UPDATE: Triumphant Return to Pleasure Pen For Jason Gilliam With Caught Me Looking in Open Maturity Ltd. Western Pleasure

UPDATE: Just moments ago, Kaleena Weakly piloted Caught Me Looking to a win in the Non Pro division of the Western Pleasure Maturity Stakes.

By: Brittany Bevis

This evening marked a triumphant return to the Western Pleasure pen for Jason Gilliam after a nearly ten year absence. These days, he prefers to focus on events like Trail, however, after a special request from his number one owner, Kaleena Weakly, he decided to zip up his chaps one more time.

“My number one owner back there asked me to show her horse, so I couldn’t tell her no,” he says. “If it was anybody else, I would’ve said no thank you. I took lessons [from Kenny and Ashley Lakins] and came and rode her every night. I followed directions. I haven’t shown a pleasure horse in ten years. I showed a two-year-old back when I worked for Troy Oakley, and the last horse I showed here was a two-year-old.”

While some might think a turn around the pleasure pen would be less stressful than an event involving multiple obstacles, Gilliam is quick to dispel that notion.

“There is a lot to it,” he says. “You still have to ride every stride. In Trail, you have to ride every stride up to the pole, but you’ve got to ride every stride down that rail and keep that focus.”

“She was great. They were good gate calls for us. She came in long trotting, so she got settled in. We trotted a big lap or two to get quiet and then loped off and jogged. The way they called it was like a good pattern for a Horsemanship horse. It worked out well for her mentality.”

The beautiful 4-year-old Quarter Horse mare named “Maria” will be shown in the upcoming Non Pro Maturity Western Pleasure finals with Weakly back in the saddle. Weakly’s current partner for all-around events is her mare, Hours Yours and Mine, however, Gilliam sees a promising future for this talented mare in multiple events as well.

“I see possibilities in her future,” he says. “She’s got a great cadence; she’s got a good stride at the trot; and she’s a bionic loper. The biggest thing I like about her is she’s beautiful. She’d be a great Showmanship horse.”

The Reserve Champion in the class today was Brad Ost with Cee Money for Dan Yeager. It was wonderful to see him back in the pen after an unfortunate ATV accident a few weeks ago that left him in the hospital with multiple injuries. Rounding out the top three was Jamie Dowdy aboard Cutelicious for Candace Jussen.

Open Maturity Ltd. Western Pleasure

1- Caught Me Looking/Jason Gilliam

2-Cee Money/Brad Ost

3- Cutelicious/Jamie Dowdy

4-As Shes Walkin Away/Andy Cochran

5- The Best Sign Yet/Tim Zuidema