GoHorseShow is saddened to report that 1988 AQHA brown gelding The Prime Candidate has passed away. This Congress winner and Reserve World Champion was out of Shady Lady Leo and by Primero El Randado.
This talented gelding affectionately known as “Brownie” accumulated over 700 points in several different events including the western pleasure, hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation, and horsemanship. He also had many notable owners including The Kaplow Family, Laurel Champlin, Chris Lagerblade, and Helen Poland.
“The Prime Candidate was one of the special horses that we owned and showed,” former owner Evan Kaplow said. “He has had many owners and wins at the World and Congress. He was one of the first horses to win the Congress in both the western pleasure and hunter under saddle.”
Sue Kaplow also remembers Brownie as a great horse with a lot of quirks and a major spook. “He would spook if you moved a garbage pail to a different place,” Sue remembers. “I also remember the time that Brownie spooked at the Congress when they slammed the gate in the Hunter Under Saddle and Heidi Cecil fell off. They stopped the class and started it over. Heidi still won the class! He was a tricky horse to ride but a great one.”
Trainer Heidi Cecil adds, “What a great horse. I will never forget him and the fun we had with him!”
