Classic Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation

It's another 'sensational' performance for Chelsea Bain and Sensational Blonde.

Chelsea Bain and Sensational Blonde are no strangers to the APHA World Championship Show and on November 5, the pair won another world title, this one in Classic Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation. The Journal caught up with Chelsea and her trainer, Sara Simons, to ask them about the championship ride.

Q: Congratulations, Chelsea! Tell me about your ride.

Chelsea: Well, I came back and I told Sara that I didn’t could have done anything too differently. We were kind of hardcore about the practicing of it all and everything for days and days knowing the pattern and all that. Sara came out and said, “You’re first to go.” And I was like, “Well, better know what I’m doing.”

Q: What do you mean by hardcore about practicing?

Chelsea: I mean I didn’t do the Hunter Under Saddle or anything. So it was like three times a day practicing the eq and getting in the saddle and doing all of that.

Sara: Working on her body position.

Q: Was it tough being first in the go?

Chelsea: You know, it’s a little nerve racking just because if you’re not first to go you get to kind of watch other people and see how they do, but sometimes it just seems a lot better too because I walked right in and did the pattern just the same as I practiced. So nothing messed with my head as what other people were doing. I just focused on me and “Barbie.”

Q: Tell me about Barbie.

Chelsea: Barbie is a sweetheart. Her name fits her perfectly. She’s just a great horse. She tries really, really hard. She knows when it’s crunch time to go out there and do it.

Q: And how many world championships has she won now?

Sara: I want to say about 15. I think Chelsea has about eight or nine.

Chelsea: I’ve lost count since Tucker.

Q: What else are you and Barbie showing in?

Chelsea: We will show in the horsemanship, the pleasure, the trail and the Western riding. So all the Western events.

Q: Chelsea, is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Chelsea: This girl standing right next to me right here [points to Sara]. Sara is my best friend and is basically a sister to me. She’s been with me every step of the way and I consider this her horse, too. We do it all together.

Q: Sara, any words about Chelsea?

Sara: She did an awesome job. She went out there and did exactly what I told her to. I give her a lot of things to think about during the pattern and she did everything we talked about. Executed perfectly.