Libbie Lowry and her registered Pinto horse, Retail Therapy, competed in the Annual Pinto World Championship Horse Show in June. The Western Trail event has obstacles like fences and flowers to meander around.

By JOE SUTTER

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SOMERS – Pinto horses come in all sizes and colors.

Libbie Lowry, of Somers, recently won an award at the Pinto World Championship Horse Show in Tulsa, Okla., with a horse that’s almost completely brown.

Lowry and her horse, Retail Therepy, or Reta, won the World Championship title in the Youth Western Trail event for Solid Horse.

Libbie Lowry and Retail Therapy, pose for photos following her success in the World Pinto Championship in June in Tulsa, Okla.

Pinto refers to the horse’s paint, or coloring, Lowry said, but a wide variety of horses are accepted by the Pinto Horse Association of America.

“She’s registered as a pinto. They consider it a solid-color pinto,” said Jeanine Lowry, Libbie’s mother.

“We have a solid division in our registry,” said Amanda Bradley, publication editor for the PHA. “A solid pinto is basically a horse who, one of its parents was a pinto, or if it’s registered in one of our affiliate associations.

“They have a certain amount of white on them in qualifying areas, and they can be registered as a solid pinto.”

This allows more horses the chance to compete, Bradley said, since the PHA bases decisions on coloration and not just bloodlines.

Libbie Lowry, 16, said Reta is also registered as a quarter horse. She loves taking her to shows.

“Because its fun and I get to meet new people all the time,” she said.

Libby Lowry said that horses have been part of the farm since her mother was 14. Lowrygrew up taking care of them.

“I am very proud of her. She works hard at it,” said Jeanine Lowry. “It seems like just about every weekend we’re at a show. Sometimes they’re open shows, and sometimes they’re breed shows.

“She’s been to Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ohio, Minnesota …”

Western Trail is like an obstacle course, Libbie Lowry said.

Bradley added, “They have obstacles they would see on an actual trail ride, like a bridge or a fence, or some flowers they have to meander around.”

Jeanine Lowry said, “I think there were 19 in her class. She won under all four judges that were there.

Each judge places them separately, and then they have a combined score, and that’s how they determine the winner. But she was the unanimous winner under all four.”

Lowry also placed fifth in youth hunt seat equitation-solid horse, and seventh in youth hunter under saddle-solid horse.

The competition lasted 13 days, and included 2,262 pintos making up nearly 33,000 judged class entries.