On The Cover: JR Cook and Line Up Behind
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By Brittany Bevis
Line Up Behind. It’s a cheeky name that has proven to be somewhat prophetic during the past year or so, as this talented 4-year-old gelding has been piloted by owner, JR Cook, and trainer, Cole Baker, to win almost every major show circuit in the country. The big, beautiful, bay named “Calvin” is by VS Flatline and out of Shes Immortal. He was purchased by the Cook family from Capital Quarter Horses, LLC, after the AQHA World Show in 2019, and they’ve had immense success ever since.
“We first saw him during his two-year-old year at the NSBA World when Hillary Roberts was still showing him,” JR says. “At the time, we weren’t looking for a horse for me. We were trying to get the kids started showing their horses. But I saw him and thought he was such a nice horse. He was big and pretty with tons of natural self-carriage, rhythm, and cadence. He looked like the real deal.”
JR’s initial impression was confirmed ten times over as the duo has won or been reserve at almost every show they’ve competed at during their early career as a team. “We’ve been very fortunate. During his three-year-old year, he won or was reserve in every class we went in. At the 2020 NSBA World Show, I was reserve in all my three-year-old classes, and Cole Baker was reserve in the open. We won all our classes at the Arizona Fall Championship and Tom Powers. Then, Cole was reserve in L3 Junior Western Pleasure, and I was reserve in L2 Amateur Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show.”
Their success continued into 2021. “Cole has won almost every Junior Western Pleasure class this year. I won in the amateur at the March To The Arch, Big A, GA On My Mind, and WEC show. At the NSBA World Show this year, I won the Amateur Western Pleasure and the BCF 4-6-Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, and Cole was reserve in the Open Maturity.”
