Back in January, Ryan and Andrea Kail presented amateur client Cristin Coombs with the opportunity to show Doctor Phil Good, a 2016 gelding by RL Best Of Sudden. It was proposed that Coombs show him for the year in both trail and horsemanship while her young horse, CR Candy Bar learned the all-around events.
“I was so excited because I have always been a big fan of Dr. Phil since he was a junior horse,” Coombs recalls. “I have always admired how athletic he is in the trail; he is so smooth and just floats over the poles so beautifully. Ultimately, after just a few shows with him, my family fell in love with him and decided that he would be the perfect addition to our family.”
Cristin says that Dr. Phil is unlike any horse they’ve owned before. “There is definitely a reason his nickname is ‘Perfect Phil’. He just has a way of stealing people’s hearts without even trying. He is so willing, talented, and has the kindest soul. In just a few short months, he has already made some of my wildest dreams come true in my first year as an amateur.”
In their very first show together at the Silver Dollar Circuit in Las Vegas, Cristin says that she “was so nervous warming up for my trail class because I only rode him for a few minutes back home. Needless to say, he took such great care of me out there and was absolutely perfect, as always. That very first ride together, we were first under all three judges in Amateur Trail with the highest score I’ve ever received. It is safe to say, I instantly fell in love with him from that moment forward.”
Coombs, who lives in Corona Del Mar, California plans on showing Dr. Phil in the all-around events under the guidance of Kail Quarter Horses. He will also continue to be shown in Senior Trail with his favorite lady, Andrea Kail, and trainer Michael Hoyt during Andrea’s pregnancy. “Like Phil, the trail happens to be my favorite class, so I definitely have some big dreams for the future with him,” Cristin adds.
The Coombs Family would like to thank first and foremost Andrea and Ryan Kail, as well as Michael Hoyt for making this dream a reality. “Words cannot describe the love and gratitude we have for them for allowing Dr. Phil to join our family. He holds a special place in so many people’s hearts, and we are all so happy he gets to stay in the barn he grew up in, with the people he loves the most.”
Andrea remembers the first time she saw Doctor Phil Good. He was two years old, it was the middle of the day, and she had made a trip to Texas to look at horses. “I was at Rusty and Katie Green’s, we walked down the aisle, and he was sacked out with a mouthful of shavings, and I said I’m going to want to see that one. I watched him ride around for five minutes, and I knew we had to have him.”
Amateur client Julie Hoefling bought him, no questions asked. When they got him home, Ryan started doing the trail, and he showed a lot of potential. “Since Julie had never gone over more than one pole in the western riding, we knew it would be tricky to teach them both at the same time. Cue Michael Hoyt. He called us with an opportunity to get one of my absolute favorite horses and old soul trail horses back, Movin The Chains (aka Lucky),” Andrea told GoHorseshow.
That’s when Hoefling traded Dr. Phil for Lucky, so she could have a seasoned horse to teach her the trail. Hoyt spent Phil’s three-year-old year perfecting his talent and asked the Kails to take him to Congress that year. Andrea was fifth in the LTD 3YO Trail Futurity and seventh in the Open. “I loved him so much, I really didn’t want to send him back to California, probably because he reminded me so much of my great youth horse Zippo LTD,” Kail shared. “They were both plain bay geldings with the biggest hearts of gold, so Michael offered us a partnership, and we jumped at the chance.”
Since then, he’s been an AQHA Reserve World Champion with Michael in the L3 Junior Trail, NSBA World Champion in the 4/5 YO Trail, Reserve Congress Champion in the Junior Trail, and third in the 4/5 YO Trail with Andrea. “He has a lot of nicknames; Mr. Perfect, Unicorn, Baby LT, Dr. Phil, but the most prominent would be Seabiscuit because he loves to eat, sleep, and just wants his humans to be happy. He would literally do anything for his people. We are so grateful to Michael for giving us the opportunity to partner and keep him with us over the years…truly an amazing friend and horse partner,” Andrea says.
Hoyt adds, “He wants to be a good boy, is really smart, and was a natural from the beginning. Phil is the same horse day-in and day-out and is one of the most calm and relaxed horses I’ve ever worked with. He’s a perfect amateur horse, and I’m so happy he gets to stay in the barn with Ryan and Andrea.”
CLICK HERE to view Cristin and Doctor Phil Good’s ad in the July issue of GoMag.
