THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2007
Region Four Regional Experience News

Max and Gus Jump Their Way to the Top

Mackenzie "Max" Clason, Medina, OH, has a blunt description of her grey gelding, Gus. "He's a dork!" she said. "If he were a person, he would be very shy and wouldn't have many friends!"

He may be shy outside the show ring, but the judges felt Gus had an outgoing personality over the fences. Gus and Clason lept to the top of the show results by winning Youth Working Hunter and earning reserve champion and fourth place in Hunter Hack and Equitation Over Fences at the Region Four Regional Experience on Thursday. "We were both 'on' today," Clason said. "He was really good and we had really good gos."

Clason, 15, has been showing horses for about ten years and competing in the over fences classes for the past five years. However, she and Gus have only been a show team since January. "We got him in October, so we had a little time together before we started showing," she said. "On the first day of our first show together, it was OK, but we didn't really click. After that we just got better together."

Clason and Gus have found that it can be tough to find AQHA shows that offer fence classes, and even harder to find shows with large numbers competing. "It can be hit or miss," she said. "Usually you have to go to Florida, the Big A circuit or the East Coast Championship show to see bigger fence classes." So she was especially happy to be able to compete in her home state at the Region Four Regional Experience. "I think more people should compete here. They have great prizes and really good courses!" she said.

reported by Connie Lechleitner