Chase Wilkerson and Do My Thang Win ApHC Western Pleasure 16-18

By: Brittany Bevis

The Wilkerson family has had a busy day here at the Appaloosa Youth World Show and App Nationals. Of the last four Western Pleasure classes this afternoon, the Wilkerson’s have had a client in each. All of the hard work is paying off though, especially following a big win in Western Pleasure 16-18 for 17-year-old Chase Wilkerson.

Chase was in the saddle of Do My Thang, a six-year-old mare by Only Intuition and out of I’m Charlie Maid, a horse he fondly calls “Miley.” Chase and Miley are no strangers to the winner’s circle having won a 2016 Championship title in Youth Western Pleasure 13-15 and a 2015 Reserve Championship in Youth Western Pleasure 13-15. In 2013, Chase was also named the Reserve Champion in Youth Western Pleasure 12 and under with another horse, Blazing Scotch.

It seems, for the Wilkerson clan, that Western Pleasure runs in their blood. Chase is one part of the Wilkerson trio of father, Heath, and older brother, Ty, who own and operate Heath Wilkerson Performance Horses on a beautiful 14 acre farm in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

Coming in as the returning Champion from last year’s event, Chase knew he had the ability to claim another big win with Miley, but with his graduation to an older age division there were no guarantees. “I thought I had a good chance,” he says. “She’s really soft, and she’s usually in a good mood. She’s easy to work with. My favorite part of riding her is loping. She’s the smoothest one I’ve ridden.”

Chase and Miley have been a team for the past three years. The family purchased the mare as a three-year-old here in Fort Worth at the Appaloosa Nationals. This is their first class at the 2017 Youth World and Nationals, but tomorrow they will be competing in Novice Horsemanship. Later on in the show, Chase will show Miley in Trail as well as his brother’s horse, Don’t Look Away. Still, of all the classes he competes in, Western Pleasure is his favorite. “Western Pleasure is the class I’ve shown in the longest and have become the most comfortable in, and it seems to be her speciality.”

Having his dad also serve as his horse trainer definitely has its advantages, but Chase confirms it’s a lot of work. Growing up with a horse trainer as a dad, Chase feels he was destined to become a competitor. “Sometimes, it makes it hard, because you have to do more work, but it makes it better because I can ride with him every day, if I need to. He knows me and the horse well. I’ve been showing a long time, because I showed a couple of years in Leadline!”

Because Chase just turned 17, he still has two more years left in youth competition before he joins his brother in the non-pro ranks. After he graduates from high school, Chase has plans to attend college to study Engineering. He has his eye on Penn State University, because of the close proximity to home, and because of the Steelers, of course!

The Reserve Champion in 16-18 Western Pleasure was Casey Temple with Roys Hot Investment. Third was Claire Hines with Miss Impulse. Fourth was Josephine Rimmer with Scotch Tape My Weedo. Fifth was Ally Brown with My Zippers Stuck.

Scroll below to view more results from today’s competition at the ApHC Youth World Championship Show and Appaloosa Nationals.

Leadline 6 and Under

1- Vested All Mighty/Aubrey Motycka

2- Confidential/Emily Strachar

3- Krymsun N Klover/Fisher Weatherford

4- Down Town Charlie/Mackenzie Shrout

5- Heza Classy Charlie/Brock Groome

Walk Trot Western Pleasure 10 and Under

1- ChocolateyN Paradise/Hannah Forrester

2- Hollywood Chocolate/Camille Kennedy

3- She’s Zippin Rageous/April Goolsby

4- Chockstar/Kaydee Kallay

5- Mostly Chocolatey/Emily Forrester

Western Pleasure 12 and Under

1-Sheza Charlie Chip/Abigail Bicknell

2- Pathway To Paradise/Cadence Scheer

3- Choclet At Midnight/Maggie Harrell

4- Blonde Barbee/Anya Leland

5- Lopin In Chocolate/Taylor Smith

Western Pleasure 13-15

1- Zipper Shock/Maisen Gores

2- Hashtag Huntin/Savannah Carter

3- Designed To B Blonde/Jacqueline Frimodt

4- Chocolate N Jack/Lori Girrbach

5- Fancy Kind of Scotch/Jenna Chiarella

Western Pleasure 16-18

1- Do My Thang/Chase Wilkerson

2- Roys Hot Investment/Casey Temple

3- Miss Impulse/Claire Hines

4- Scotch Tape My Weedo/Josephine Rimmer

5- My Zippers Stuck/Ally Brown

Novice Youth Western Pleasure 13 and Under

1- Sheza Charlie Chip/Abigail Bicknell

2- Zippos Pretty Women/Kennedie Owens

3- Pathway To Paradise/Cadence Scheer

4- Sailin To Paradise/Melissa Mauney

5- Hot Krymsun Angel/Taylor Kennedy