2007 Congress News
The Phantom of the Opera’s Power Captures the Freestyle Win for Laura Phillips
Laura Phillips and Pickup Chic wowed the Freestyle Reining crowd Saturday night with her performance matched to the Phantom of the Opera theme song.
Phillips’ flowing cream gown and her horse’s black sequined cape streamed behind Pickup Chic as the gelding slid and spun to a score of 231.
“It took me from the beginning of February to the end of May to think of a theme for my
performance,” Phillips explained. “When I found this song, I knew it was the dramatic piece I had been looking for.
“After that, it seemed like the rest would be easy, but I wanted my costume to be as dramatic as my song.” Phillips is a full-time employee for Ollie and Debbie Griffith at Autumn Rose Farm, and one of the farm’s customers, Amy Kocher, offered to make the beautiful gown for Phillips’ performance.
Pickup Chic’s costume was equally as important, according to Phillips. “We went through five or six masks to get one that looked just right.”
Sing once again with me; our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet.
Similar to the lyrics of the classic musical, Phillips performed a duet with her partner. “Pickup,” as the five-year-old gelding is called around the barn, performed effortlessly with Phillips. The pair showed so perfectly, in fact, that Phillips rode her gelding in only a rope halter.
“He’s really just a steady, good horse,” Phillips said of her father’s gelding. “My dad bought him as a yearling and I actually thought that I would sell him after his three-year-old year.
“Once he was three, though, I thought he wasn’t at his peak yet and wanted to give him more time to mature. I showed him last year as a four-year-old and won the Intermediate Open title and also a Reserve World Championship. I also showed him here in the Intermediate Open Reining and placed second.”
Although the gelding is obviously a super star to Phillips, she says he is for sale.
Article by Carly Williams, Photo courtesy Kirkbride Photography.
