“Tonight really showed me if you work hard, your dreams come true,” Kirsten Thomsen told us right after her dominating performance with Elis A Sleepin in the Amateur Western Riding at the AQHA World Show.
Wednesday night, the California native and the 2006 black gelding by Too Sleepy To Zip, scored a 232.5, six points ahead of the second-place horse. This is Kirsten and Eli’s first AQHA World Championship title together; they were Reserve World Champions in this class last year.
“When it got down to the top three horses, all I kept thinking was, ‘Oh my God, is this real life?'” Thomsen said.
Trainer, Jason Martin of Highpoint Performance Horses, won the Senior Western Riding at both the Congress and AQHA World Show this year. Kirsten and Eli scored a 225.5 and were sitting third after the Preliminaries on Monday. Martin had a plan for how he prepared Kirsten for the finals with Eli.
“I asked her to step outside her comfort zone and ride him more forward,” Jason said. “She stepped up to the challenge and had a beautiful go. I’m so proud of her!”
Thomsen told us that Jason suggested that she break down each part of the pattern. “Right before I went in, Jason told me good luck, have fun and to focus on each move.”
And she certainly did that.
We asked Kirsten if she was superstitious and had any rituals before she showed in the finals.
“I really try not to be, but I wore the same pants I wore when Eli won the Senior Western Riding at the Congress and when he won the Senior here at the world show. So, I guess you can say the pants are lucky, and I’m probably never taking them off,” Kirsten says and laughs.
We congratulate Kirsten and Eli on a job well done.
