Paul Chapman on Red Hot French Kiss won the APHA Open division at the CMSA’s Bishop’s Trailer Sales Winter U.S. Championship in Queen Creek, Arizona, and ended up topping in the overall standings for the week.
Paul hails from Larkspur, Colorado, where he lives with his wife, trainer Deanne. “De” owns Red Hot French Kiss, a 2006 chestnut solid mare by Frenchmans Irish (QH) and out of Red Hot Roxanne.
In the Amateur division, Mark Zueger and Mr Power Broker cleaned up the APHA Amateur division with a time of 44.74 after stage 2.
Mark and the 2004 bay overo gelding by Brokers L B and out of Miss Power Slide (QH) finished 14th in the overall standings out of more than 165 horse-and-rider teams.
Mark, an Amateur M4 rider from Cle Elum, Washington, started riding as a child and participated in a cavalry drill team before taking a break from horses as a young adult. He later competing in team penning, but discovered mounted shooting in 2004 with his wife, Jamie, owner of Mr Power Broker. The couple became hooked on the sport.
They now split time between The Circle Z Ranch in Cle Elum and The Blue Agave Ranch near Phoenix, Arizona, during the winter.
Also riding Paints at the championships were Nancy Crosby on Sailors Missy and Renee Robichaud on Driftin Chicha Jack.
Although the event was hosted by CMSA, riders on Paint Horses earn APHA points to go on their horses’ permanent performance records.