Haberkorn and VR KnockYour SocksOff Are Unanimous in APHA Masters Amateur Trail For Second Year in a Row

By: Brittany Bevis

For the second year in a row, Melissa Haberkorn was named the unanimous World Champion in Masters Amateur Trail at the 2015 APHA World Championship Show. Coming in Reserve in the class was Pamela Heisinger with Sensational Cookie. Third place was Wendy Hull with All Star Sensation. Fourth place was Coleen Bull with Timeless Assets. Rounding out the top five was Lisa Lopez with Classic Model T.

Melissa was thrilled to have a repeat win in the class this afternoon and to top it all off be the unanimous choice of the judges once again. “It’s very exciting!” she says. Melissa’s partner for the class was her 16-year-old gelding named “Sockers.”

Trail is by far Melissa and Socker’s favorite event to compete in together. “I’m fortunate that he’s really careful with his legs,” Melissa says. “He was very careful in his walk overs today. He loves Trail. It’s his favorite class.”

“My favorite parts [of the pattern today] were the pinwheel lope overs and the trot through serpentines. He was bending really well today, and he gets down and hunts the poles. It’s easier to ride a horse that hunts for the poles, by all means. I think it was a very well laid out pattern, and it was very flowing. Robert [Dehn] did a great job designing the course, as always.”

This isn’t the first, or even second, time that Melissa and Sockers have received an unanimous placing from the judges. Earlier last week, they were the unanimous World Champions in Masters Amateur Showmanship. They also placed fourth in Masters Amateur Horsemanship.

On Wednesday, Melissa is very excited to compete in Amateur Ranch Riding. “It’s really hard, but it’s fun! I think it’s harder because your horse is more forward moving [than performance events] but Sockers loves it! He thinks he’s getting away with murder… It gets a little crazy because you have to run and do lead changes, and I have to hold him back sometimes!”

In the Amateur Yearling In-Hand Trail the World Champion was Nicole Dalton with Kruzen N Blue Jeans. The Reserve Champion was Laura Alloway with Lopin To The Party. Third place was Pamela Switzer with Low Down N Lazy. Fourth place was Dawn Marx with Dun It Up Good. Rounding out the top five was Malisah Moravitz with A Victorious Legacy.