Brooks earns honors at horse show

Brandyl Brooks

Brandyl J. Brooks of Kempner competed at the second annual Pinto Congress and Futurity Horse Show in Tulsa, Okla., Nov. 7-11.

She earned Congress Championship titles with pinto horse, GJ Classy Top Star, owned by Nancy J. Brooks, in youth senior horsemanship, youth senior trail and youth halter geldings. The pair also took home a reserve championship title in youth senior ideal pinto western.

When not at a horse show, Brandyl competes for the Lampasas High School varsity tennis team, captains the FFA Senior Horse Judging Team and is a member of the FFA Rodeo Team.

She serves as vice president for the county 4-H Council and the American Junior Paint Horse Association.

Each November, the Pinto Horse Association of America Inc. hosts a gathering of pinto horses, ponies and miniatures at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex in Tulsa. The five-day competition show- cases talented equines and exhibitors in a wide array of disciplines including jumping, reining, driving, cutting, pleasure and halter. During the week, exhibitors compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes.

In addition to equine performances, exhibitors are able to relax and make new friends at the annual Congress Cookout. Many exhibitors also have the opportunity to compete in the "Pinto Horse" magazine's Hula Hoop Hoedown contest for a chance to win pinto prize packs worth up to $700.

At this year's event, 468 exhibitors from 27 states converged on the Pinto Congress and Futurity Horse Show, making up 4,218 judged class entries, an increase of almost 20 percent over last year's entries.

Incorporated in 1956, the Pinto Horse Association of America was formed to encourage the promotion of quality horses, ponies and miniatures with color and to establish a registry for maintaining their pedigrees and records. Currently, the association serves approximately 13,000 members and boasts more than 133,000 registered pintos.

For more information about the 2007 Pinto Congress and Futurity Horse Show, for a complete list of show results, or for more information on the association, visit www.pinto.org/congress.