There is another reason that Thurston’s smiling face was also filled with tears this afternoon. What sparked the initial conversation was a pink breast cancer pin she wore on her hunt coat during the class.

“She’s really good in her neck, and she’s really tight-built. You really don’t have to worry about making her go slow. She just goes slow naturally.”

The crowd applauded a touching moment when Starnes’ proud husband gave his wife a kiss while she was still on horseback.

“Her neck is a mile long. It’s really clean, and that right there will set a show horse apart from the rest of them.”

UPDATE: Just moments ago, Susan Roberts piloted Only A Breeze to a win in the Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes.

UPDATE: It turns out that Monica Hamm’s decision to show her aged gelding, RPL My Te Cheerful, was the right choice. Just moments ago, she won the Grand Champion title in Youth Geldings. With some assistance from her little sister, Kaylee, Hamm also won the Reserve title with Boys N Toys.

“Willy is a beautiful mover and has some of the prettiest lope-overs you’ll see. He’s a very soft-moving horse and very pretty and expressive over the poles. It’s an attractive picture overall.”

“She gets a little nervous in the ring, but we work it out,” Jensen says. “I just talk to her and say, ‘good girl,’ and keeping telling her she’s doing good.