After two years away from the horse show scene, nine-time AQHA World Champion Sharnai Thompson of Pilot Point, Texas is back in the winner’s circle this year showing Rock County Kid, a 3-year-old bay gelding by Good I Will Be out of JDZ Madison County.

” I spent some time in North Carolina with family and finished my Masters of Business Administration (MBA),” Thompson says. “I wanted to get out of Texas and have a life outside of horses but I couldn’t stay away. I missed it like crazy.”

Searching for the perfect partner, long-time trainers Jason Martin and Charlie Cole of High Point Performance Horses heard from Georgia trainer Carl Yamber during the Arizona Sun Circuit this February of a fancy prospect for Sharnai.

“When Carl tells you to come look, you get on a plane,” Thompson says. “I flew to Atlanta and loved him the first time I tried him.”

After showing the video of Rocky to Rusty and Katie Green of Rusty Green Show Horses, in Pilot Point, Rusty signed right on to show him at all the major events and the deal was sealed.

At the Circle G Classic in Tunica, Mississippi, their first show, Sharnai and Rocky qualified for the AQHA World Show in Amateur Western Pleasure. They won a Circuit Championship and Rocky won the Circuit in Green Western Pleasure as well. Next, in Waco they won the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and Rocky was Reserve Champion in 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure with Rusty.

“To be able to show a 3-year-old you barely know and qualify in one show takes a special horse,” Thompson says.

Since then, the pair have been taking the major futurities by storm. They won the 3-Year-Old Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the Show For Dough in Tunica, Mississippi and finished as Reserve Champions in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure.  Rocky also won the 3-Year-Old $2,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure with Rusty, taking home $7,480.

“It was a very tough class,” Thompson explains. “He was very, very good.”

Next at A Little Futurity in Raleigh, North Carolina, the pair won the Non-Pro 3 & Over $7,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure Slot class with $9,920 in earnings and Rocky won the 3 & 4-Year-Old $1,000 Novice Horse Western Pleasure with Rusty aboard for a check of $13,760. On to the Tom Powers Futurity in Berrien Springs, Michigan two weeks later where Sharnai and Rocky took home over $10,000 in cash after being crowned Champions in the Western Pleasure Super Sires Open Non-Pro 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure class.

At the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month, Sharnai and Rocky captured World Championship titles in both the Intermediate and Open Divisions of the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. The were also BCF Champions in the Open Division of the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Rocky also earned a World Championship in Green Western Pleasure with Rusty aboard.

“I really want to thank Maggie Grandquist, and Rusty and Katie Green for their help and support throughout this amazing summer,” Sharnai says.  “I could not have done it without them – it’s truly been a blast.  At least by now, I’m pretty sure everyone now knows the words to ‘Rocky Top,’ thanks to Rusty.  I’d also like to thank the people that are ALWAYS there for me, no matter what – Charlie Cole and Jason Martin and my Mom and Mark.  You guys make everything possible and always hold me to the highest standards.”

Next, Sharnai is looking forward to exhibiting Rocky at the Quarter Horse Congress and AQHA World Championship Show.

“This will be the first year AQHA is offering the Green Western Pleasure at the World Show. I am very excited for Rusty to show Rocky in it,” Thompson says.

Besides Rocky, Sharnai also has also been showing Only Blue Couture by Hot Ones Only out of Blue Couture. Sharnai is leasing Only Blue Couture for the year from owner Holly Johnson of Tamworth, Australia. The pair has already been champions in the Non-Pro 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle, 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle at the Show For Dough as well as the unanimous champions in the Non-Pro 3-year-old Hunter Under Saddle at the Tom Powers Futurity. At the 2014 NSBA World Show and Breeders Championship Futurity, they won the BCF 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, BCF 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. Multiple World Champion trainer, Beth Case of High Point Performance Horses, has also been exhibiting this talented young horse winning the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the Tom Powers Futurity and finishing Reserve Champion in the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the Show For Dough. They were also Reserve at the NSBA World Show and Breeders Championship Futurity in the BCF 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

“I’d need to thank Beth for being my ‘favorite horse trainer,’ and for always having me prepared for the pen, whether she likes it or not (if you know Beth, this means a lot),” Sharnai says.  “I also need to thank Holly Johnson and Kane Skopp for giving me the shot at showing this amazing mare.”

Until recently Sharnai has also been showing It Had to Be Hoo, by Hot Ones Only out of Sleepin In the Rain. They tied to win the Non-Pro 2-year-old Hunter Under Saddle at the Tom Powers Futurity this year in their debut appearance. At the NSBA World Show and Breeders Championship Futurity they won the BCF 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and were Reserve in the BCF 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.

“It Had To Be Hoo was just sold to Bracken Quarter Horses and I wish them the best of luck at the Congress this year,” she says.

For Sharnai, it is really neat to be showing offspring from her past successful show partners like World Champions Hot Ones Only and Sleepin In the Rain. Hot Ones Only, a nine-time AQHA World Champion and 13-time Congress Champion with lifetime earnings over $100,000 is the winningest stallion in AQHA history. He  stands at Taymar Ranch, owned by Sharnai’s family in Pilot Point.

“I see a lot of similarities from both of them in their offspring like little quirks they had,” Thompson says. “When you can raise champions out of your stud and your mare, it’s a good feeling.”

Sharnai won her first Quarter Horse Congress Championship at the age of 7. Showing across a multitude of disciplines over the past 20 years, she has earned countless AQHA, AQHYA, APHA and NSBA World Championships and Congress Championships.

“I just love it,” Thompson says. “I just love my horses. I am a very lucky girl to have had some great ones. ”

Currently, Sharnai works in Plano, Texas at Crossmark as a business analyst. Between work and horses, she stays very busy. She does however like to fish as well and enjoys just being outside.

After so much success, what keeps her motivated?

“I love the competition,” Thompson says. “I like to work really hard at trying to be the best and have it pay off. That applies to all facets of my life.”