Jasper Breitenbach, 13, of Dolores, recently rode The Eternal Flame to a grand championship in the three-gait Western division at the Carousel Charity Horse Show in Scottsdale, Ariz.
He also rode Flame to a third-place finish in the two-gait championship, finishing behind a world champion and an International champion from California.
Flame also won the grand championship in the English division, matching Flame’s titles last year in the Western and English divisions.
The show, held March 13-16 at Westworld Horseshow Park, is a top show in the Southwest, with classes for Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians, Hackneys, and Tennessee Walking Horses. It was the western regional championships for the Tennessee Walkers and is a springboard for the national championships in Shelbyville, Tenn., in September.
Bucky and Nancy Sparks, of Walking the Dog Ranch of Cortez, sent Flame – a 16-year-old stallion – and Flame’s 3-year-old daughter Same as Flame to the regional competition.
Same as Flame, in her first show, had moments of brilliance, but couldn’t handle the overwhelming activity at the show.
Jasper is a Sparks student, and has been riding with them for four years.