AQHA MAGAZINE July / August 2021 | Page 12

2021 AQHA NATIONAL CHAMPION OPEN WESTERN DRESSAGE
PG . 10
AQHA FEATURE
DYNAVYTE TROPHY BUCKLE WINNER OPEN- HOW COOL AM I Q-59935 - Debra Watson
‘ Everyone was pleased to see the positive interest shown .’ Lorelei says . ‘ Each of these competitors deserves some praise as they ’ d prepared their horses wonderfully and competed so well . I really enjoyed judging the class and it was great to see such lovely forward moving horses , which is a must for Western Dressage . It was also encouraging to see that no horse was shown in a forced frame and each showed with very natural head carriages .’
Lorelei remarked that she loved seeing the ease of free-flowing movement displayed , and while the horses showed athleticism , there was still lightness in the forehand . While the test pattern asked for precise movements and correct leg yield , a must in the test , she says that everyone tried very hard and showed her correct movement scores . Lorelei also says that she had some people chat with her after the event , commenting on how great it was to see horses going forward and looking happy .

2021 AQHA NATIONAL CHAMPION OPEN WESTERN DRESSAGE

How Cool Am I Q-59935 & Debra Watson

Debra Watson purchased How Cool Am I , aka Humphrey , from Jo-anne Brown , QLD in 2015 , on the recommendation of AQHA Judge , Leanne Bartlett .
‘ I was looking for a Quarter Horse that had the movement to be competitive in open Dressage competition ,’ Debra begins . ‘ Humphrey is by Ima Cool Seeker , who most people know to produce horses with an outstanding movement combined with good looks . I was definitely not disappointed with how he turned out . Humphrey went on to win and place in many open Dressage competitions . Standing at only 15.3hh , he held his own against the much bigger-moving Warmbloods .
In 2017 , Humphrey was awarded the National High Point Dressage Horse of Australia , a testament to the
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW . AQHA . COM . AU