EC Blog- By Morning, Stall Cleaner. By Noon, AQHA L1 West Champion!

EC Blog by: Jane Jacklin

Corin Lamont- By morning, stall cleaner. By noon, Level 1 Champion.

It’s 4 am and the barn is quiet. There’s not a soul in sight, except Corin Lamont, and trainer, Jando Guerra. Corin was at the stalls at 4 am cleaning and getting horses ready with her trainer for English day here at the AQHA Level 1 Championship West. This is Corin’s first Level 1 Championship show, AND her first AQHA horse show. Ever. Corin came with Jando to get the full experience- from cleaning stalls, to helping barn-mates get horses ready, to showing herself!

Corin showed Guess Who’s Hot “Big Momma” in the Youth Walk/Trot Hunter Under Saddle. Corin is not new to the horse show scene, by any means. “I’ve been riding horses since I could walk; but this, this horse show is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” she says  as she gives Big Momma a pat on the neck. “I used to show FFA. My mom actually trained with Jando when she was my age; so, when my mom thought I was ready to step up, she called Jando.”

The 18.1 hand mare by Hot Ones Only is owned by Jando and Michele Guerra, who thought the mare and Corin could be a good match. So, the day before entries were due, Jando put Corin on top of Big Momma, and she rode around the arena like a champ.

I asked Corin to provide her first thoughts as she pulled into the South Point Equestrian Center. “First, I was just in awe of this world class facility. Then, as we started unloading and seeing everyone else arrive, I became pretty overwhelmed. There were A LOT of people with really nice horses. I couldn’t believe I was here showing among them.” Corin did her best not to let nerves get the best of her, and focused on getting Big Momma ready to show.

Jando reminisces, “I’ve know Corin since she was born. I held her when she was two days old, so to say this kid makes me feel sentimental is an understatement. She works very hard for what she has, and I wanted to give her the opportunity to be a superstar.” Hard work always pays off. Corin and Big Momma walked away as the Level 1 Champions in Youth Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle. “When I was showing, I tuned everyone else out, but Jando, and I just focused on my horse and my spot on the rail. Being 18.1, she stands out in the pen. I just need to make sure I put her in the right spots so I can really show her at the trot.”

Corin finished off the interview with a huge thank you to Jando Guerra, who is not only a trainer, but like an uncle to her. “I would also like to give a huge shout out to barn-mate Katie Rathburn, who is another first-timer here at Level 1 and gave me so many words of encouragement before I went into the pen. I’m so lucky to have her as a barn-mate, so we can experience this together.”

Stay tuned to www.EquineChronicle.com for more coming from the AQHA L1 Championship West.