An Entry Mistake Ends Up Helping Kimmy Shidler Win Her First World Title at Her First World Show With Zips Juan Pat Star in 14-18 Trail
In all actuality Kimmy Shidler wasn’t even supposed to be competing in the 14-18 Trail finals this morning at the 2013 AjPHA Youth World Show. You see, she and her 17-year-old mare Zips Juan Pat Star, aka “Juanita,” have only been a team for the past three weeks.
“I was supposed to do the Novice Youth 14-18 Trail, but my mom accidentally checked the wrong box and put me in the regular 14-18,” Shidler says. “I was terrified. I would’ve just been happy to make it to the finals. I was mortified of even going in there. I was like, ‘please don’t make me’ and mom was like, ‘you’ll do fine. You have Juanita.’ ”
“She’s very new to me, but she’s the best horse there is. I love her to death. [She is a] trail master.”
Shidler has been showing Paint Horses since the tender age of six, however, she recently progressed to a higher level after connecting with her new horse trainers, Tim and Shannon Gillespie. The 14-18 Trail preliminaries with 52 entries was the largest class Shidler has ever competed in.
“I’ve been with Tim and Shannon since the Fall World Show,” she says. “They’re amazing. They’re the best trainers ever.”
“I went in the 14-18 prelims, and that was a big class. That’s the biggest class I’ve ever been in. Oh my gosh, I was so upset, but I went in it. [I was thinking] I’d be happy with a finalist ribbon. So, I made the finals and I’m like, ‘oh, this is fun!’ I didn’t really get to practice at all this morning, but we did a lot last night and it went really good. I went in this morning, and it was phenomenal. We had one big tick, but that was it. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. And she’s a small horse and a lot of those poles were spread out so she really had to stretch. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Tomorrow, Shidler will be riding her other horse, Sensational SatinRose, in Novice Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure. Thus far, the pair received an eighth place finish in Novice Youth 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle and fifth place in Novice Youth 14-18 Showmanship. They have only been a team for the past six months.
We asked Shidler what she plans to do to celebrate now that she’s won her first World Champion title at her first World Championship Show. She’s not quite sure, but for now she’s happy to take a stroll around the show grounds while wearing her win ribbon beauty queen-style.
“Right now, I’m just going to take a lap around the stalls because this is my first World Show and my first World Champion,” she says. “I never in a million years thought I’d win, especially the 14-18 Trail, because it’s such a big class and there are so many seasoned competitors.”
Coming in Reserve in this competitive class was Taylor Dixon riding My Sensational Cookie. Rounding out the top three was Leroy Poignant riding Ill Be Sensational. The Intermediate winner was Meredith Milton with Sensational Luxury, and the Reserve Intermediate winner was Madison Ketchum with Vr Tommy Go Te.
14-18 Trail
1-Zips Juan Pat Star/Kim Shidler
2-My Sensational Cookie/Taylor Dixon
3-Ill Be Sensational/Leroy Poignant
4-Zippos Paycheck/Brogan Horton
5-Suddenly Cool Zippo/Haylee Schoonover
14-18 Trail (Intermediate)
1- Sensational Luxury/Meredith Milton
2-Vr Tommy Go Te/Madison Ketchum
3-Chasinthesensation/
4-My Cowboy Cadillac/Sarah Orsak
5-Dun Hotroddin/Jesse Jones
