| BY LAUREN SCIBA, JOURNAL INTERN 
Jason Martin piloted Harley D Zip to their third consecutive western riding world championship.
Although there was no tie-breaking ride-off in this year’s senior western riding finals like there was in 2007 between Kristina Papendick’s Harley D Zip and Kristin Glover’s Vital Signs Are Good, excitement still hung in the air. Jason Martin and “Harley” ran the pattern with grace and confidence, scoring 226 points and nabbing their third consecutive senior western riding world title. The Journal spoke with the elated Kerry Papendick, Kristina’s mother, via phone about the win. Q: It is quite the accomplishment to win this title again. How does that feel? Kerry: This one was almost surreal, because you think about it, three years in a row – to keep going is a lot. I was watching on the Web and thought the run looked really nice. Then another horse went, and I thought, well, that one looked good. And then another one looked good, too! There were four or five other horses that went, and I thought they all looked good, so I just didn’t know what was going to happen. Like Jason said in his (Spotlight interview in the arena) Harley is an A-game competitor. He knows when he has to perform, and he’ll go out and do his best. But Jason does not give himself enough credit. After being around the High Point Performance crew – Charlie Cole, Jason Martin and Beth Case – they are the A-game competitors. Jason said Harley is a once-in-a-lifetime horse to be associated with, and we feel the same way about Jason – he is a once-in-a-lifetime association. Q: What is it about Harley that makes him so talented? Kerry: I think he’s just got the whole game figured out. He understands when he’s at a horse show, and when he comes out of his stall, he knows that if he performs well, he gets to go right back in his stall. Those guys make such a point to make the horses happy, and he gets happier and happier at each show. He figured out that if he does well, the sooner he gets to go back to his stall and eat hay. Q: What’s next for Harley? Kerry: I think he’ll go to the Arizona Sun (Country) Circuit, and maybe go to Florida. It’s really up to Jason. Last time I checked, he’s up for high-point all-around, so we’ll see what happens with that. Fun Fact: Harley won his first world championship in 2000, at the age of 5, in junior western riding.
Horse name: Harley D Zip
Pedigree: 1995 bay gelding by Maximum Zip x Miss Faithfully by Captain Boss
Exhibitor: Jason Martin, Pilot Point, Texas
Owner: Kristina Papendick, Rapid City, South Dakota
Trainer: Jason Martin and Charlie Cole, Pilot Point, Texas
Breeder: Kristy Tingle, Georgetown, Delaware Total class entries: 45
Purse: $25,060
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket, world champion patch, Tex Tan product, Justin Boots |
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RESULTS
JUDGES
2009 QUALIFYING POINTS
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COMPETITOR INFORMATION Check out a recap of all the AQHA World Championship Shows! |
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