The final pleasure classes of the 2020 APHA World Show were held on Thursday, capping an exciting week for Open and Non-Pro exhibitors of all ages. One exhibitor captured everyone’s attention in the final class of the day.
Pat Trebesh Keeps Current
If you watched the APHA Three Year Old Novice Horse Limited Rider Western Pleasure, you would have heard the loudest cheers in the John Justin Arena for the man in the green shirt riding a sorrel overo gelding named Call You Later.
At 80 years young, Pat Trebesh was the oldest exhibitor in the class, but he and his wife Nancy’s young horse was neck and neck with the three places ahead of him when the final results were announced. “I was really pleased with my horse,” he said. “He gave me a really good go.”
Pat started the colt himself, just as he has been breaking horses since 1960, first in Minnesota, and later in Texas. “I raised Quarter Horses, and in 1965 I raised a really good colt, a very loud crop out, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Someone told me there was a registry for them, so I registered him and just kept coming back. I’ve made a lot of great friends here in APHA,” he said. Breaking horses is the only job he’s ever had.
“I was an NSBA judge for 25 years, and an APHA judge for 40 years. We started going to Texas during the winters to break my colts out where it was warmer, and every year we just started staying a little longer, and someone said we should just move there. We moved to the 'horse capital of the world,' Aubrey, in 2000.”
“Pat put the first eight months or so on Bobby and it’s what he does with all of his horses,” noted Jeffrey Gibbs.
“Jeffrey helped me with him, and so I asked him if he wanted to show him,” Pat added.
“I said sure, when they’re that nice, of course I wanted to show him,” Jeffrey laughed.
The team approach has yielded results. Jeffrey showed the gelding to two reserve world championships at the NSBA World Championship Show in August, won the APHA Green Western Pleasure and was reserve in the APHA Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure and third in the APHA Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure Challenge at this year’s APHA World Show. Pat showed Bobby to a reserve world champion award in the Limited Non-Pro Color Three Year Old Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show before coming to Fort Worth.
“I ride him every day,” Pat said of the gelding. “I’m so blessed that my health is good and I’m able to do this. I love watching the progression of bringing the young horses along. I break one out every year, because I get bored with them after they get so far along. I’ve already got a couple of prospects for next year. I used to keep two or three young horses around when we had more state futurities, but now I start one for the APHA World Show each year.” APHA world champion Check Required and APHA reserve world champion Unchecked Invitation are two of the recent horses Pat started who have gone on to success in APHA events with others.
“To be 80 years old and still be relevant in this industry is just unheard of,” Jeffrey said. “He’s been through so many styles and fads over the years, and yet he’s still right there with it.”
Kollin Fischer Wins Three Year Old Novice Horse Limited Rider Western Pleasure
Kollin Fischer earned his first APHA world championship on Thursday showing RR Cool Lookin Dude for Dennis Howard. “It feels great,” Kollin said. “Hard work pays off.
“He was kind of small so we didn’t start him until this past November, but he trained up really fast,” Kollin said of the gelding known as Coolio. “He’s very good minded and he just loves his job. We showed him for the first time in the Green Western Pleasure and he was reserve in it.
“I loped him around in the practice pen before we went in the class and he felt so good that I knew he was going to be good. We plan to show him in the Junior and Open events next year.”
Kenny Lakins Bet On His Two Year Old and Won
Kenny Lakins showed VS Bettin On Red to win the Gold Two Year Old Breeders Futurity. The duo earned $3,869 for owner Superior Care Management. By VS Code Red, the red roan stallion is known as Ricky.
“We showed him for the first time at the NSBA World Show and he was reserve in the Color Western Pleasure there,” Kenny said.
“He has no motor, and he’s been the easiest horse to train. We honestly didn’t think he’d be ready to show this year, but then he came together for the NSBA World and here at the APHA World. Bill and Lisa Wilkes bred him, and he’s a full sibling to Lisa’s mare VS Code Me Lucky.”
Although their plans are not definite, the duo may continue their show career together at the 2020 AQHA World Show and the Tom Powers Christmas Challenge.
Mr Lazy Wins NSBA Three Year Old Trail Sweepstakes, Breeders Futurity
Shannon Vroegh handily took Mr Lazy through the Trail course Thursday morning and the pair was rewarded with two paychecks for their efforts. The gelding known as Mr won the Three Year Old Trail Breeders Futurity and $1,726, and the NSBA portion of the Three Year Old Trail Sweepstakes and an additional $1,260.
“He’s won nearly $20,000 this year,” Shannon noted. Bred and raised by Mary Ann Carr, the gelding also won the Three Year Old Non-Pro Trail Sweepstakes with Sara Beth Carr.
“He’s like a little kid, always in your pocket, and curious about everything,” noted Spencer Orr, who showed Mister in the Three Year Old Novice Horse Limited Rider Western Pleasure. “He’s very expressive, and he’s really good at Trail and Horsemanship too.”
Other world champions named on Thursday included Arapped In Black and Jeri-Lou Biggs, Masters Amateur Trail; John Simon and Erin Bradshaw Weiss, Amateur Trail and the Non-Pro Amateur Trail Sweepstakes, and NSBA All Age Open Western Pleasure Maturity with Scott Weiss; Zensational and Marilyn Caliendo, Masters Amateur Junior Western Pleasure; While U Were Asleep and Alexis Miller, Amateur Junior Western Pleasure; and Elicious, Scott Weiss for Terry Bradshaw, Senior Western Pleasure.
Although the pleasure portion of the APHA World Championship Show has been completed, the show continues through Sunday, October 4. To view complete show results, visit apha.com/worldshow/results.
