Matt Gouthro and Whiz A Chicolena Win Junior Working Western Rail at Congress

By Sarah Welk Baynum

When Matt Gouthro first saw Whiz A Chicolena lope just a few strides during a horse shopping trip this spring, he knew immediately he had found the one.

Whiz A Chicolena had not originally been on Gouthro’s shopping list, but that changed almost as soon as he watched the gelding move.

“We were at a farm, and they said, ‘You should probably take a look at this one,’” Gouthro said. “As soon as I saw him lope about three strides, I thought, ‘Yep, that’s the one.’”

Just months later, that instinct paid off in a big way as Gouthro and the 5-year-old won the Junior Working Western Rail at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress for owner Amanda McGinley.

Whiz A Chicolena joined Gouthro’s program in March of this year after being started in reining, but never shown. His competitive career began almost immediately—and somewhat unexpectedly—when he was delivered directly to a horse show after he was purchased.

“We didn’t plan on showing him at that show, and he really wasn’t ready to show,” Gouthro said. “But it was the Virginia Maiden, and when Brad Hill’s ride fell through, I asked Brad if he wanted to try showing him. He won it, and this horse has been winning ever since.”

Since then, Whiz A Chicolena has spent much of the year on the road with Gouthro, rarely spending time at home while continuing to prove himself in the show pen.

“He’s an amazing animal,” Gouthro said. “He comes out every day in a good mood. He’s been on the road with me everywhere I’ve been all summer—he probably doesn’t even know where home is yet. He never gets cranky and never says no. Even when he’s tired, he still tries. He has a lot of heart, so I’m really excited about his future.”

That attitude, coupled with the gelding’s movement and rideability, made him naturally well-suited for the Working Western Rail—where judges are looking for the type of horse someone could comfortably ride across a ranch all day.

“You want a horse that looks comfortable to ride because that translates into being a good mover,” Gouthro said. “You want those horses that ride around on a fairly straight rein, look like a pleasure to ride and are ground-covering. It really comes down to the quality of movement, the brokenness of the horse and its demeanor.”

His five-year-old season marks Whiz A Chicolena’s first and only year eligible for the Junior division at Congress. But showing him in the class was not even part of Gouthro’s original plan.

“I had another horse entered and made a last-minute decision to switch and show him instead,” Gouthro said.

It proved to be the right call, adding another win to a season that began only seven months earlier with an unshown horse arriving at his first competition.

With his Congress run complete, Whiz A Chicolena will finally get a brief chance to rest before heading to the World Show.

“He’s going to get some well-deserved R&R,” Gouthro said. “We get to go home for a couple of weeks before the World Show, and then after that, he’ll get a good, long break.”

 

Complete results through 15th place with detailed scoring: 

https://quarterhorsecongress.net/results/26results/results/pages/r1170100go1.htm