Check out the photos below from Day 13 of the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show (click on the photo to see the captions). For more coverage of the World Show, go to www.aqha.com.

It was a slew of firsts for the 2009 trail finals on the morning of November 18.

Murray Griggs and McZippo won their first world title in senior trail on Wednesday, November 18.

In the junior trail, AQHA Professional Horseman Bruce Vickery of Plain City, Ohio, – a multiple trail world champion trainer – piloted 4-year-old Chex Me Im Cute to her first world championship. And it was a first for her owners, Curtis and Priscilla Barnes, too. From Galatia, Illinois, the Barnes have had champion Appaloosas.

“In fact, we won the 2-year-old western pleasure (Appaloosa) world championship with a filly we raised,” Curtis said. “But this is our only Quarter Horse show horse.” Priscilla added that it was “unbelievable” that they could have won a gold trophy.

“We were on pins and needles,” Curtis said. “I thought about not even watching.”

The senior trail followed, and AQHA Professional Horseman Murray Griggs of Fayetteville, Arkansas, rode McZippo sixth in the draw. The crowd’s cheers indicated they thought it was a good go. The look on Murray’s face was priceless as Tami McAllister and So Much Potential were called for the reserve, leaving him and McZippo last in the arena to take the world championship.

It was a first for Murray, a 30-year horse industry veteran, a first for the 16-year-old gelding, and a first for the horse’s owner, 16-year-old Wren Myers, also of Fayetteville.

“This is a very special horse,” Murray said. “He tries every single time we show. He’s always close to winning, and he finally did.”

Related Posts:

• World Show: November 19
• World Show: November 21
• World Show: November 13
• World Show: November 12
• World Show: November 11