Rainy Days and Mondays Bring Congress Champions

On a cold and rainy Monday at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, exhibitors warmed up to Congress championship wins at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

As they have been most of the year, Sharnai Thompson and Rock County Kid and Lauren Love and Wearin Only Moonlight were the last two exhibitors standing when results for the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Futurity were announced. The two have been first and second and even NSBA World Championship Show co-champions throughout the 2014 show season.

Whether it was a premonition or mere coincidence, “Rocky Top” played over the speakers in the Celeste Center arena as the judges made their final selection in the line-up – and a smile crept across the face of Thompson as well as for everyone on trainer Rusty Green’s team. It was a tune Rusty Green has been known to sing in celebration for Rock County Kid, who is known as Rocky.

The tune foretold the outcome of the class, with Thompson winning the futurity champion title as well as the Southern Belle Breeders champion award in the class, and Love and Wearin Only Moonlight taking both reserve awards.

“I heard ‘Rocky Top’ playing and I thought this has to be good,” laughed Thompson. “He was very good for me tonight. I couldn’t have asked for more from him.”

The bay gelding, by Good I Will Be, has been winning three year old Open and Non-Pro events all summer including at Show For Dough, the Big Country/Amateur Spring Show in Waco, Texas, the Super Sires Stakes at the Tom Power Triple Challenge, champion in the Limited division of the NSBA Breeders Championship Non-Pro and co-champion in the BCF Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, just to name a few.

Rocky will eventually become an all around horse for Thompson. “He’s already started on lead changes, and I think he has a lot of potential for the all around,” Thompson said.

To read the full article on NSBA.com, click here.