Cleve Wells and Colman Win Congress Green Western Pleasure

By: Brittany Bevis

Kicking off the Western Pleasure classes here at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, Cleve Wells rode Colman to win Green Western Pleasure this afternoon for owner Linda Ball Sargent. Colman has been in Cleve’s barn for quite some time, but only became Linda’s horse last week.

“Jerry Kimmel raised him,” Linda says. “He is out of Zippos Erin and by Certain Potential. I’ve been wanting this horse since he was a two-year-old, and we just bought him last week!”

There’s some Cleve legacy that goes along with this particular line, because Cleve rode Colman’s mother, Zippos Erin, to win a Congress Championship title in Senior Western Pleasure, years ago. Now, her son has won a tough Green Western Pleasure class as a four-year-old and has his eyes set on the finals of the Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure.

The pair has prior success. Cleve and Colman were named the Reserve Champions in Green Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show and third in the Novice Horse class recently in St. Louis, but the gelding hasn’t quite completely fulfilled Cleve’s expectations, until today.

“He’s had a nice year, but I can’t say it’s been everything I’d hoped for. But, I know I’ve got a good horse, and that’s why you don’t mind the little bumps and bruises along the way. You’ve just got to stay true. If you thought he was good when he was two, then you’ve got to put as much time in when he’s four. Don’t weaken.”

Cleve is a big fan of this gelding because his conformation makes him perfectly-suited for his job. “What I like is his withers are as high as his hip, even for young horse. It’s extremely easy for this horse to do his job, so my job is just taking care of manners. That’s what I’ve really enjoyed and that’s what we consider our top end is when we can manage the god-given talents that their parents gave them and not intervene and try to make something better.”

For Cleve, he doesn’t particularly mind if a horse isn’t ready to show until it’s three, four, or even five. “If it’s a good horse, it’s worth letting them come to it on their own.”

For a young horse, Colman had an exhausting day with four trips into the show pen. It was because of the strenuous schedule that Cleve decided not to over-prepare his horse. “He was getting a hair tired,” Cleve says. “I came out in the first cut, so we had two runs back to back. We had to ease into it, and we were a little shaky the first two runs, just with his attention span. Then, after the third run, I came back to let him go to the restroom and told Linda that we’re right where we want to be.”

Following his run in the finals of the Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Western Pleasure, Colman may show in Junior Western Pleasure, or he might not. “Junior is optional; if he can handle it, good; if not, he’s done what we set out to do already. The rest is just icing on the cake.”

We asked Cleve how long it’s been since he’s ridden into the winner’s circle at the Congress, and here’s what he had to say. “Well… that’s how long it’s been. I don’t know! It’s been a while… It’s a good feeling.”

“The trainers that are the ones out there winning have superior confidence. There are so many good trainers, and all they need is a little bit of confidence and a pat on the back from the peers they respect. That gives you that confidence, and it’s hard to beat confidence.”