“Zoro has the biggest heart of any horse I’ve ever had; he just wants to try so hard. You have to earn his respect, so not just anyone can get on him and get the best results. His personality is about a mile wide.”

Kail explained that at an AQHA event or an NRHA event they judge the horse. For the IHSA, they judge the riders on how well they present those horses. They rarely ride the same horse and have no opportunity to warm those horses up or to know what they’re like. “They go in there cold turkey,” he said. “That’s a tough thing to do.” Kail said that the IHSA format helps to develop riders. “I’ve trained horses for 35-40 years,” he said. “Every time I rode a horse, it taught me something.”

“It’s an honor to recognize the breeders who are the backbone of AQHA,” said AQHA Executive Vice President Craig Huffhines. “They have kept the tradition of the American Quarter Horse alive through their knowledge and dedication, and ensure that the success of the breed will continue for many generations to come.”

The 2019 Lucas Oil AQHA World Championship Show is scheduled for November 7-23 in Oklahoma City.

A Good Machine was bred by Dawn Schroeter of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and was owned by MC Equine Enterprise LLC of Whitesboro, Texas. After a stellar career in the show ring, mostly in western pleasure, A Good Machine went to the breeding shed where he sired the earners of more than 32,500 AQHA points. His foals have earned more than $2 million in the show pen. He was euthanized in 2011.