Working For
A Dream
A Look At Youth Exhibitor Christian Cook by Joe Alberti
Over the past few years that I’ve written columns for the Times, I’ve focused almost entirely on amateurs and how to improve their experiences in Arabian horses, whether it has been in breeding, selling or showing. This time, I’d like to focus on one amateur, a junior exhibitor that I’ve come to know and for whom I have a lot of admiration. His name is Christian Cook, he is 15 years old, and he lives in Pittsboro, N.C. Those of us in Regions 12 and 15 know him well, and he knows everybody. He’s always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs him, whether it’s in getting a horse to the ring or yelling from the rail. One reason I want to recognize his efforts is that he hasn’t had it easy, and yet he has personified what it takes to be a positive part of the Arabian horse community. Christian was born prematurely and almost deaf, which resulted in a string of corrective surgeries (14 in all). Then, when he was in the third grade, he was injured in a bicycle accident and subsequently contracted Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome; the doctors gave him only a 50/50 chance of living. But Christian is a fighter. He had to spend most of his earliest years just staying alive and securing his health, but he did that, and he now attends public school and has a normal life. What is unique to me is how focused he is on Arabian horses. In my experience, teenagers, even the ones who love Arabians, don’t usually eat, sleep and breathe them. Christian does. As his mother, Christie, told me, “It is difficult to have a conversation with Christian without horses coming into it at some point!” Christian comes from an Arabian horse family, so it is no surprise that he love horses. His grandfather is longtime North Carolina horseman Shannon Clark, who operates Triangle Arabians. But the family’s involvement has been more performance-oriented, so Christian’s love of halter—his main love—is a little unusual. To teach himself, he has studied the halter trainers to figure out what they are doing, and I mean studied. He watches and he asks questions, and then he goes home and applies what he has learned. He doesn’t just nod and say, “Oh, yeah, I see.” 198 | A R A BI A N HOR SE T I MES
He goes to his grandfather’s farm and he practices and practices and practices, and makes what he has learned his own. The next time you see him, he’s further along in developing his skills. And when he’s not working at it, he’s out in the barn playing with the horses and practicing trotting them. One thing I like about Christian is that no matter who he deals with, whether it is a halter trainer he admires or one of his school friends, he is the same. He doesn’t have any airs. It doesn’t matter who you are. I love that the Arabian community has embraced him, because not only is he a good kid, but he’s also the kind of young person whose enthusiasm and dedication are what we need for the future. Last year was a big year for Christian. In December 2010, his grandfather and his mother got together and purchased a young gelding for him for Christmas. Aragonn, who was bred by Michael Byatt and Ray and Norma Tatum, is by Aria Impresario and out of the Ludjin El Jamaal mare, MFA Annies Song. He’s beautiful, a worthy partner for a kid with a passion. As you might have guessed by now, Christian loves him—with that special kind of love that is a lifetime commitment. Aragonn was put in training with Ted Carson, and in October, Ted showed him to the title of U.S. National Reserve Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding. However, because Ted also was showing a yearling gelding who went national champion in his class, he was unable to show Aragonn when it came time for the junior championship. Therefore, Christian got to show his 2-Year-Old at the U.S. Nationals, where he was the youngest competitor at the show. When he was getting ready, he came by my stalls and asked if I would help bag him in and be on the rail for him. He’s always been there to help me—was I ever glad to help him! In the ring against the professionals, Christian and Aragonn did a magnificent job. In the end, they were top