Margaret Carter/Coos Me In The Dark, Erin Mask/Sheza Te Coolest Kid Win Aged Halter Classes at 2018 AQHA Youth World

By: Brittany Bevis

The first two World Champions of the 2018 AQHA Youth World Show have been crowned. Although these were Aged Halter classes, consisting of primarily seasoned horses, both of today’s winners were new to the winner’s circle, at least here in Oklahoma City.

First up, Erin Mask led Sheza Te Coolest Kid to win Youth Aged Mares. The Reserve Champion was Nathan Wright with Lookin For Romance. Third was Bailee Yount with Equities. Fourth was Calyn Halvorson with Intended Too.

Last year, Erin led her six-year-old mare, named “Martha,” to a third place finish. Then, the pair claimed a Reserve Championship at the Quarter Horse Congress. This year, Erin was hoping to keep the upward trend going and claim the top spot. Martha stays in training with Todd Grant, but Erin also relies on guidance from her “tag-team” of trainers.

“At the bigger shows, Jason Smith, Ted Turner, and Mitch Leonarski all help me too,” she says. “I usually turn around and they’re all there! They help me with feet alignment and remind me about not letting her rest her feet.”

Unlike many horses that get more nervous at the horse show, Erin says Martha is the exact opposite. “At home, she’s a little goofy. She different at home; but, when she’s at a show, she really chills out. She’s sweet, and she loves to show. She had her ears up the whole time today. I set her up a couple of different times, just to get her attention a little better. I was hoping for a win, but I wasn’t expecting one, really. When they called out second, I thought maybe I didn’t get placed!”

Erin believes Martha’s best qualities are her pretty face and feminine muscles. She’s hoping to breed her mare in the future. “I think she would be a good mom. I just told my mom that yesterday, actually!”

Tomorrow, Erin will show Dunn Gunnin in 2-Year-Old Geldings. Later on in the show, she has two Trail horses to campaign with Tommy Sheets: Justa Machine and A Chrome Cookie. She also has two Ranch Riding horses with Mike Keller: Figured in Vegas and Starlight Cash SL.

Next up, Margaret Carter led her 5-year-old gelding, Coos Me In The Dark, to win her first AQHA Youth World Championship in Aged Geldings at her last Youth World. Margaret and “Kobe” were the Reserve Champions last year. They were also the Reserve Champions and Reserve Grand Champions at the Quarter Horse Congress. She was really hoping for a golden globe to close out her final year in youth competition.

“Honestly, this morning, I was super nervous,” she says. “We’ve been watching all these horses throughout the year. I’ve showed against probably half of them, and we haven’t been having great luck at weekend shows, so it was pretty cool to see us walk away on top.”

Margaret credits Kobe’s beautiful head, huge hip, and sleek coat as attributes that help him stand out to the judges. “He always has his ears up, and his coat is really shiny, so it makes people notice him. He flashes.”

Kobe’s shiny coat wasn’t the only thing about this team that attracted attention in the stands. A big hit was Margaret’s outfit, which has a special story behind it. She picked up the pinstriped jacket on a 13-day, 5-city trip to Italy this summer, which was a graduation present from her parents.

“I already had an outfit for the Youth World, but I wasn’t in love with it. I didn’t think it was the right thing, and I wanted to look my best. I kept my eyes open when we were walking around. I ended up finding it in a little store in Siena, Italy, called Luisa Spagnoli. I walked in there and I knew it was the one. I already had the blue hat.”

Coming up tomorrow, Margaret will lead her other Halter horse, Sweep Me Away, in Three-Year-Old Mares, and “Mia” has a little secret… she’s very pregnant!

The Reserve Champion in Aged Geldings was Eli Ronk with Ima Cool Catch. Third was Katie Leonarski with Vincenzo Zini. Fourth was Audrey Cole with DMM Secret Sensation. Fifth was Jenna Engle with Coolsified Secret.