Returning Champs, Hillary Roberts and Whatscookingoodlookin, Win AQHYA Western Pleasure
Is that a World Champion smile or what!
By: Brittany Bevis
The returning World Champions were in fine form this evening at the 2014 AQHYA World Show. Last year’s Western Pleasure World Champion team, Hillary Roberts and Whatscookingoodlookin, entered the winner’s circle once again. This time, they were the unanimous choice of the judges.
“I’m really glad to finish strong at the Youth World,” Roberts says. “It means a lot. It was not so much an expectation, but I wanted to show and exhibit the same way I did last year. I feel like she was about as good as I could’ve asked for last year, and I wanted to come back again and get the same kind of ride.”
“Being unanimous is even better than just winning the class! I’m really glad the judges liked what they saw. I really tried and the horse tried for me. Rusty and Katie worked really hard with me all year, so it’s really nice.”
In similar form to her performance from last year, Roberts and “Candi” chose to show primarily off the rail. That decision seemed to work well with the multiple gait extensions that were called for by the judges.
“I did that last year a little bit too,” she says. “If I feel really confident about a gait, I don’t want to get hidden and stuck on the rail, so I just pull off and try to show the best I can. I feel like it’s an extra bonus for a pleasure horse that doesn’t have to be stuck on the rail.”
“I was really nervous last year. This year, especially because I did well in Trail, I wanted to do well at the Youth World again. I wanted to go in, have a good ride, and get what I wanted out of my horse. Winning was just gravy.”
The next discipline on the agenda for this duo is western riding. Roberts hopes to compete with Candi at the upcoming All American Quarter Horse Congress in their new class.
Western Pleasure
1-Whatscookingoodlookin/
2-Only Because Im Good/Erin Mask
3-One Lazy Investment/Virginia Owen
4-A Certain Illusion/Abbey Rawlings
5-The Only Story/Madison Beasley
6-The Party Starts Now/Matthew Labrie
7-Blazinmytroublesaway/Deanna Green
8-Sheza Home Wrecker/Hannah Wiese
9-Certainly Inspired/Austin Green
10-Sleepinwithmybootson/Sarah Orsak
