted Turner called me in January of the horse’s two-year-old year and said we’ve got to go look at a horse. I met him at the people’s farm, and Ted already had his trailer there. He was ready to take him home. Everything is right about him. As a just turning two-year-old, he had an enormous amount of muscle, good legs, a beautiful neck and shoulder, and I loved his hip.”

Earlier in the week, Dobbs competed in Amateur Calf Roping and his wife, Johnna, returned to the Amateur Barrel Racing finals with two different horses. The pair is excited to return next week to watch their horses compete under the guidance of Ted Turner and CR Bradley.

“We can’t wait to come back next week,” he says. “Ted is going to show This Big, and CR Bradley will show my calf horse, so I’m really excited to see that class.”

Amateur 3-Year-Old Mares-

1-Chita Kid/Scott Trahan

2-Giancarla/Jeff Habighorst

3-Rockin And A Reelin/Deborah Haarman

4-Shez Packen Heat/Cara McMillian-Gibson

5- HR Cool SecretDesign/Joy Stehney

Amateur 3-Year-Old Geldings-

1-This Big/Travis Dobbs

2-Under Cover Secret/Vicki Shawver

3-Westexascowboy/Amy Grabe

4-Totally Unexpected/Kayleen Holliday

5-Heza Cool TD/Donald Breeding