When Whatscookngoodlookin was named the unanimous 2016 AQHA Select World Champion in Western Pleasure in Amarillo with owner Susan Roberts aboard, “Candi” became an AQHA World Champion in western pleasure in all five divisions; Junior, Senior, Amateur, Select Amateur, and Youth. This incredible accomplishment made us ask the question, has there ever been another pleasure horse to win an AQHA World Championship in all five divisions? Do you know the answer? We spent considerable time debating, researching and asking those who may know the answer to this interesting trivia question. If another horse had accomplished this incredible feat, who could it be?
The great Zippos Amblin Easy (pictured right) was suggested early in our conversations. Widely regarded as one of the best western pleasure mares in AQHA history, Amble just might have pulled off the five-peat…but she didn’t. The NSBA Hall of Fame horse does, however, have the distinction of winning four World Championships with four different riders, in four different divisions. She won the Junior Western Pleasure with Shane Dowdy in 1993, Youth Western Pleasure with Jamie Allen in 1994, and the Amateur Western Pleasure with Cheryl Allen in 1994. Five years later, she won her fourth World Championship with 
E.H. Pait in the Senior Western Pleasure. However, the mare was retired in 2001 and the Select World Show didn’t start until 2003, so she actually had no chance to win all five divisions.
Who’s next? Ah yes, of course…A Certain Vino! Vino (pictured left) has won an incredible 13 AQHA World Championships in Western Pleasure. He won gold in the Youth and Amateur with owner Darcy Reeve and the Junior and Senior with Karen Hornick. One of his three Reserve World Championship titles came in the Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure in 2005 with Stanley Ryan. He has
even won gold in western riding. However, no one has ever shown Vino at the Select World, so he falls one division short.
What about the beautiful Hope By Invitation? (pictured right) Hope won the Youth World in 2007 with Denny Strickland, Junior in 2006 with E.H. Pait, was Reserve at the Select in 2006 with Jerry Strickland, Reserve again in the Junior in 2005 with Pait, and World Champion in the Two-Year-Old in 2003 with Jeff Long. So, really two of the five divisions with a 2-year-old and a couple of Reserve titles thrown in for good measure. Impressive, but still no cigar.
Well, certainly Vital Signs Are Good (pictured left) has to be considered. Lucy is widely discussed as the greatest mare in AQHA history, surely she is part of the conversation. Interestingly, Lucy won the Amateur Western Pleasure three times with Kristen (Glover) Galyean in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and the 2-year-old in 2002. However, she never won the Junior Western Pleasure and was Reserve twice in the Senior Western Pleasure. She did win nine World Championships in Western Riding – both the Junior and Senior multiple times, plus the Youth in 2011 with Theresa Moran. She never showed at the Select World. Sorry Lucy.
Running out of possibilities, after a bit, we offered up the name of 
the fabulous Light Cruiser. Called “the template for all the modern great lopers” by Tom Powers, Cruiser was unbeatable at the Congress. But he only got gold twice at the World Show; in the Youth with Candace Rego in 1992 and Shane Dowdy unanimously won under all five judges at his first AQHA World Championship in 1993 in the Senior Western Pleasure.
Amble, Vino, Hope, Lucy, Cruiser…collectively, they have won 26 AQHA World Championship titles in western pleasure, but not one of them has won in all five categories. It was at that time that we determined that Whatscookngoodlookn is the only horse to ever win the World in the western pleasure in the Junior, Senior, Amateur, Select Amateur, and Youth. Quite an accomplishment!
Well, if not the western pleasure, what about other classes? As it turns out, we found a total of three horses in AQHA history that have won the same event in five different divisions; Whatscookngoodlookin in western pleasure, RPL My Te Cheerful in halter geldings and Harley D Zip in western riding.
GoHorseShow asked them why they were able to stay at the top of their game, even into their senior years when many older horses burn out. Let’s find out more about these incredible champions!
Whatscookngoodlookin – World Champion in Five Divisions
This incredible eight-year-old mare by A Good Machine and out of A Cooki For Certain by Certain Potential is the only western pleasure horse to win an AQHA World Championship in all five divisions. Most recently, she was the unanimous winner in the 2016 Select Western Pleasure with owner Susan Roberts. An interesting side note is that Candi wasn’t shown at the 2010 AQHA World Show in the two-year-old western pleasure because her trainer, Rusty Green, was judging that year.
“Candi is one-of-a-kind,” Hilary Roberts (pictured left), who won the Amateur Western Pleasure on her in 2015, told us. “I have yet to see a horse with the same look and arena presence as she’s got. When you think back, it’s crazy to remember all the riders with which she’s been successful. Rusty, his wife Katie, myself, my mom, and (former owner) Ray Arnona. She’s earned titles with all of us. For her to start her career as a two and win something major every year, with that many different people, is outstanding.”
Susan Roberts adds, “Candi has been such a blessing to all of our lives throughout the last few years. She’s taught us all a little something, and it was a privilege to be able to show her this year. She’s a special horse and this achievement is something that she deserves.”
What does Hilary think that makes her stand out from the rest of the competition? “I believe it is her natural ability. I haven’t yet come across a horse who finds it so easy to do her job. She has so much natural ability. This is why I think she’s been able to keep her movement up through the senior, because it’s what she does naturally, nothing man made about it. When someone who doesn’t know much about the pleasure watches this horse, they can appreciate her talent even without knowing much about the class.”
RPL My Te Cheerful – 24 Time World Champion in All 5 Divisions
RPL My Te Cheerful is AQHA’s all-time leader of World Championship titles. The 2004 bay gelding has won an unparalleled 24 AQHA World Championships in Youth, Amateur, Select and Open. His first win came in 2007 in the Open 3-Year-Old Geldings with Jeffrey Pait and followed up with Peter J. Cofrancesco in the Amateur. Twenty-two World Champion titles later, he’s still going strong. His most recent win came this summer at the age of 12 at the 2016 Select World in Aged Geldings with owner Vern Habighorst.
“I believe Henry has been able to show so many years for the fact that he truly enjoys being in the arena and showing off,” Monica Hamm told us. “Henry, in my opinion, is one-of-a-kind. There is no other horse like him; he is so kind hearted and gentle with a spirit that is indescribable. He has gotten better with age and still enjoys exercise, although, there just might be an extra ice pop for him after he is done. He is spoiled rotten with too many treats. What makes Henry even more special is the fact that he loves everyone he meets, for being such a giant he is so gentle and loves kids.”
Sister, Kaylee Hamm adds, “Henry has been showing all his life and I think the reason why he is so strong in the ring is because he knows what he has to do, without anyone really asking him to perform. In the halter classes, the exhibitor really has to connect with the horse. I think this plays a role in Henry’s showing because with each person he has a different personality. I worked really hard with Henry in 2010 to be titled World Champion in Aged Geldings with him, that has been an honor because he was my first horse ever, so no matter what, he will always have a special place in my heart.”
Harley D Zip – 16 Time World Champion including in All 5 Divisions
“Harley is a horse that will go down in the record books with records that will never be broken. Not only did Harley win his first World Championship title at his first World Championships, he won his final World Championship at his final World Championship Show in 2011 at the age of 15!” Jason Martin recalls. “He loved the western riding class the best, and I think he knew he was the best there ever was at it. When I would show him, I would watch people come to the arena or stop what they were doing to watch Harley show. He was my once-in-a-lifetime horse.”
Current owner, Kerry Papendick agrees, “I feel Harley was able to stay dominant for so long because he loved the western riding class – it’s pace, able to move out at the lope rather than holding back as in a pleasure class. It’s patterns opposed to just staying on the rail, and he truly loves to change leads. He still does it as he plays in the pasture.”
Ali Papendick shares her thoughts about her family’s beloved gelding.
“I think Harley was able to accomplish what he did over the years because the love he received from not only owners and his trainers but by the bystanders as well – stall visits, peppermints, carrots, chicken nuggets…yes, chicken nuggets from Jason! But, honestly, Harley truly loved to shine and knew when it was the right time and when he just didn’t seem right, we didn’t push him.”
Ali continues, “I would say the most special thing about Harley is that he has always maintained honesty within the western riding arena while doing the pattern. I’ve had horses and know other horses that start to anticipate everything because they have done it over and over and over. I cannot remember one time that Harley cheated me by loping off without me asking, cutting a corner, or changing a lead without me asking one hundred percent. I have no idea how many times he has done each pattern, but it is truly amazing that he remained so true through all these years.”
Kristina Papendick Comer finally summed up the family’s love of this legendary horse. “What makes Harley stand out from the rest is that he has a big heart. But more importantly, he is very selective on who he wants to share it with and my family was very fortunate to earn a place in it. Many wonder why he was retired when he was still at the top of his game,” Comer remembers. “But he had won every western riding title possible and he wasn’t getting younger. It was our turn to give Harley the biggest prize for all he had given us. He gets to live pain-free out in a beautiful pasture, running and eating as he pleases. Being able to see him so happy is worth more than any trophy we had won together.”
GoHorseShow would like to thank the Roberts and Papendick families and the Hamm girls for talking about their amazing horses.
We also congratulate them on their horses being included in this select group of legendary horses!
