Hes Golden
Photo credit: Paint Horse Journal.
Hes Frank The Tank claimed gold each time he set foot in the pen at the 2025 APHA World Show.
By Delores Kuhlwein
Hes Frank The Tank has captured everyone’s attention at the 2025 APHA World Championship Show this year, unanimously winning his 3YO classes – the 3YO Western Pleasure Sweepstakes, and the 3YO Western Pleasure, running concurrently with the Southern Belle Breeders Futurity, and the Breeders Trust 3YO Western Pleasure Stakes.
“Frank” won almost $15,000 at the show, all with Katy Jo Zuidema piloting him beautifully and gracefully to his wins.
The 2022 Palomino gelding by Hay Goodlookn and out of All Kinds Of Trouble, bred by Dorothy Ann Murdock Hornback and owned by Karen Wood, not only had a wildly successful show — it seems he has an incredibly bright future, too.
Katy Jo says he’s already a gifted lead changer, and the plan is for Frank and Katy Jo to enter the Pleasure Versatility Challenge at the 2025 AQHA World Championship Show this fall. “He’s special,” says Katy Jo, who explains they showed to 15 judges at this show and had 15 firsts.
For Katy Jo, the secret to the success of Hes Frank The Tank is that everything he does makes sense. “He jogs great – he’s a 12 jogger if there’s even such a thing, his topline is really good, and his ears are always up. He’s a really good loper, and he’s a really good jogger, but he’s not exotic.”
She explains that Frank is very pleasant and that’s what she likes. “I don’t think anyone would call my horses exotic or out there, but I think they’re square and they make sense. He’s bred top and bottom to be square – Hay Goodlookn, who himself is a real square horse, and out of a daughter of Blazin Hot, who were both balanced horses, and he’s exactly who he’s supposed to be.”
That balance lends itself naturally to facts such as Katy Jo teaching him to change leads in just one day. “He’s just one of those horses, and it all comes naturally. “I’m excited about the versatility. I haven’t shown it in a couple of years, so I’m excited to get out there and try it again.”
We can’t wait to watch Frank and Katy Jo in November! For now, view complete results for all three classes for Frank below:
3YO Western Pleasure
3 YO Western Pleasure Sweepstakes
Gold 3YO Western Pleasure Breeders Futurity
