November 8-23, 2013, Oklahoma City

Senior Pleasure Driving

by Becky Newell
The American Quarter Horse Journal

Larks Happy Days, a 2002 bay gelding, is golden in the eyes of his owner, Lori Bucholz of Waterloo, Nebraska. And she has the trophies to prove it.

At the Adequan Select World Championship Show in September in Amarillo, Lori and “Fonzie” picked up world championships in pleasure driving, hunter hack and equitation over fences. Then, in November at the AQHA World Championship Show, Fonzie, with AQHA Professional Horseman Kevin Dukes at the reins, won another world championship November 18, this time in senior pleasure driving.

“He was phenomenal, thanks to (trainer) Kevin Dukes,” Lori said.

Fonzie is by Rugged Lark and out of Emma Big Leaguer by Im A Big Leaguer.

“I can’t tell you what this feels like because I’ve never had this feeling before,” Lori said. “But it is absolutely fabulous. The one you really need to talk to is Kevin (Dukes) because he is a multiple world champion with Fonzie and other horses. He has a better idea of how feels.”

Fonzie gave it his all.

“He just laid it all out,” Kevin said. “Last night, we were practicing, and he was just tootin’ around like no big deal. He knows when it’s show day, and he went in there and just burned it up. He burned rubber.”

As an owner, Lori had a really good day at the World Show in both junior and senior pleasure driving: Good Lukin Lark, Lori’s 2004 bay gelding, placed third in senior pleasure driving with Stephanie Lynn, and Too Rainy To Sleep, a 2006 sorrel gelding and Lori’s newest horse, was reserve world champion in junior pleasure driving with Kevin at the reins.