Andy Cochran/Momma Knows Best Win Senior WP; Dawn Baker/Mito Been Me Win Junior HUS

By: Brittany Bevis

Two World Champions were crowned during this evening’s finals classes at the 2018 AQHA World Show.

First, Andy Cochran rode Momma Knows Best to win Senior Western Pleasure for the first time at the World Show. Andy has been Reserve in Senior Western Pleasure with Show Diva in the past, but this is his first win. Although this is “Myrtle’s” first year in this older age division, as she just turned six; for Andy and Myrtle as a team, this win as been a long time coming.

“This horse and I kind of go at it,” he says. “She’s got a streak in her. It’s good cop, bad cop, that we play sometimes, and it’s taken some softening with her and I. We stuck by her. There was a time when we weren’t going to do that much more with her, but we just all worked together, and kept going, and it paid off.”

“We call Andy, ‘The Myrtle Whisperer,’ because he’s been able to get along with her when not very many people have. He’s got the secret,” says owner, Hillary Roberts.

Last year, Hillary won the Non Pro Maturity at the Congress and came to the World Show to be named the Reserve World Champion in Amateur Western Pleasure. This year, they placed third in the Maturity and Amateur Western Pleasure at the Congress. They will show in Amateur Western Pleasure at the World Show later in the week.

Myrtle is by RL Best of Sudden and out of a Blazing Hot mare. In fact, the top two horses are by RL Best Of Sudden. The Reserve Champion was Casey Willis with KM Weknowsheshot. Third was Gil Galyean with Made By J.

Dawn Baker rode Mito Been Me to win Junior Hunter Under Saddle for Janae Walker.

“She’s won more this year than any of my other horses combined,” Janae says. “This is my first World Show trophy, and this year we also won our first NSBA World Championship and first Congress Championship.”

Just a few weeks ago, Dawn rode 4-year-old “Daisy” to win the Open Maturity Hunter Under Saddle at the Congress. Janae rode the big, gray mare to place in the top ten in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. She will show on Monday here in OKC.

“I’m just going to enjoy my horse,” she says. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. This is the first time that I’ve qualified. I bought Daisy in April. I actually saw her when she was a baby and didn’t think they were ever going to sell her, but the opportunity came up.”

What Janae appreciates about Daisy’s performance is her gentle movement. “She’s really soft and pretty. Dawn is a soft rider and those two just work.”

The Reserve Champion was Beth Case with Couture Blue Genes. Third was Dasi Jablonoswki with Hubbout A Dance.