Chris Holbin – A Real Game-Changer

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56 – March/April, 2018

BY SUSAN WINSLOW

When trainer Chris Holbin entered the show pen on VS Game Changer at the 2017 Quarter Horse Congress, he had no idea that his mount’s name would be the underlying theme of his entire show, and life. Heading into the pen for Junior Western Riding, he had faith in Kathy Tobin’s talented gelding, but he had no idea he was about to earn the biggest win of his career. The duo outshone some of the country’s top horse and rider combinations to win the class. That win has catapulted the career of this dedicated young horseman, and he can now add Congress Champion to his multiple APHA World Champion honors. Chris says modestly, “Jim and Deanna Searles gave me the chance to work with this wonderful horse, and it’s been great to see how well he’s come along.”

If the thrill of winning his first Congress title wasn’t enough, Chris had another game changing moment at the Congress when he proposed to his girlfriend, Shannon Curl, who is an assistant trainer with Rusty Green Show Horses. He recalls with a laugh, “I had the perfect night all planned out, but when horses are involved, things don’t always go according to plan. I had looked for the perfect ring for a long time, and I was just waiting for the right moment to ask her. In fact, I had the ring in my pocket when I won my Congress title. I found the perfect restaurant, asked Shannon to get her makeup done by the show’s makeup artist, and planned to pop the question over a romantic dinner when the show ended that day. But of course, the show ran long, we missed our reservation, and that plan didn’t exactly work out. But I was determined, so I found another restaurant called Marcela’s. We finally made it out to dinner, and I surprised her with the ring. She said yes!”

The couple will be married September 7, 2018. If Game Changer’s name wasn’t omniscient enough about Chris’s win and engagement, it also foreshadows an exciting career change. After working for some of the top horsemen in the industry, Chris has opened his own business, Holbin Show Horses, which will focus on Futurity and All-Around horses and will be based in Pilot Point, Texas. He’s very excited about this new venture, saying, “This is the culmination of years of hard work, and it’s a dream I’ve always had. I really enjoy working with clients, from youth to amateur and select. I enjoy helping them find the right horse and developing their skills and confidence to reach their goals. I love finding a horse, figuring out where that horse’s talent lies, and developing that horse into a winner. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked for and learned from some of the best people in this business, and I’m incredibly blessed to be able to make a career in something I’m passionate about.”

Click here to read the complete article
56 – March/April, 2018