In the 80s, Paris Hughes of Burleson, Texas dominated the AQHA show circuit with her horses, Comeonin and Mr Two Eyed Twist. Hughes and her two horses won an impressive 12 AQHA World Championships and 12 AQHA Reserve Championships to go along with multiple Congress Championships.
In 1981, Hughes and Comeonin won the first AQHYA World Championship ever awarded in the Hunter Hack, and in 1986, the duo won the All-Around Amateur award at the AQHA World Show. In 1983, Hughes and Mr Two Eyed Twist were AQHA World Champions in the Amateur Western Pleasure, Trail, and Western Riding. Throughout Twister’s storied career, he was a multiple AQHA World Champion in the Amateur and Sr. Western Riding.
“They were special horses,” Paris recalls, who has both horses buried at her family’s farm in Burleson, Texas. “Comeonin, who lived until he was 36, was off the track and was a very talented horse with a big heart. Twister (pictured below left) had quite a personality and he was mainly known for his lead change and the western riding.”
During the ’90s and ’00s, Hughes showed and trained some of her own prospects, but she did not continue to show and compete at the same level and intensity as she did back in the 80s. In 2004, tragedy struck when Paris was injured in a riding accident where a horse flipped over on her. Hughes broke her pelvis, sacrum, and lower back. It took her two years to recover from her injuries and even longer to have the courage to get back in the saddle. It wasn’t until nine years later that she began riding again.
During that healing time, trainer, Mason Lyon, rented stalls at Hughes’ boarding facility where he finally convinced Hughes to get back into the game. Since Lyon mainly shows paints, that was the primary reason Paris decided to make her comeback showing horses with APHA. Due to not riding for nearly a decade, Hughes is showing in the Novice Amateur events to help gain her confidence back.
During that healing time, trainer, Mason Lyon, rented stalls at Hughes’ boarding facility where he finally convinced Hughes to get back into the game. Since Lyon mainly shows paints, that was the primary reason Paris decided to make her comeback showing horses with APHA. Due to not riding for nearly a decade, Hughes is showing in the Novice Amateur events to help gain her confidence back.“APHA is a little more laid back and you don’t have to show your horses constantly to get qualified,” Hughes states. “I thought it would be a good way to ease back into showing.”
Hughes and Lyon have plans to add the pleasure driving to his list of classes. In the future, Paris is not sure she will do the working hunter with Monty but plans to show him in more events including the horsemanship and western riding.
Apparently, Hughes hasn’t missed a beat. The Texas native recently resurfaced in the hunter events at the Pinto World Show with her new horse, Fancy Favors (Monty). Monty is a talented nine-year-old English horse that is well known in the paint industry. Hughes bought the talented paint gelding after the AjPHA World Show last year from the Jordan Family. As a youth, now trainer, Alisa Bernhard did well with him in APHA Youth Hunter Under Saddle events and was the 14-18 World Champion in the hunter under saddle in 2009. Last year at the APHA World Show, Hughes and Lyon won two APHA Reserve World Championships just a few months after Hughes purchased him.
Hughes and Lyon have plans to add the pleasure driving to his list of classes. In the future, Paris is not sure she will do the working hunter with Monty but plans to show him in more events including the horsemanship and western riding.“She is so very talented,” Lyon states about Paris. “It was like she didn’t ride for ten years and picked up and never missed a beat. Monty and Paris are a great match and we love him very much.”
Recently, Lyon added the hunter events to Monty’s repertoire (pictured right). At this year’s Pinto World Show, after only jumping Monty once before in the hunter hack, Paris and Monty won the Pinto World in the Novice Amateur Hack. Also, the duo just recently learned the showmanship and were Pinto World Champions in the Novice Amateur English Showmanship.
“It has been 20 years since I’ve been in the show ring in the hunter events, and it was great to be able to be competitive again,” Paris reveals. “I wasn’t sure whether mentally and physically I could handle showing again, but I’m glad I tried because I enjoy the challenge of showing and seeing my hard work pay off in the show area. It’s great to be back.”
Photos © Harold Campton
