Tianna Cooper and SDP Got Fancy Genes Take First Congress Win in Amateur Ranch Trail

By Sarah Welk Baynum

Tianna Cooper rode SDP Got Fancy Genes, a former broodmare known around the barn as “Fancy,” to victory in the Congress Amateur Ranch Trail class Thursday at the 2024 All American Quarter Horse Congress.

While Tianna rides in all the Ranch classes, Trail is the one they have excelled in the most.

“We started showing her in 2020, but we got her in 2019 as a broodmare,” says Cooper. “We were like, I think she’d be kind of cool in the ranch classes!”

But it was a rough start for Fancy before she became a champion.

“We weren’t sure if she was going to make it here, but thought we’d give it a try. It was just in the last year that all the pieces fit together, and now she’s been doing great this year!” says Cooper.

Fortunately, the pattern rode as well as Cooper hoped it would, despite being a bit complex.

“The end of the pattern where you walked the poles, the bridge, and worked the gate was my favorite part—that worked out exactly as I envisioned in my head. When I saw this pattern on paper, I had to read through it carefully. I do the city trail, too, with a different horse, and those ones flow well. But with this one, I thought, hold up, where are we going? You could go different directions and there’s places where it’s open for you to figure out your path. I thought it was going to be a fun pattern either way, though!” explains Cooper.

While this class is one of many types of all-around classes she competes in, this type of class is the most fun for Cooper.

“I obviously work hard and put a lot of effort in, but it’s one of those classes that I don’t necessarily stress out as much about—I just go out there, show, and have fun! That’s my main goals for the ranch trail classes,” says Cooper.

While she has been Reserve Champion the last three years, she finally took home the champion title this year.

“It’s so exciting to finally take first!” adds Cooper.

 

Results for Amateur Ranch Trail, sponsored by Headley Quarter Horses:

Champion: Tianna Cooper and SDP Got Fancy Genes -$200

Reserve Champion: Jeanine Jones and Gott This -$180

Bronze Champion: Courtney Clagg and Fancy Blue Roo -$160

Fourth: Darcie Rittenberry and Watch This Kiss -$140

Fifth: Katie Fox and Double Tapn -$120