A Gold Three-Peat for Warren English in Select Yearling, 2YO and 3YO Mares

By Delores Kuhlwein

To watch Warren English show his halter horses with his calm demeanor and positive attitude, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t been doing so his whole life.

Warren and his wife, Laurie, actually started showing halter horses when Warren retired after 30 years in the insurance industry, and they were looking for something to do.

First, he tried showing daughter Corrine’s Western Pleasure horse in the Select division.  “I don’t have the physique for Western Pleasure,” laughs Warren.  “It was too much jiggling, and I was like – well, that doesn’t look very good.”

Being from Sturgis, Michigan, they already knew Tom and Mary Robertson of Tom Robertson Quarter Horses, also of Michigan, so Warren approached Laurie about showing halter, and she readily agreed.  Before they knew it, they were first-time halter horse owners, explains Warren.  “We ended up buying our first halter horse, Baby Im Worth It, and she went out and won 14 World Titles.”

Needless to say, they were completely hooked. “We couldn’t be anything but hooked!” Warren says.  “Now we’re breeding, and we do it all,” adds Laurie.

Two of their celebrated broodmares, Baby Im Worth It and Fascinating Secret, are showing their influence in their program and in the arena, and the 2024 AQHA World Show has been a perfect illustration.

On Thursday, Worth Every Pennie, aka “Patty,” by Very Cool and out of Baby Im Worth It, won a Gold Globe for Warren in Amateur Select Three-Year-Old Mares, following up on her win in Amateur last year.  “So she’s won two World Championships for her mom. So that’s pretty cool,” says Warren.

In addition, two full siblings, Secrets of Summer and Brooklyn, won the English family two more Gold Globes this week.

Secrets of Summer, a 2023 mare by Evinceble and out of Fascinating Secret (by The Top Secret), won the Amateur Select Yearling Mares for Warren this week at the AQHA World Show, and her full sister, Brookelynn (aka Brooke), a 2022 bay mare bred by Scott Trahan, was the unanimous winner in the Amateur Select Two-Year-Old Mares.

When Warren and Laurie bought Brookelynn as a weanling from Scott and Kelly Trahan, Brookelynn reminded them of her half-sister, their beloved late mare, Baewatch (Evinceble-Milans Touch Me by My Intention). “She had that look about her, even as a weanling – she had a nice hip, a really nice top line, beautiful in the heart and just a nice long neck, and beautiful head,” says Warren. “She’s just always been a sweetheart and easy to get along with, easy to deal with, and easy to show.”

In fact, as Warren came up to take first in line under each judge with “Brooke,” he explains it’s the first time he has had judges says to him that his horse made their decision for first place easy.  “She draws your eye in the pen. She’s tall, but she’s not bulky. She’s very feminine looking, nice and sleek through her legs, beautiful in her top line, and she just kind of you look at her and go wow, that’s a cool horse – I like her.”

He adds that Tom and Mary, as well as Manny and Martin, do a great job by preparing the horses well, which makes showing them a pleasure. “They’re used to being in the pen, they’re used to standing, they’re not nasty or grumpy, and you’re not fighting a horse that doesn’t want to do it.  In fact, I was telling Tom with Brookelyn that a couple of times I set her feet up and she’s like – no, no, you got them wrong, buddy. I’m going to move them and put them where they’re supposed to be. She’s like, you don’t know what you’re doing, and I was like, oh, okay!”

However, he is humble, because watching him show is a picture of calm and cool, which he says he tries hard to achieve because they show so many babies.  “You really, really have to be as calm as you can, even though they might be completely blowing up on you.  They’re chill if you’re chill.”

Congratulations to the English family and Tom Robertson Quarter Horses on sweeping the yearling, 2YO and 3YO mare classes for the Select Division!

 

Amateur Select Yearling Mares:

Results: Select Yearling Mares Results

Watch the AQHA video:

SELECT YEARLING FILLIES – AQHA

 

Amateur Select 2 YO Mares:

Results: Select 2YO Mares Results

Watch the AQHA video:

SELECT 2-YEAR-OLD MARES – AQHA

 

Amateur Select 3 YO Mares:

Select 3YO Mares Results

Watch the AQHA video:

SELECT 3-YEAR-OLD MARES – AQHA