Cassidy Jensen and Christopher Trahan Go One and Two in Congress Grand and Reserve Youth Mares

By: Brittany Bevis

The Youth Mare classes just concluded at the 2013 Quarter Horse Congress with Grand and Reserve. The two youth to take the top titles were Cassidy Jensen and Christopher Trahan.

Jensen showed her 4-year-old mare, Don’t Stare, to a Congress Championship in the Youth Aged Mares class in order to qualify for Grand and Reserve. Trahan showed Sacred’s Supreme to a Reserve Congress Championship in the same class. In the end, the judges determined that both aged mares were the finest specimens in the Grand and Reserve ring today.

Jensen’s win in Aged Mares earlier this morning was the first Congress Championship for the 14-year-old, who has been attending the Congress for the past three years. Now, with her win in Grand and Reserve, she’s up to two Congress titles in just one day.

“It’s so exciting,” Jensen says. “It’s fun, but it’s not as easy as everyone thinks. You kind of have to have a connection with the horse, because, if they freak out, you have to be able to calm them down. I like it because you might not know the horse that well, but you really get to know them in the show pen.”

Jensen followed the advice of Rick Leek, who is helping the team out at the Congress this year, to be sure to line up straight to best show off her horse’s conformation. In order to keep “Donna’s” attention, Jensen gives her mare a little pep talk during the class.

“She gets a little nervous in the ring, but we work it out,” Jensen says. “I just talk to her and say, ‘good girl,’ and keeping telling her she’s doing good. I pet her a little bit on her chin when I m holding her, so she keeps her ears perked pretty well with that. I like her a lot.”

Congratulations to both of these young competitors on their wins today at the Congress.

Youth Weanling Fillies-

1-One Hot Intention/Taylor Britt

2-My Cool Secret/Lexi Lane

Youth Yearling Fillies-

1-Shy Shy/Erin Mask

2-RWS Color Me Intrigued/Hannah Mauter

Youth 2-Year-Old Mares-

1-Candys Mirror Image/Abby Floyd

2-Secrecee/Ireland Cofrancesco

3-Fearresistable Faith/Lexi Lane

4-MS Noble Te/Aubrey Braham

Youth 3-Year-Old Mares-

1-Best To Be Me/Kaylee Hamm

2-MC Exceptional Miss/Erin Mask

Youth Aged Mares-

1-Don’t Stare/Cassidy Jensen

2-Sacreds Supreme/Christopher Trahan

3-Shes Just Golddiggin/Donna Mullins

4-Lifeofthecelebration/Riley Henry

5-Sealed N Delivered/Madison Hashman

Youth Performance Halter Mares-

1-Onlythebestchocolate/Paulina Martz

2-Ck Mardi Gras/Katie Burks

3-Fantastic Invitation/Lauren Raad

4-Lighten Up Rainbo/Carley Mae Shockley

5-Zips Bossy Chip/Ellexxah Ireland Maxwell