Cheryl Mullikin Wins Select WP With KM Call Me Honey, Aaron Moses and Lope With Grace Win 2-Year-Old Maiden WP

By: Brittany Bevis

Two big Western Pleasure Champions were crowned this evening at the 2017 All American Quarter Horse Congress. First up, Cheryl Mullikin showed KM Call Me Honey to win Select Western Pleasure. The Reserve Champion was Richard Carr with I Will Be A Good RV. Third was Marilyn Masterson with KM Weknowsheshot. Fourth was William Cox with Sleep Machine. Fifth was Bill Cosentino with Hot Lopin Goodbar.

Cheryl has shown her 6-year-old mare, “Honey Bee,” for the past two years. This is their first Congress Championship title earned as a team, but not Cheryl’s first. She won the 3-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure Futurity in 2009 with Extremely Hot Chips, a stallion she thinks might be a good cross on Honey Bee.

“We’ve kicked around the idea of pulling some embryos next year. We will still show her, just not the schedule that we normally do. Extremely Hot Chips used to be mine, so that would be fun! I love him to death. We’re figuring it all out.”

Honey Bee is by RL Best Of Sudden. She’s currently leading the nation in overall standings for Senior Western Pleasure with trainer, Wade Black, who will show the mare at the upcoming AQHA World Show. Cheryl and Honey Bee didn’t make it to the Select World this year, but last year they were named the Reserve Champions. Looking to the future, Cheryl thinks it might be exciting to try a few new events.

“Earlier this year, I did Trail, which I love, and Horsemanship, but I sold that horse, so we haven’t done it since Scottsdale. My second time out, I was the circuit champion in L1 Select Trail. I would like to do that again someday.”

Next up, Aaron Moses rode Lope With Grace to a big win in the 2-Year-Old Maiden Western Pleasure. The Reserve Champion was also the Limited Champion yesterday, Clay Arrington with Get Radical In My RV. Third was Gil Galyean with Made A Uturn. Fourth was Kenny Lakins with Makin Me Willy Wild. Fifth was Pat Heeley with Slepinwiththeliteson.

Aaron has had “Ellie” in the barn since the first of March. She’s by Lazy Loper and out of Gifted Invitation, a mare her owner, Halle Saywell-Baldwin, used to show in Western Pleasure Maturity events. “Rob Foster put a good start on her. I got her in March and have kept going with her. She’s gotten better all year.”

“I never rode Halle’s mare, but she’s a really nice horse, and I always enjoyed watching her. They are different styles of horses, I think. Obviously, she’s passed along good genes. She’s really fluid and exotic with her legs. She’s a big strong horse.”

Aaron and Ellie received a check for $13,569 for their maiden win tonight. Just a few classes prior, Halle showed Ellie to place eighth in the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes. Aaron was confident enough in his maiden horse’s preparation that he felt she would do just fine showing in near back-to-back classes with two different riders.

“She’s been really good here. Nothing bothers her. She settles in really easy. She’s always better at horse shows than she is at home for some reason.”