Like Mother, Like Son, How Bout At Midnight Claims 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure World Championship With Gil Galyean

By: Brittany Bevis

Just like his mother before him, the chestnut gelding named How Bout At Midnight has won a World Champion title in 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show with Gil Galyean in the saddle. Galyean presented “Jack” on behalf of owner Fritz Leeman, who happens to own both Jack’s sire and dam.

“He is by How Bout This Cowboy, who I showed here four or five years ago and was Reserve World Champion with,” Galyean says. “Then, his mother is a mare we won the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure with here called OnlyGoodTilMidnight. The Leeman family owns them both, and this is the foal.”

“They sent him to us last year at the Congress, and he’s been a great horse to train. He’s real comfortable to ride and has a lot of self-carriage. He is a big, strong horse.”

Just a few weeks ago, Galyean piloted Jack to a Reserve Champion finish in the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Galyean and Jack placed second behind assistant Aaron Moses with For One Knight Only. Here, the two flipped spots with Rusty Green in the saddle for owner Capital Quarter Horses LLC.

“The one that Rusty was second on is the one we had, so they’d been stablemates all year,” Galyean says. “It was kind of neat to see them be first and second like that.”

“This is a real strong group. At the Congress, between the Coughlin, the Stakes, and the non-pro class, there were probably 130 two-year-olds shown there. The training has really leveled up, and everybody has a pretty clear understanding of what we are shooting for. I thought this was a very competitive class.”

Jack’s owner Fritz Leeman wasn’t able to attend the World Show to watch his horse’s performance this evening. However, he has already received the good news. “Fritz wasn’t here when I won on his mother, so I think it was kind of superstitious!” Galyean says.

In other World Show news, the Oklahoma City Leading Owner Award was presented to Vern Habighorst, who had nine horses qualify that competed in 18 classes and earned 122 points. The Oklahoma City Reserve Leading Owner Award was presented to Kelli and Steve Jensen; the couple had six horses qualify.

2-Year-Old Western Pleasure–

1-How Bout At Midnight/Gil Galyean

2-For One Knight Only/Rusty Green

3-No Doubt I’m Trouble/Maggie Grandquist

4-HP Only Lazy/Ray Riddle

5-A Lazy Holiday/Kristy Starnes

6-Ona Good Cowboy/Randy Wilson

7-Justa Machine/Wade Black

8-Lazy Holla Dayz/Ty Hornick

9-Simply My Goodbar/Brad Ost

10-Ever So Sudden/Karen Hornick