Taylor Luneack Wins First Open World Championship With WR Game Day in APHA Weanling Stallions

By: Brittany Bevis

Young assistant trainer, Taylor Luneack, achieved a milestone this morning at the 2013 APHA World Show when he led WR Game Day to a win in Weanling Stallions for new owner, Stephanie Fimmen. Originally, Luneack hadn’t planned to show a horse in the class this morning, but a last-minute purchase by a client necessitated that he step in.

“Jason [Smith] and Olin [Parker] have a customer that just bought him the other day,” Luneack says. “They both had one [for the class], so they let me show him and it worked out.”

Just a few days ago, previous owner, Kay Wilson, led the weanling colt by APHA stallion, TD Kid, to a Reserve Championship finish in Amateur Weanling Stallions. Today, Luneack was at the lead for new owner, Stephanie Fimmen. The first opportunity Luneack had to work with the young colt was this morning in the warm-up pen.

“He was really good,” Luneack says. “He was a little looky out there. We got in the back of the pen, so it wasn’t the best spot. But, he showed really good and looked forward the whole time. He’s big and mature. He’s good legged, and he’s so pretty in his head and neck. He was ready.”

Luneack started out showing APHA halter horses as a youth competitor under the guidance of Olin Parker and Clint Fullerton. For the past three years, he has worked for Parker helping to fit and show their lineup of Champion halter horses. Ending up at the top of a class with industry greats such as Ross Roark, Jason Smith, Olin Parker, Terry Sartain, Fred Tabor, JT Mitchell, and the like was a thrilling experience for Luneack. In a word, he describes it as “intimidating.”

“It’s very intimidating,” he says. “But, it was really cool. I knew I had a good horse, but you never know with those names… They are good at what they do!”

Luneack was greeted outside the pen by a large group of fans and well-wishers eager to congratulate him on his first World Champion title in the Open division. Ever the taskmaster, Parker had a few words for his protégé.

“Great job, now let’s get back to work,” Parker says. “He’s got a shot at a few more today!”

Weanling Stallions-

1-Wr Game Day/Taylor Luneack

2-Financial Securitee/Ray Barton

3-Burning Style/Jason Smith

4-Cool Addiction/JT Mitchell

5-Grand Slam Kid/Ross Roark

6-Evenger/Olin Parker

7-Rjn Imaginemewithu/Aaron Hall

8-He’s Too Cool To Play/Terry Sartain

9-CK Kid/Fred Tabor

Weanling Solid Paint Bred Stallions- 

1-Hes Just Cool/Terry Sartain

2- Intense I Am/Tim Finkenbinder

3- Makin Mayhem/Joshua Larman

4- CK Backdraft/David Breitberg

5-TK Diamond/Goose Ballard

6-Im The Coolest Kid/Stephen Morse

7-TH The After Partee/Matthew Henderson

8- He’s Simply Charming/Jodi Finkenbinder

9- FF Executor/Floyd Danley

10-Dwl Kid Telusified/Germ Christensen