By: Brittany Bevis
“The Green Team” has done it again! 18-year-old Austin Green won a Congress Championship title this evening in a very tough Novice Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure class of six splits.
Green hasn’t been on the show circuit much lately, but he recently made a comeback at the 2013 NSBA World Show. That competition was his first horse show in eight years. He won the All Age Novice Western Pleasure, Novice Youth Western Pleasure, and Youth Western Pleasure.
“The NSBA World was my first show since I was ten,” Green says. “I’ve been going to the shows with them, and I wanted to get back into it. My dad wanted me to, and I wanted to. I got an opening to ride this horse, and you can’t pass up on a horse like this.”
Green speaks fondly of his beautiful black mare named “Latoya” praising her natural ability and feisty temperament.
“I like her attitude,” he says. “She’s not boring. She’s always got something for you.”
In case you haven’t guessed, Austin Green is the son of horse trainer, Rusty Green, and judge, Tanya Green. Despite the roar of the crowd in the Celeste Arena tonight, he could definitely pick out the voices of his parents.
“I could hear them,” he says. “It’s great that they can do it together.”
Before entering the finals this evening, Green relied on some guidance and last minute advice from Dad.
“Right before we went in the Finals, he rode her and gave me some advice,” he says. “I needed ‘more shape’ is what he said. More shape. He said just to have a clean ride.”
Green is thrilled about achieving his first Congress Championship title, which was evident by some enthusiastic fist-bumping as he exited the award ceremony. He is even more excited that he and little sis, Deanna Green, are all tied up in Congress titles this year.
“I finally get to get a step up on her,” he says. “We’re all tied up!”
We would like to wish the best of luck to the Green siblings during the rest of the 2013 Congress.
Novice Youth Western Pleasure 14-18-
1-Certainly Inspired/Austin Green (unanimous)
2-Gimme The Chex/Marah Huston
3-As She’s Walkin Away/Cole Gower
4-Rocked N Red/Audrey Baker
5-RL Touch Of Sudden/Sydney Anson