Stratton, Davis, Robertson, Roark, Pait and More Named Congress Champions in Stallion Classes

By: Brittany Bevis

Today’s Open Stallion classes have crowned a number of Champions, each with their own unique story.

Winning Performance Halter Stallions was Ross Roark with The Born Legacy. Reserve was Todd Grant with Inspirado. Third was Jeffrey Pait with Makin Me Willy Wild. Fourth was Gretchen Mathes with Figured Im Invited. Fifth was John Boxell with VS Cracked The Code.

First, Ronald Stratton led My Bravado to win Weanling Stallions. The Reserve Champion was Tom Robertson with Irrefutable. Third was Dr. Gigi Wood Davis with Trilogy. This was also the Elite Halter Futurity Champion. Fourth was Rick Baker with Tellm I’m Hot. Fifth was Jennifer Norleen with Legendary Kidd. 

Dr. Gigi Wood Davis purchased “Fergie” in July of this year. He’s by Kid Coolsified and out of a Stemwinder mare that’s aptly named “Gigi.” Fergie is currently in training with Andy Staton, but Davis elected to show him, herself, because of the Elite Halter Futurity option. For winning the Futurity class, they received $1,500. This team was also Reserve in the limited division and third in the open class.

Davis also showed Fergie to a big win in Open Senior Weanling Colts at the Breeders Halter Futurity earlier this year. “He’s very calm, and he’s got good sense. He pays attention, and he’s easy to show,” she says.

Winning Yearling Stallions was Evinceble, led by Tom Robertson for Scott and Kelly Trahan. Steve Ferguson led I Got Cool Luck to a Reserve title. Third was Ronald Stratton with My Secret Legacy. Fourth was Dewey Smith with Crediblity. Fifth was Mitch Leonarski with Quinclusion Midnight.

Evinceble is out of a daughter of Very Cool, a stallion formerly owned by Scott Trahan that he has since sold to Fossil Gate Farms. “The mother of this horse was owned by Dave Williams,” Trahan says. “He died of cancer, but he was a big Halter guy and we really miss him. Before he died, he called and told me he had an embryo out of a Very Cool daughter. At first, I wasn’t going to buy it, because I didn’t really know what it was. But, I felt sorry for Dave and his family and what they were going through, so I bought the embryo and wired him the money. Then, I got this incredible horse.”

“If Dave was alive, if he would draw one up, this is what he would’ve drawn. He knew a good Halter horse. It’s really special; because, when I see this horse, I always think about Dave Williams.”

From a conformation standpoint, Trahan believes his stallion is “as good as it gets” with a neck that ties in high, a short back, tall stature, long croup, and nice hocks. Looking towards the future, Trahan hopes to stand his stallion.

“That’s the plan!” he says. “With my son being sick and in the hospital a lot, we’d sold a lot of our horses to concentrate on other things. This horse re-energized me. We’ve been slowly buying some mares, and I will show him at the World Show.”

The quadruple papered (AQHA/APHA/PHBA/PtHA) stallion, Intended To Be, was named the Congress Champion in the 2-year-old age division, led by Jeffrey Pait. He’s owned by Richardo Rejon of Mexico. The Reserve Champion was Ross Roark with Romeiro. Third was Dewey Smith with Whoisit. Fourth was Rick Leek with Escort. Fifth was Todd Grant with Ironnic.

The first time Pait saw “Palomino” was yesterday since this was a catch-lead for trainer, Joaquin Delon. “He’s a very breedy horse,” Pait says. “He looks like a stallion. He has little, bitty ears and big eyes. He’s got a lot of jaw for a two-year-old and is very masculine through his face. He was prepared and ready. I stood him up one time, and he never moved.”

The pretty Palomino stallion has had quite the run this year with a Reserve Championship at the APHA World Show, a World Championship at the Pinto World Show, and a World Championship and Premier title at the Palomino World Show.

Ross Roark led Heartz On Fire to win 3-Year-Old Stallions. The Reserve Champion was Ted Turner with Ese A Looker. Third was Dewey Smith with Obviously Preplanned. Fourth was Mitch Leonarski with True Blue Bayou. Fifth was Jake Wicker with FG Fella In Yella.

“Cash” is owned by Steve and Kathy Headley and is the full brother to one of their other stallions, Rumerz. Last year, at the AQHA World Show, he was named the Reserve Champion behind the Headley family’s third stallion, Best Kept Secrete.

“We bought him during his yearling year from Gerri Leigh Pratt,” Sarah Headley says. “Both Cash and Rumerz are by Secretz and out of Kids Keeping Cool. They have a similar face and a similar eye. They’re very correct through their shoulders and have pretty backs. They’re both very good minded, and they’re gentle boys, which is nice because we like studs that act like gentlemen.”

This was Cash’s first trip to the Congress, and he wasn’t even supposed to make the trip. “We actually hadn’t really planned on bringing him here. But, early in the year, [stallion manager] Don [Griffey] said that he was looking so good, why not give it a whirl?”

Cash doesn’t have any babies on the ground yet, but he will in 2019. The Headley family is particularly excited about a cross between Alluring Intention, their Open Grand Champion Mare from yesterday. “It will have big shoes to fill with mommy and daddy both being Grand Champions and Congress Champions!” says Kathy Headley.

Ross Roark and I Gotta Cool Touch were named the Aged Stallions Congress Champions. Ross then led Heartz On Fire to the Grand Champion Open Stallion title.

Stay tuned for a EC red carpet video interview with the team behind Heartz On Fire, owner, Steve Headley, and stallion manager, Don Griffey, coming soon on The Equine Chronicle Facebook page. We have two fun questions from our readers for today’s interview… To submit your questions, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com.