Best Friends, Rogers and Fortenberry, Share First and Second in AjPHA 14-18 Trail
Drew Rogers and Anne-Marie Fortenberry celebrate after learning they are the World and Reserve World Champions in 14-18 Trail.
By: Brittany Bevis
Drew Rogers and Shez Eye Candy, aka “Fran,” loped to the front of the line this morning in the first class of the day at the 2014 AjPHA Youth World Show, 14-18 Trail. Coming in a close second behind the World Champion was the Reserve team, Anne-Marie Fortenberry with The Only Kiss To Envy. The best friends were thrilled that they could share their big moment in the spotlight together.
“She’s my best friend,” Drew says. “We were first and second back in 2010, and we’ve always talked about being first and second again. We talked about it and thought we were both good in the class, so maybe it would happen. Then, when it did, it was the best feeling ever to have my best friend by me sharing it.”
Thus far at the show, Drew has won a Reserve World Champion title in 14-18 Western Riding, fifth place finish in 14-18 Equitation, and an eighth place finish in 14-18 Showmanship with “Fran.” She also received a fourth place finish in 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle with Gotta Be Sensational, aka “Joey.”
Drew’s little sister, Alexa, has been doing quite well also claiming two World Champion titles and a Reserve Champion title in the walk-trot division with her horses, Sonny Dee Zippin and Gotta Be Sensational. In a fun turn of events, Alexa won the Walk-Trot Trail yesterday with Sonny Dee Zippin.
“She’s been giving me a hard time about how many she’s won and that I haven’t won that many yet,” she says. “I told her I’m catching up now! It’s nice to see her win some stuff too.”
Drew was very pleased with Fran’s performance throughout a challenging course, especially the lope-overs and back-through.
“I thought she felt really good,” Drew says. “She was kind of afraid of the big trees in the back, but Ryan [Painter] told me to keep my legs on her and she would be ok. Her best [obstacle] is probably the lope-overs, because she rocks through them. The back-through is our hardest thing, but today it felt really good and it flowed easily.”
Up next, Drew will compete in 14-18 Horsemanship this afternoon and 14-18 Western Pleasure tomorrow. Since her pre-competition ritual seems to be working so far, she plans to continue it throughout the rest of the show.
“I give Fran a Tootsie Roll pop, and I get a little pep talk from my Dad.”
Anne-Marie Fortenberry and The Only Kiss To Envy.
14-18 Trail-
1-Shez Eye Candy/Drew Rogers
2-The Only Kiss To Envy/Anne-Marie Fortenberry
3-Onesensationalcowgirl/
4-A Subtle Impulse/Meredith Milton
5-Total Assets/Kristina Hermanson
Intermediate-
1-Onesensationalcowgirl/
2-A Subtle Impulse/Meredith Milton
3-Total Assets/Kristina Hermanson
4-Krymsunized/Kylee John
