Wade Parks and One Good Cuervo Win 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at APHA World Show

By: Brittany Bevis

The main event this evening at the APHA World Championship Show was a very competitive 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure class split into two cuts and a finals. When the results were tabulated, it was Wade Parks aboard One Good Cuervo who was named the World Champion.

Wade was in the saddle tonight for owners Bob and Melissa Shearer. Just last night, Bob rode “Rosie” to win the 2-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure class; it was his first World Champion title earned in Western Pleasure in 32 years. “Thirty-two years ago, I won Amateur Western Pleasure here at the Paint World on Skips Satin Tone,” Bob says. “Then, the last time I showed a Western Pleasure horse was 22 years ago, when I was Reserve in Amateur Western Pleasure with Times Are Changing.”

“Rosie came back after I won the non-pro on her last night, and I thought she put out a really nice performance. It was kind of tough for her going back-to-back two days, especially being a two-year-old. But, she was right on target tonight.”

Rosie is a newcomer to the show pen, having made her debut performance at the All American Quarter Horse Congress just a week ago in the Equine Chronicle Masters 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure. Rosie was the only Paint Horse in the class, and she and Wade were named the Limited Champions.

Rosie is by Zippos Mr Goodbar and the only daughter out of the 7-time World Champion mare, Sip Of Cuervo. “We bought her this past summer,” Bob says. “I watched her go for about 30 seconds and knew she was the one. We were looking for a nice Western Pleasure horse. We show Reiners and wanted to get back into Western Pleasure.”

As soon as Bob watched Rosie lope a few steps, he knew she was the horse that could bring him back into the winner’s circle in the Western Pleasure pen. He praises her cadence, balance, and good-minded nature. “She’s happy doing her job,” he says. “She’s very laid back. She’s got some quirks, like all the good ones.”

“We’re really excited, because we haven’t had a Western Pleasure horse for 22 years,” Melissa adds. “It’s completely different riding; let me tell you,” Bob says. “It was a real treat to get to go from Reining to Western Pleasure.”

The Reserve Champion in the class tonight was Brad Ost with VS After Party for Angela Fox. Third place was RJ King with Someone Like You for Ali Eidson. Fourth place was Sara Simons with Wall Street Sensation. Fifth was Jeffrey Gibbs with Even More Sensational. Sixth place was Mike Hachtel with Flaunting My Goods. Seventh place was Kara Whetsell with Ocean Front Property. Eighth place was Monica Webb with Good For Certain. Ninth place was Scott Suggs with Girls Gone Bad. Tenth place was Carly Veldman Parks with One Lazy Cowboy.