Four
years ago, Susan Wilson of Ramona, California, was about to turn 49,
and she knew about the Adequan Select World Championship Show. Though
Susan had always shown American Paint Horses, she thought the Adequan
Select World sounded like fun.
So she
told her longtime trainers, AQHA Professional Horsemen Charlie Cole and
Jason Martin to start looking for a horse to help her celebrate turning
50.
In 2008, Susan was third in hunt seat equitation. In 2009, she was second in showmanship.
This year, though, Susan brought her new horse, Knowtorious, aka “Jackson.”
“It
started exactly a year ago,” she says. “Last August, I bought him, and
it’s been an amazing ride ever since. He has taken me to the all-around
at every show I’ve been to.”
That includes the 2009 All-American Quarter Horse Congress, their first show together.
In
Amarillo at the 2010 Adequan Select World, Susan and Jackson earned
world championships in horsemanship and hunt seat equitation; reserve
world championships in showmanship and western riding, an eighth in
trail and 12th in performance halter geldings.
It was good enough to claim the Farnam All-Around Amateur Award on September 4.
“I don’t have words for it,” Susan told the Journal after her win was announced. “I’m so excited. It’s hard to talk about.”
As
the Farnam All-Around Amateur, Susan received a beautiful bronze
trophy, a WeatherBeeta blanket, $10,000 from Farnam and an additional
$1,000 in Farnam products.
For his
reward, Jackson will get Smarties candies, his favorite treat. Susan
found them in giant size and portioned them out through the week as the
2001 sorrel gelding performed well.
“He would eat them until there were no more if you put them in front of him,” Susan says.
Susan’s goal for the week was the make the finals in all her classes. As she surpassed each goal, she became emotional.
“(In
showmanship), I knew if I could make the top five, I’d be ecstatic,”
she says. “So I was crying in the arena when I was in the top five and
crying even harder when I was reserve. It’s not our strongest event.”
That was August 31. As the trophies have piled up, so have the tears.
“I
love the (Adequan) Select World,” she says. “I love all the people I
show with. They’re all so nice and they’ve been really kind to me and I
love this. I’m going to do it as long as I can. Some day, I’m going to
be the person they announce in the arena: ‘Here’s Susan Wilson and she’s
90 years old and she’s the oldest one here.’ That will be me.”
Click here for more about Susan Wilson and Knowtorious courtesy of The American Quarter Horse Journal.
