Bob Kail and Let’s Shake Em Up Win Performance Halter Geldings at 2013 AQHA World Show

By: Brittany Bevis

Bob Kail and Let’s Shake Em Up did just that this morning at the 2013 AQHA World Show in a hotly contested Open Performance Halter Geldings class of 21 entries. Kail was at the lead of “Riley,” a bay gelding by Innovation Only and out of JR Fancy Can Zip, for Betty Watt of Elbert, Colorado.

Kail had to hurry off to compete in the next Performance Halter Mares class, so we took a little time to chat with horse trainer, Chad Evans, to find out more about the recently crowned World Champion.

“Riley is a real successful trail and western riding horse,” Evans says. “He probably has a couple hundred points in those events. He is a real cool loper.”

This is the first win of the week for Riley, but he’s not done yet. Tomorrow evening, he will be competing in the Junior Trail finals with Evans in the saddle, as well as the Junior Western Riding later on in the week. As a fellow judge, trainer, and competitor, Evans is thrilled that a horse competing in other events here at the World Show could win such a competitive performance halter class.

“I think it’s awesome,” he says. “I love that one that’s competing in other events here, and is doing well, gets to be the World Champion.”

This is certainly not the first time that Riley has found success in the performance halter pen. Bob Kail was at the lead for Watt and Evans at the 2012 Quarter Horse Congress. Watt showed Riley at the AQHA Adequan Select World Show earlier this year and was named the World Champion. The year prior, they claimed the Reserve World Champion spot.

“Bob showed him at the Congress for us last year, and I thought they were a really good match,” he says. “They looked good together, and Bob does such a great job of showing him and getting him [to look] real pretty through his neck. Riley didn’t go to the Congress since I judged this year, but he did last year and won the Limited and was [fourth] in the Open [Performance Halter Geldings].”

“Betty had some stuff she had to do today, but she is getting here tomorrow to watch the trail finals and the western riding.”

To close out this interview, Evans left us with his thoughts about what makes Riley so successful in performance halter.

“He is so well balanced, and he’s not an extreme on either end,” he says. “He isn’t huge, but he isn’t small. He sits right in the middle, and he’s so stinking pretty. He’s a great color, and he’s good in his head and his neck. I think those are the things that really make him stand out. He appeals to a lot of judges.”

Performance Halter Geldings–

1-Let’s Shake Em Up/Bob Kail

2-Flashy Invite/Jason Smith

3-Southwestern Gunman/Ross Roark

4-Upgrade To Escalade/Buddy Laney

5-Remarkable Can/Bruce Walquist

6-Huntin Big Dreams/Jeffrey Pait

7-Im Plumb Obvious/Doug Landon

8-Gota Lota Rain/Chris Thompson

9-Cool Krymsun Zip/Ted Turner

10- Absolute Best Asset/Monte Horn

Intermediate-

1-Arts Sweetobascobay/Michael Hoyt

2-PF Put It In Park/Michael Colvin

3-Rock Star Elusion/Jenna Mickelson