Afternoon Congress Trail Champions Include Gilliam/Chocolatey Special K, Vickery/Strawberri Wine, and Mastroleo/Hot Rageous Rodder

By: Brittany Bevis

The Trail pen was busy in the Celeste Arena today, and we had the opportunity to speak with several newly crowned Congress Champions. First, in Novice Youth 13 and Under, Emily Mastroleo rode Hot Rageous Rodder to win Novice Youth Trail 13 and Under.

Emily tells us “Dudley” is 13 years old, so they’re the same age. They’ve been a team she she was only seven years old when they competed in Small Fry Trail together. They currently compete under the guidance of Ryan Cottingim Show Horses.

“He’s a funny horse, and he has a lot of personality,” she says. “He can be kind of grumpy sometimes, but he’s a really good boy.”

“I wanted good cadence at the beginning of my pattern. He came in at the gate, was quiet, and didn’t try to eat the plant, which was a plus. I was kind of slow, because I wanted my gate to be conservative. I backed at an angle, so when I walked, I would get my lead foot over my gate. He was really patient in my back.”

Emily’s trainers gave her some helpful advice before she entered the show pen today. “They tell me to make sure I know my plan and where I want to go. I need to have a Plan A and a Plan B, so if something goes wrong, I will know what to do. They get me really prepared, so I know the pattern front and back.”

Up next, they will compete in Horsemanship, Showmanship, and Equitation. The Reserve Champion in the class was Paige Wellendorf with Good To Be Sudden. Third was Caroline Fredenburg with Zippos Hot Jet. Fourth was Briley Czerwinski with Snazzy Lil Chip. Fifth was Peyton Crenwelge with Zippos Gold N Sonnet.

Bruce Vickery rode his daughter’s horse, an 8-year-old roan mare named Strawberri Wine, to win Senior Green Trail with a score of 233.5. Vickery and Strawberri won a Junior Western Riding title at the 2013 AQHA World Show, but this is their first Congress Championship title as a team.

“I’ve had Strawberri since the very end of her two-year-old year and what a blessing she’s been to my family,” Vickery says. “She’s my daughter’s horse, and she’s been a wonderful horse for her. She’s gotten to win at the Congress and the NSBA World. We tried not to show her that much last year so she didn’t point out of the green division, and then we were third at the Congress last year. This year, we tried a lot harder to make this a goal of ours, and she was a rock star today. I couldn’t of asked for much more. I’m thrilled.”

Kara didn’t get to be here to watch Strawberri compete, because she’s currently attending college at Southern Methodist University in Texas. However, she was watching the live feed from her dorm and did a FaceTime session with Dad after he won. “Kara gets in Friday night from school. She’s limited on time now that she’s at college, but fortunately the schedule worked out so she will get to show all her classes on Saturday and Monday. We’re excited to see what the rest of the Congress holds for her.”

“The funny part about the whole deal is that I never thought she was going to be a good Trail horse. For me, she just wasn’t a good fit in the beginning, like she was in Western Riding, so I didn’t pursue it. When Kara started showing her, she decided that she was going to show me up. She said, ‘If you’re not doing Trail then I’m going to teach her.’ She spent the majority of the time teaching her Trail, so I’m kind of a catch rider. We joke about that.”

Vickery felt this pattern was tailor-made for his sweepy moving mare with her expressive lines and dynamic carriage. “This pattern had a lot of flow to it,” he says. “It was quite nice because you had a lot of room to get your transitions. It was great for a nice moving horse that has a lot of expression and aptitude, which was perfect for Strawberri.”

The Reserve Champion was Kelly McDowall with Born Blazed. Third was Ashley Clock-Dunbar with Sleeptite. Fourth was Carmen Mayabb with Suddenly Best Man. Fifth was Kelly McDowall with Forgot My Invitation.

Finally, in Junior Green Trail, Jason Gilliam rode Chocolatey Special K to win with a big score of 235.5. The Reserve Champion was Joni Naas with No Doubt I’m Somethin. Third was Troy Lehn with Good Like Jagger. Fourth was Reid Thomas with Getting Hot. Fifth was Jennifer Paul with Howboutthizcowgirl.

Jason didn’t get “KK” in training until the NSBA World Show a few months ago, so it’s been a quick transition period for owner and youth rider, Cassidy Jensen. “Cassidy ended up getting Reserve at the NSBA World and placed in a couple of her other classes,” Gilliam says. “I took KK home from the show, and Cassidy has been coming to the house a couple times a week to work on things.”

“I think I’ve made friends with the mare. She’s green, but she’s got a big, ‘ole stride and you can count it easily. She seems to have a big heart, and she’s not high energy.”

Gilliam describes KK as a “push horse,” which is the type of Trail horse he loves competing with. “As a horse trainer, push horses are the ones you win with. A horse you’ve got to hold back is not going to be the winner. She was nothing but a show horse today. I pushed her to the poles, and she let me be more aggressive. That’s kind of what you figure out when you’re in the warm up pen. That determines what your day is going to be like.”

“The lope overs were in slow motion. Everything was lethargic, and I could see my spot for days. I got in a bit of a tight spot at the gate, but she worked it good. Then, I could show her really aggressively in the box, and I got out of it quickly.”

During our interview, we noticed a sparkly, green, glitter flower tattoo on Gilliam’s hand. Assuming it was painted on by his young daughter, Shayne, we couldn’t help but ask if it served as a good luck charm for the class.

“It seems to be, so I think you’ll see me wearing one the rest of the week,” he says. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to put a blue letter G on [my other horse] Leroy’s butt when I show in Senior Trail.”

The Equine Chronicle will certainly be there to capture that photo…