Blake Weis and Cool Cruzen Lady Score 225 to Win L1 Western Riding

By: Brittany Bevis

Blake Weis rode a beautiful, bay, roan filly named Cool Cruzen Lady to win L1 Western Riding this morning at the 2017 All American Quarter Horse Congress. Blake and “Hazel” score a 225 to win the class for owner, Jane Humes.

Competing against some horses nearly twice her age, Hazel is just three years old. Earlier this year, she won Junior Western Riding and BCF Limited 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show. The Congress is only her fourth horse show this year.

“I started showing her at at the Redbud, just to get her feet wet, and then we went to Georgia, just to get her qualified,” Blake says. “Then, we went to the NSBA World and here!”

What is it about Hazel that convinced Blake she would be able to compete in the classes against much more seasoned horses? “She’s so good-minded. It’s easy for her,” he says.

“She’s a freak!” Jane adds. “That’s the best way to describe her,” Blake agrees. “She’s so smart. She can do anything. She’d rather be out of her stall; because, when she’s in her stall, she just sleeps all the time.”

Jane is extremely proud of her baby winning her first Congress Championship title at such a young age. “I saw her one time last year at the AQHA World Show, showing in 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure, and I thought, ‘That’s a Western Rider.’ It really give me faith in my ability to pick a horse who’d never done a change before! I learned that from Jason Martin.”

Coming up next, Blake and Hazel will show in the Junior Trail and 3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Futurity.

The Reserve Champion was Brad Ost with Red Label. Third was Shannon Gillespie with BMQ The Jig Is Up. Fourth was Tyler Schultz. Fifth was Gil Galyean with On My Level. Sixth was Mandy Gately with Suddenly Single.