Debbie Conway and her new horse Midsummer Spook secured the Rookie Prime Time Championship at the SWRHA Futurity, marking a 70.5.
“I just got him actually; he just came over from Europe. This is only really our third or fourth time together, so I just wanted to have a nice quiet ride this late in the year,” Conway said. “My trainer Tara Podkrajsek wishes I’d sit in my saddle a little more forward, so we’ve been working on that, and it really paid off today. He gets really free when your legs aren’t on him, and I tend clamp on him when I get nervous, so we worked on that, and it worked out great.”
Conway has some big dreams for Midsummer Spook, shooting for the NRHA NAAC Rookie of the Year title. Sired by Smart Spook and out of Shining Mona, Midsummer Spook is named after the British crime drama television show Midsomer Murders, and his barn name is after the lead detective on the show “Barnaby.” According to Conway, gelding Barnaby perfectly embodies the even-keeled detective in a trench coat.
“I’d like to thank my trainer, Tara Podkrajsek. She’s been with us at the barn for a couple of months now and it’s just been such a blessing having somebody there every day to coach you and stay consistent,” Conway said.