Brad Ost Wins His First Congress Championship With Caught U Lookin in Green Western Riding

By: Brittany Bevis

The first finals of the morning is complete, and Brad Ost with Caught U Lookin has won the Congress Championship title in Green Western Riding. Ost rode “Reggie” for Mary Raymund of San Juan Capistrano, California.

Luckily, the Green Western Riding was the first class this morning. Otherwise, the Raymund family might have missed their horse’s win. Shortly after taking a win photo, they have to jet off to the airport to catch a flight back home.

Reggie is a 9-year-old gelding by Always The Choice and out of Sweet Talkin Kate. He came to Highpoint Performance Horses about one year ago.

“He came to us with the Raymund family about a year ago, and they had done the western riding with him,” Ost says. “He was right on the bubble to keep for a green horse this year. We made the choice to keep him green and show him throughout this year. That turned out really well. We just focused on the green this year, and Mary will start doing the novice, hopefully, next year.”

“He was very good today. He’s a little bit difficult to prepare, so you’ve just got to go with what you’ve got. In general, what he gives you that day is all you’re going to get. Today, he was right on. He did really well and showed really good.”

The judges’ pattern of choice for the Green Western Riding this morning was pattern #4. That decision pleased Ost immensely, because it’s one of his favorites.

“I like that one because you’re going away from the gate and you’re pushing the whole time,” he says. “That really helped me out to get a good start to it. I could push him down the line and go forward and not worry about going too forward. I like that pattern a lot.”

“It was good for him. The hardest part is just making him wait on those two changes, because you just do two down the line instead of four.”

Ost also showed the mount he won Green Western Riding with at the NSBA World Show this year, UF A Certain Star. However, an unfortunate bobble at the end of an excellent pattern took him out of the running for a title. Ost says this turn of events helped to give him a little more motivation for his second ride.

“My other green horse was really good, but I had a big mistake before the pole and stopped before it,” he says. “So, I kind of went in [on Reggie] with a little more ambition and drive to do good. I just went for it.”

Coming up next for Reggie is the Senior Trail with Charlie Cole in the saddle. Ost would like to thank Jason Martin and Charlie Cole for allowing him the opportunity to show Reggie today.

“This is my first Congress title,” he says. “It’s pretty exciting. It felt like it took a really long time, but, I’m only 25, so I guess I can’t be complaining! Of course, I want to thank Jason and Charlie for letting me show him. They could’ve taken over, because neither of them had a good green horse for here. But, Jason let me keep the one I had started out the year on. I would like to thank the Raymund family for letting me show him and for letting us keep him a green horse throughout the year.”

Next up for Ost at the Congress are a few western pleasure classes and Senior Trail. Also, rumor has it, he will be showing in hunter under saddle… We’ll be looking forward to seeing those fancy breeches.

Green Western Riding-

1-Caught U Lookin/Brad Ost (225)

2-Huntin By Moonlite/Reid Thomas

3-He’s Invited/Brent Tincher

4-A Blazing Reflection/Terry Cross

5-RL Talk About Sudden/Becky George

6-She’s Hot Lady/Brett Weis

7-Calling All Cowboys/Amanda Doucette

8-He Invested Wisely/Jess Bergantzel

9-Out For Chocolate/Leonard Berryhill

10-Got Some Hot Wheels/Mike Hawkins