You can call Millie Corder of Gainesville, Georgia and her multiple APHA World Champion Western Pleasure stallion, Make Me Shine, “The Comeback Kids.” At this year’s Pinto World Show, this team won the Elite Western Pleasure with 28 in the class. While Corder and Floyd are no stranger to the winner’s circle, they have been retired from riding classes for several years, and they recently became a team.
“It was amazing. So many folks know Floyd and were so glad to see him back in action,” Millie says. “Winning at the Pinto World was such a shock. I knew Floyd could do it but after so many years for me, I was very nervous. I had only shown Floyd three times previously to qualify him for the Paint World. There were two cuts in my class and many nice horses.”
In 2002, Make Me Shine won the APHA World Champion Jr. Western Pleasure, Amateur Jr. Western Pleasure, and the APHA World Show Champion Three-Year-Old Western Pleasure Challenge. Floyd was also Reichert Celebration Champion NSBA Open Color Breed Western Pleasure, and the Reichert Celebration Reserve Champion NSBA Three Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
After all of the stallion’s success, he was retired to the breeding barn by then owner, Melissa Busch. Due to other commitments, the family sold all of their horses–including Floyd to Double C Acres located in North Carolina which is owned by the Casada family.
Meanwhile, Corder, who was a former Top 20 Amateur, started having what she thought was back problems and quit riding in early 2000. In 2007, she fortunately found out that she actually had a hip problem and underwent hip replacement surgery.
“For the past few years as I have felt better and better I told my husband, Ron, that I wanted to ride again, but it was going to take a very special horse to get me back in the ring,” Corder recalls. (Pictured left–Top 20 Amateur in 1993 and and 1994 with Game Points Tic Tac)
That is where the APHA 13 year-old stallion by Paint Me A Zippo came into the picture. Millie’s husband, Ron Corder, who she calls her biggest fan and supporter, surprised her after Christmas with a trip to North Carolina to look at Floyd. The couple came home that day with the talented stallion! What is also special about this team is that they do everything themselves. Corder says that Floyd is so easy to show and prepare that she can get him ready herself.
“He is one of the kindest horses I have ever been around. Our intention when we bought him was to get him home and geld him as we have no interest in breeding but he was so well behaved there was no need,” Millie says. “Floyd has brought back a part of my life I thought was gone. There is not enough room here to say what I like about showing. We plan on qualifying and taking Floyd to the Paint World in November, as well. Make Me Shine has helped me realize a dream…..I am living that dream……..again.”
GoHorseShow would like to congratulate this new team on their recent success and wish them luck at the upcoming APHA World Show.
