Capital Quarter Horses LLC has had a great start to the show career for their stallion prospect, Hay Goodlookn, after a Congress Masters win, and Mike Hachtel made the most of his first trip to the All American Quarter Horse Congress with a Limited win with the APHA gelding RR Cant Stop A Feelin for Nettie Olsen.
Mike Hachtel and 'Sniper' Hit Their Target
Much like a military sniper focuses on a target, Mike Hachtel and the gelding RR Cant Stop A Feelin set their sights on reaching the top of the Masters class, and it’s safe to say they hit their target.
“This is huge,” Mike exclaimed. “To come here to the Congress for the first time and do this – I wanted to do the best job I could, and this is awesome.”
Fittingly known as Sniper, the gelding was bred and raised by Darol Rodrock and is by A Scenic Impulse and out of Cant Stop Zippin. “I picked him out for Nettie, and she bought him as a coming yearling and he’s been at my place ever since. He’s the total package. He has the mind and the quality of movement, he’s the real deal.”
Mike and Sniper were certainly the crowd favorite as the duo received thunderous applause during the presentation under each judge’s card placings.
Nettie Olsen had success with two entries in this year’s Congress Masters Two Year Old Western Pleasure. Her entry Livin Da Dream, shown by Jay Starnes, earned the third place award in the class, giving Nettie two of the top three horses in the class.
Andy Cochran and Capital Quarter Horses Win Back-to-Back Masters Titles
When Andy Cochran entered the Celeste Center aboard Hay Goodlookn, he rode with the confidence of knowing his entry for Capital Quarter Horses LLC carried not only the genes of the legendary late stallion Invitation Only, but also the great show mare Whatscookngoodlookin. The result was a back-to-back win in the Masters Western Pleasure for the trainer.
“The horse I won on last year, Whatgosaround, is a half-brother to this one,” Andy said. “Last year’s was by VS Flatline, and this one is by Invitation Only, and they’re both out of Whatscookngoodlookin. He’s been a great horse since Day 1. He’s big, he’s pretty and he’s strong, along with a great mind.”
Although showing a maiden horse at the Congress can be tricky, Andy noted that the stallion known as Gus took it all in stride. “Even though we showed later in the night, he was still very good. From the first day we broke him, he had lots of rhythm. I knew he was going to work, so we gave him a little time off. When we brought him back to begin training again later in the year, he never missed a beat – at that point I knew he was going to be something very special.”
For Hillary Roberts, the win culminates a dream she has had since she was a little girl. “Since I was eight years old, I’ve wanted to have a stallion like this, and now we do,” she said.
“We bred him through the ICSI procedure and foaled him out here. You never know when they’re born and as they grow and change what they will be like, but he’s pretty neat. He has four white feet and he’s just gorgeous.”
The Roberts family is excited to have a horse that can carry on the genetics of Whatscookngoodlookin, as well as the cross with Invitation Only. “Honestly, he’s the textbook of what you want in a Western Pleasure horse,” Hillary said. “He’s a ten loper and a ten jogger. I can’t find any faults with him.”
Andy and Gus will compete in the Two Year Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Championship Show before determining what’s next for the young stallion’s career.
Complete results of the Masters Two Year Old Western Pleasure are:
1 – Hay Goodlookn, Andy Cochran for Capital Quarter Horses LLC, $25,000
2/1st Limited – RR Cant Stop A Feelin, Mike Hachtel for Nettie Olsen, $12,500/$5,000
3rd – Livin Da Dream, Jay Starnes for Nettie Olsen, $5,000
4th – Suddenly Ladylike, Gil Galyean for Starland Ranch LLC, $4,500
5th/2nd Limited – Snippity Snap, Denton DeBuhr for Julie Dishman, $4,000/$3,000
6th – Battin On Slow, Karen Hornick for Jack Creditt, $3,500
7th – RV Dunit N Moonlite, Clay Arrington for Vickie Kent, $3,000
8th – KM My Girl, Casey Willis for Masterson Farms LLC, $2,500
9th Always Lopin, David Archer for Paula Czapko
10th/3rd Limited – Ready Set Strut, Alex Whalen for Shelley Shepherd, $2,500
11th/4th Limited – Its A Certain Thing, Patrick O’Brien for Matthew and Melissa Burton
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