Andy Staton and Elusive Premonition Win Congress Grand Champion Mare Title, Luke Castle and Exceptional Playgirl Named Reserve

By: Brittany Bevis

After a full day of halter classes at the 2013 Quarter Horse Congress, there were only two mare titles left to award. Winning the Congress Grand Champion Mare title was Andy Staton leading Elusive Premonition for Josh Weakly. It was a banner day for the team, who also scored wins in Weanling Mares with HR Lady Secret and Aged Mares with Elusive Premonition, with Ross Roark at the lead for both.

Although Staton led RPL My Te Cheerful to a Congress Grand Champion Gelding title in 2011, this was his first time to win while leading a mare.

“We purchased the mare from Mike McMillian and Jimmie Hardin in 2012,” Staton says. “She is by Mister Premonition. He’s dead now, actually. He was 26 when he had this mare, and this mare didn’t show until she was three. She is a really great mare and has been really good to us.”

“We’ve won with this mare in Iowa and at the March To The Arch. We just showed her at two shows this year. She was grand here last year in Amateur with Josh and Reserve in the Open.”

Given that the Weakly/Staton/Roark trio has done so well today, winning two Congress Champion titles, we wondered how they decided which horse would be shown in the Grand and Reserve class and by whom. Fortunately, this was a scenario they had discussed and planned for ahead of time.

“Ross showed her in the Aged Mares today,” Staton says. “He catch-leads some horses for me, and he has show horses he has to bring too. I showed our own mare in the Grand and Reserve, and he showed one he brought. It has been our plan to do this all along. All year, we set out to accomplish this, and sometimes things come together!”

“When all is said and done, she will go down as being one of the great mares of our time.”

Staton’s sentiment shows how “Whitney” is certainly living up to her nickname as “one of the greats.” In fact, she was named after the late, great Whitney Houston.

“We actually bought her on the way Whitney Houston died,” he says.

With a Congress Champion title and a Congress Grand Champion under her heart girth, Whitney still has a few classes left to go with owner Josh Weakly at the lead next week.

“We are just getting started,” Staton says. “This is day one. We have tons tomorrow and Amateur [horses].”

The Reserve Grand Champion Mare title went to Luke Castle and Exceptional Playgirl for Kevin McCary. Congratulations to both of these teams on today’s success.