Rock County Kid and Sharnai Thompson Rock Solid in Amateur Western Pleasure Win

In continuing their 2014 success, Sharnai Thompson and Rock County Kid captured the AQHA World Championship in Amateur Western Pleasure Tuesday night.  Earlier this year, the pair quickly proved they were the team to beat by racking up wins at all the major shows including Tom Powers, Show for Dough, A Little Futurity, the NSBA World Championship Show, and the Quarter Horse Congress. 

After taking some time off to finish school, Thompson decided to get back in the show scene and purchased the three year-old gelding, by Good I Will be and out of JDZ Madison County, from the Bortons who were with trainer, Carl Yamber.

“When Carl says come look at it, you come look at it,” she says, referring to Carl’s recommendation of Rock County Kid.  “I was on a plane the next week, and fell in love with him, and the rest is history.”

“He’s only three, which I think is a pretty big statement for him to come here and show against all these older horses.  We’ve done a lot of the big 3 year-old classes this year, won the 3 year-old Non Pro on him at the Congress, so he’s definitely pretty special to me,” she explains.  “Coming here was just going to be fun.  There were no expectations, and as usual, he just blew it out of the park.”

As far as what lies ahead for the team, Thompson has the all-around events in her sights.  At the moment, western riding is on the radar, but for the most part, she says they will let him tell them what he wants to do.

“He has nothing else to prove, obviously, so I’m just going to enjoy him.  I’ve waited a long time for a horse like him.”