Lope Out The Doubt, who is proudly featured on the Cover of the Congress issue of GoMag, is ready to make his Congress Western Riding and Trail debut. The stunning bay five-year-old gelding was bred by owners, Rick and Marijo Meredith, of Sweetwater Farm located in Granbury, Texas.
Tuesday, October 18th at the Congress, Charlie Cole of Highpoint Performance Horses will show “Frank” in the Junior Western Riding. Later in the show, the team will also show in the Green Western Riding and Junior Green Trail. They are also qualified for the AQHA World Show in the Junior Western Riding.
“Frank is an exceptionally talented horse and has so much ring presence,” Cole told us. “I think he will be a famous horse with his great looks and movement. I’m excited to show him this fall and into the future.”
So far this year, Charlie Cole and Frank were circuit champions in the Green Western Riding at the Sun Circuit, Silver Dollar, and also won the NSBA World Championship in the Junior Western Riding.
Affectionately known as “Frank”, he is named after his sire’s owner, Lin Berris’ husband. His sire is a Congress and World Champion while his dam is multiple AQHA World Champion western pleasure, western riding and showmanship mare, Sweet Talkin Jeannie.
In 2013, as a two-year-old, the Meredith’s sold Frank to Linda Lyda-Swenson where he placed fourth in the Congress Two-Year-Old Masters Western Pleasure.
“Frank was the hardest one for me to sell,” said Joetta (Meredith) Bell, who started him as a two-year-old. “We had him ready to show in the western pleasure but then decided to sell him. When we dropped him off at Shane Dowdy’s when Linda bought him, I literally cried for three days.”
Joetta continues, “We later leased him back in his three-year-old year and taught him to change leads and go down the line in just two weeks. I didn’t have a very long lease on him, and I told Linda, he moves exactly like Jeannie and changes as solid as she does every time. I even told my parents at that time that he would be famous someday in the western riding.”
Meanwhile, the Meredith’s kept trying to buy him back and finally was able to close the deal. After a few months, they made the decision to send Frank to Highpoint Performance Horses to learn the western riding and trail with Charlie Cole.
“Charlie has a unique talent that allows him to communicate with a horse without trying to make the horse fear him,” Rick states. “He knows how to gain their trust; he builds cooperation and a mutual respect from horse to rider. He is a patient, kind person who builds confidence in his horses. He has been the best of the best trainer for Frank.”
Rick, an AQHA judge who has been active in the horse show industry for decades, adds, “He’s a cool horse and his history is cool as well because he’s like the new boy at school. No one’s quite sure about him yet, but sometimes there’s beauty in ambiguity. He is one of the best I’ve raised out of Jeannie and reminds me so much of his mother. I’m very proud of him. His movement and top line take my breath away.”
According to Joetta, “Frank’s mother, Jeannie was so smooth and had the most perfect top line. She was a ten loping and her neck wouldn’t move an inch, and she could do this changing leads. Her self-carriage was unmatched…until Frank was born. He can lope and change leads with such ease, and I knew it the first day I rode him.”
The legendary, Harley D Zip, a horse Joetta once owned, is another horse that reminds Joetta of Frank. “Harley and Jeannie felt very similar through the change with their pretty front leg. If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have sold Frank the first time, but I am glad he is having the success he is with a great group of stars in their own right.”
Rick sums up his thoughts, “The biggest thrill is to raise a home-bred horse out of your retired show mare and a variety of great stallions. The journey begins and your heart is forever tied to those horses and their futures. Every baby is a family member at our farm. Frank has touched our hearts and he will remain a part of the Meredith family until his retirement at Sweetwater Farm.”
CLICK HERE to view him on the cover of the Congress issue of GoMag
CLICK HERE to view his full page spread in the Congress issue of GoMag
