Whitney Lagace of Connecticut made history in Senior Trail at the All American Quarter Horse Congress on Thursday. Lagace won the class aboard Range To A Te beating 122 other horses with a Congress record-breaking trail score of 241.5. The highest previous trail score of record came at last year’s Congress with a 239 scored in Junior Trail.
Whitney said the win was surprising, but also quite a thrill. “It was a catch ride for me. I’ve been showing the horse this season and we were reserve earlier this year at the NSBA World Show in Senior Trail.”
She says that piloting the horse to the record win was a team effort. “Troy is owned by Isabel Scobie. He’s in training with Jessica Ross, but Lisa Farrell started the horse’s trail career and brought him along through his years in the junior.”
Lagace says that showing the horse is always enjoyable, and in the warm-up pen this morning she knew the gelding was ready to bring his best. “I honestly just loped him over a few poles in the warm-up and he felt great. I knew was right, so we went in to show it.”
Show they did. Even though Lagace was early in the draw, her score held through a number of runs. “It was stressful after I finished my run with Troy,” Lagace says. “I went first with him and was fourteenth in the draw. I still had two more to show, so I had to stay focused. I didn’t start to get nervous until I was done. I was sitting in the stands watching. Terry Cross was the last go and he was phenomenal. He scored a 241. I was definitely sweating through that run. Terry is a great friend, so I’m super happy for him and everyone else that did well.” Cross, and Rageous Blaze, earned the Reserve Champion spot for owners The Keller Family.
Lagace says that trail is one of her favorite classes because of the precision necessary to succeed. Due to the various factors at play, she believes trail offers a level playing field for a number of horses. “Any horse, on any given day, has the capability of having a good go.” Lagace believes in preparing her trail horses not just for herself, but also for the rides to follow. “I like to educate my horses and ride so amateurs and youth can ride behind me. That way, if the non-pro gets in trouble, the horse can carry them through.”
When asked what makes a great trail horse Lagace says that awareness is her top quality. “A trail horse has to know where its feet are. They must possess a good willing mind and have the natural desire to be careful with their feet. Every great horse will have a lot of heart. On top of that, with how competitive the trail has become, they must be pretty and correct movers.”
She says that Range To A Te possesses all of these traits. Lagace says, “He’s so careful with his feet; that’s his greatest trait. He can maneuver poles easily and is always aware of where his feet are. He excels in other classes as well.” She goes on to say that, “This year he won the Select Trail at the NSBA World Show, along with several other trail classes. He also won the Western Riding at the East Novice Championship with owner Isabel Scobie.”
Next, Lagace is headed to the AQHA World Championship where she will show Range To A Te in Senior Trail. She will also be showing several other trail horses at the show. She says preparation will begin soon after leaving the Congress. “After the Congress I’ll give the horses a few days down. Then, I try to work on each of my horse’s weakest qualities for a few days. The plan is to have them start peaking right before the world show,” Lagace says.
She believes in having an individual approach for each horse. “All of them are so different, I’ll have a different approach for each one. It’s important to me to have a personal plan for each horse in order to give them each a chance to be their best.”
When asked how she felt about her win today, Lagace says her record-breaking win still hasn’t caught up with her. “It really still hasn’t hit me. It’s very exciting and I’m just hoping I can top it at the world show in a few weeks. It would be great if it was on Troy, but I’d be thrilled to do well on any of the horses I’m showing.” She adds, “I’m very thankful Isabel and Jess have given me a chance to ride this horse. He’s a fantastic animal.”
