I surely know that my horses are not perfect but I am proud of them.
Here is my A WCPD horse that I showed all year. She has been very consistent and had a great year.
I even consider this mare "extreme" for WCP sometimes. When she is fresh or gets spooked, she becomes more up headed, but lacks the compulsion to maintain that up-headed look. With time, maturity and routine work with trot poles and driving, I feel as though this girlie will go CPD. As she grows into herself more, I will "graduate" her to CPD. She may not "win" as much as she does in WCPD, but I try my best to not show in off type.
Here is my B WCPD horse that I showed all year. And he had a great year too
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The only horse he could never bet was a little horse from Michigan named Spike, or "Sunswept's Five O'Clock Shadow" owned by Kim Fox. Now I don't have a picture of him, but every time out people commented how ideal WCP he was. And he really is. HOF in his first year driving, and will be Champion All-Star for the Over WCP classes, and I believe he was undefeated all year... And yet he walked away from Nationals with a Top Ten (6th) in Open and a Top Ten (5th) in the Stakes. Sure those are great placings, but this guy truly is an amazing and athletic western style driving horse.
So when I think of WCPD... I do not think of CPD drop-outs, peanut-rollers, or horses behind the bit. I think of a nice moving horse, and a level head set.
I think Judges should really buckle down and take a look at the Western type they want out there. Pick it then stick to it, LOL.
I do NOT mean to step on toes. Jill, I know you are very proud of your boy! And as a Res. National GRAND Champion WCPD horse,
YOU SHOULD BE!
Even if
I were to consider your horse "off type" to what
my understanding of WCPD is, it is not you that I am calling foul to, but rather the judges who choose off type. I love some of the pictures that you posted of Destiny as they do show his level headset and good movement. And again, it should be noted that ANY title won at a National level is a HUGE deal and the winning owners and trainers should be very proud of the hard work and effort that they invested.
It just appeared to me that the National WCPD was a different class then that of what I had been apart of all year.