Julie Kirsch and The Only Story Win Amateur Equitation During First Trip to AQHA World

By: Brittany Bevis

Julie Kirsch achieved a big milestone this evening winning The Equine Chronicle Amateur Equitation aboard her 12-year-old gelding, The Only Story. Julie and “Cole” have qualified for the World Show for the past two years in a row, but this is the first time she’s had the opportunity to come to Oklahoma City to compete. “This year, I was determined!” she says.

Julie and “Cole” were named the Reserve Champions in Amateur Equitation L2 just the other day. Later on in the show, they will compete in Amateur Horsemanship and Level 2 Amateur Western Pleasure.

“Today, [my favorite class is] Equitation!” Julie says. “He’s so sweet, and he does everything I ask him. He hardly ever refuses. He’s calm in there, so I never have to worry, so it keeps my mind clear. One of my favorite parts was the hand gallop. I’ve struggled with it in the past, but today we didn’t hand gallop like a little Western pony. We hand galloped like a Hunt Seat horse. That was probably my favorite part!”

Julie and Cole have competed under the guidance of their horse trainers, Carrie and TW Grose, for the past two and a half years. They were thrilled for Julie’s accomplishment, but cautioned that the celebration can’t last too long, because she has to practice tonight for Horsemanship. “I didn’t get any sleep last night,” she says. “We were out here riding at two in the morning. I haven’t practiced Horsemanship yet, and it goes at 8:30 in the morning tomorrow!” Julie laughs.

This is Julie’s first class here at the World Show, and since she’d already received a silver trophy, she was shooting for something of a slightly different color. “I started crying when they got to third place,” she says. “I just wanted a trophy, one of the cool ones! When they got to first, and I couldn’t believe it.”

During Julie’s victory lap, she first held a finger skywards, pointing to God, and then she blew a kiss to her parents. “They’ve been there for me every step of the way. There have been ups and downs, and they’ve been there for me. I’ve been riding since I was eight, but I really started showing Quarter Horses heavily about four years ago.”

The Reserve Champion was Julie Cole with Size Matters. Third was Johnna Letchworth with Krymsun Kryptonite. Fourth was Kara Flentje with SH Counting Stars. Fifth was Tanya Mullenix with Beau Patrick.