Blake Weis wins Congress Championship and Reserve in L1 Junior Trail
Blake and Mary Alice Nielson
The L1 Junior Trail at the All American Quarter Horse Congress on Thursday, October 11th, was a big class of 86, and Blake Weis grabbed the top two spots, as Champion with Made For Naturdays (score of 246) and as the Reserve with RV Not For Hire for Evon Werner – score 243.50.
Blake explains that Made for Naturdays (Natty) is three and RV Not For Hire, aka “Teddy” is four, and both are by Machine Made.
The feat of a three-year-old winning such a prestigious class inspired a conversation about Natty, a horse they searched for over a two year period for the Nielsons, Mary Alice and Alysia. “He is incredible,” Blake explains. “He doesn’t act like a three year old, he loves to show, and he literally loves his job. Almost every time I show him, he’s better than when he warmed up. He’s the type of horse that makes you smile every day.”
Blake says that Natty is an old soul who eats mini muffins, and the reason Blake was there at the arena when the class was pinned sans horse was because Natty wouldn’t get up to go pick up his prize.
Today’s L1 Junior Trail pattern had a lot of tight lope transitions, which Blake enjoyed on both horses; Teddy is a lot slower and likes to take his time, he says, and “Natty has such a big stride you can just say go and he makes the distance like it’s nothing, so that was really fun.”
“My trot serpentine – I didn’t get it one time in practice, so I changed my plan when I got out there and they both took care of me,” he adds. Blake says that while it’s challenging to ride two very different horses, he knows his horses really well, and he explains that Trail is one of his favorite events, in addition to Western Riding, because “there’s an explanation to things so it draws a crowd; the best horse can hit two poles and then they’re out. They’re also a little more forward.” Blake’s true calling, he explains, is getting horses ready for those events.
Though he hasn’t shown Natty in Western Riding yet, he’s a phenomenal lead changer so it’s in his future, and Blake says Clay Arrington, who had both horses before, did a great job with them.
See the results through sixth place for L1 Junior Trail:
