Top 2 in L2 AmateurTrail go to Circle S Ranch: Cathy Corrigan Frank/Hanks A Skip N Zippo and Trevor Johns/I Gotta Good Name
Trevor and Sampson with Cathy and Hank
By: Brittany Bevis
Circle S Ranch dominated the Level 2 Amateur Trail class this evening snagging the top two spots with Cathy Corrigan Frank and Hanks A Skip n Zippo taking first and Trevor Johns with I Gotta Good Name placing second. The competition was tight with only one point separating the top two teams. Cathy and “Hank” scored a 224.5 for the win and were followed by Trevor and “Sampson” with a 223.5.
Cathy regularly competes on multiple Trail horses, but her favorite has to be her longtime partner of ten years, Hank. (Don’t tell the others…)
Hank is a 15-year-old gelding by Zippos Sheik and out of Sittin On The Edge. This is his first win at a World Show with Cathy. Just a few months ago, Cathy and Hank were named the Reserve Champions in Trail at the Select World Show. However, despite their recent success, preparations for today’s class were a bit rocky.
“I was having issues with sitting up, sitting back, shoving my legs forward, freaking out, and having a nervous breakdown!” Cathy says. “Everything was falling apart and I was thinking what the ___ am I doing here. But, Jim [Searles] is a very ride-what-you-get kind of person.”
Luckily, Cathy and Hank were able to push through the pre-class jitters to turn out an excellent performance. “We did have a few rubs; but, when I won at the Congress, we had a few ticks too. I think he makes up a lot of points in between obstacles because he’s so soft and easy. I ride him on a draped rein, and he does his thing. He gets points that erase those ticks.”
Trevor Johns made a triumphant return to the show pen with a second place finish aboard the 19-year-old gelding the Johns’ family calls “Sampson.” “We’ve had him since he was a junior horse, and he’s been a special horse for all of us. Jim won the World with him, as well as my mom, and he’s kind of piggybacked my brother and I around over the years. There’s an elite three or four horses in my mother’s career thats she’s really loved, and he’s up there.”
Trevor has prior wins in this discipline: at the Youth World with Jet Set Spots in 2005 and a Reserve finish in Amateur Trail in 2008 with New Lark In Town. However, this is his first time back after an eight-year absence. “I’ve definitely noticed a change in Trail, in some of the patterns and the things that are required of horses, like in the Senior finals when they had to open a mailbox. Also, the degree of difficulty and the quality of horses now has changed. It gets more competitive every day, I’d say.”
Cathy and Hank
Like Cathy and Hank, everything wasn’t just smooth sailing from the beginning for Trevor and Sampson. Quite the opposite, in fact. “Actually, my first penalty was on the very first trot log, which we hit.” While that might rattle most competitors, Trevor let us in on the secret to maintaining his composure. “That usually would bother me. But, for the most part, since I’ve just started showing again, I’m just so happy and appreciative to be here. I have that mentality because I don’t show and ride every day, so I don’t put that pressure on myself. I don’t expect to be perfect.”
“I know the rider I am and the rider that I’m capable of being, since I’ve ridden since before I could walk. That’s something I use a special tool, for me, internally, when I show.”
Coming up on Thursday night, Trevor will join his brother, Jeffrey, along with 18 other riders in the L3 Amateur Trail Finals. “I get to show with my brother, and that’s one of the best things. Today was kind of a flashback to Senior Trail last week with Deanna winning and Jim being third. I’m hoping we can keep that trend going!
Third place in L2 Trail was Caroline Rogers with So Dang Lazy. Fourth was Christine Sceets with Intangible Award. Fifth was Nicole Eby with Ima Diamond Loper.
The following horse and rider teams will return for the Level 3 Trail finals on Thursday.
- Elizabeth Rinder/Hot Rockin Potential
- Christina Szabados/Invest Ina Machine
- Trevor Johns/I Gotta Good Name
- Caroline Ammons/Ginnin
- Brianna Haeckl/Good Time Cruzin
- Rebecca Wood/Im The Best Cowboy
- Taylor Brown/Absolute Best Asset
- Hillary Roberts/Chrome on My Zipper
- Candy Bava/A Special Kinda Love
- Angela Wade/One Hot Drama Mama
- Cole Gower/She Made It Happen
- Alyssa Neiberger/Credits For Heaven
- Hayley Saul/Putadrinkinmyhand
- Christine Sceets/Intangible Award
- Brittany Morgan/Lil Bit Western
- Darcy Reeve/Ima Petite Classic
- Caroline Rogers/So Dang Lazy
- Parris Rice/Hez Pretty Extreme
- Angela Wade/Dress This
- Jeffrey Johns/Lopin For A Chex
