The Congress is a time to shake things up; some partnerships reach the pinnacle of achievement and owners look to say goodbye on a high note. Such was the case for the stunning black gelding Willya Be Lazy (aka “Willie”) and his youth rider Carmen Ross.
A Fairytale In The Making
Willie is a 2010 son of Lazy Loper out of the Willy Be Invited mare, Was A Mouse Invited. He was bred in Ohio and has made a name for himself in all-around events, earning points and titles in multiple events.
Earlier this year, Willie was purchased by the Ross Family and he was campaigned by their daughter Carmen Ross under the guidance of Shannon McCulloch of McCulloch Training Stables in Pilot Point, Texas.
In a career highlight, Willie and Carmen won the Level 2 Youth 14-18 Western Riding with an impressive score of 232, were Reserve Champions in the Youth 15-18 Showmanship and earned multiple top ten finishes across several events at this year’s Congress. These were Carmen’s first Congress titles, and they made for a final show straight out of a storybook.
“Willie was an absolute saint for the Western Riding,” Carmen gushes. “The Showmanship was also a special win for me because we put so much time and effort into that class. It was an amazing feeling to have all the preparation pay off.”
She adds, “I’m super thankful to Shannon for all her effort with Willie, and I’m so grateful for this incredible show year.”
“Carmen’s story is a bit different from most youth,” her mother, Kelly Ross admits. “She has chosen to end her youth career a year early to pursue engineering college applications and engineering internships next year. For her, juggling six AP courses and internships her senior year would be a lot.”
With these new and lofty educational goals in mind, the Ross family decided to find Willie the perfect home where he could continue to excel in the pen. Enter Chris Harrison and her trainer, Clint Ainsworth of Clint Ainsworth Show Horses in Lithonia, Georgia.
The Stars Align
“My client, Chis Harrison has found great success with her horse Moonlight Potential in the Select Trail and Horsemanship,” Ainsworth explains. “What I love about Chris is that she truly enjoys showing and wants to compete in as many classes as possible. As a result, she aims to show in more all-around events in the coming years.”
“Chris hoped to add Western Riding, Equitation and Showmanship classes,” Clint adds. “So, we were hunting for a unicorn to add to her show string and help move her into those classes.”
Ainsworth chuckles, “Hindsight is 20/20, but in the moment, looking for that perfect horse was pretty discouraging. Chris and I struggled to find the right show partner for her and we just kept feeling like the stars were not aligning.”
“In a moment of fate or heavenly intervention, Shannon contacted me before the Congress to inform me about the opportunity to purchase Willie. She told me his youth rider was pursuing academics, and Shannon wanted to find the perfect home for such a special horse.”
Harrison and Ainsworth tried Willie at the Congress and were blown away by how “right” the situation felt. Ainsworth laughs, “I knew within five minutes of Chris getting in the saddle that Willie was the horse we’d been searching for.”
He continues, “Willie checks all Chris’s boxes. He is very kind and forgiving and will make a great teacher for her as she moves into new events.”
Clint emphasizes, “What I find so exceptional about Willie is that he has the kindness and patience to teach his rider new disciplines, but he also has the talent to find success in those events at a high level.”
McCulloch is thrilled for Willie’s future with Harrison and Ainsworth. “I’ve been friends with Clint for years and have the utmost respect for his program,” she says.
“Willie is a special horse and is dear to my heart, so I needed to find him the perfect home, which I feel ended up being the case here. We will be Chris and Willie’s biggest fans.”
Ainsworth smiles, “I cannot express how thankful I am to Shannon for thinking of my program. I know how hard it is as a trainer to say goodbye to good ones like Willie. I feel our goals as trainers align, so it is shaping up to be a wonderful transition, and it wouldn’t have happened without Shannon’s coordination.”
The Future Is Bright
Harrison is thrilled by the opportunity to add a horse like Willie to her show string. “I’ve been super blessed to show Trail and Horsemanship with Moonlight Potential, but I have always wanted to try my hand at more events – especially the Western Riding.”
“I feel like Willie and I will make a great match together. I look forward to showing him and competing in the events I’ve been dreaming of.”
Harrison and Willie plan to debut as a team at Ocala’s Gulf and Gold Coast show. They aim to show all the majors together in 2025.
In the meantime, Harrison will continue to show Moonlight Potential in the Select Trail and Horsemanship at the AQHA World Show.
From everyone at GoHorseShow, Congratulations and best of luck to all involved in your future endeavors.
