Text courtesy of NSBA Way To Go Magazine

One might think that there's nothing that could top the excitement that comes with watching your horse win the American Quarter Horse Association's Super Horse title at the World Championship Show. But for Gerri LeighPratt, awaiting the arrival of The Krymsun Kruzer's first foals may just do it. She first spotted the 2004 bay stallion in June of his 2-year-old year. He was in training with Shirley Roth of Ocala, Florida and Pratt knew right then that he was destined for greatness, so she bought him.

"He just kept becoming what I love in a horse," she said. "Beautiful, greatminded and a great mover. I saw a great
pleasure horse." At that time, the goal for The Krymsun Kruzer was to excel in Western Pleasure and win the GMC 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit class at the Congress. But Pratt was already seeing more. "As I watched his progress I saw that he had many strengths but we were concentrating on Western Pleasure," she said.

The only real scare came just a month after the colt was purchased when he colicked and had to have surgery. But just three months later Pratt was in the stands as The Krymsun Kruzer made his show debut at the Congress, with Keith Whistle aboard. "He was a big, slow-legged fancy mover," she said. "We tied to win (the GMC 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure) but lost the tie-breaker." A month later, Whistle and The Krymsun Kruzer placed third in the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show, and a legendary show career was officially emerging. The following June, The Krymsun Kruzer won the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Tom Powers Futurity. It was then that Pratt made what would prove to be a pivotal decision about his future.

"He was growing, becoming fancier and I always had it in the back of my mind that he would excel in the Hunter Under Saddle," Pratt said. "He had accomplished all he needed to in the Western Pleasure. He was too young to retire so I had Vicky (Holt) look at him. Over the next few months, Holt witnessed what The Krymsun Kruzer's owner had spotted in those early months of training. This was a horse with extreme inherent athletic ability. She set out to lay the groundwork for what would become a career rich in diversity. Hunter Under Saddle and Pleasure Driving were the first steps of the journey.

By December of 2007, The Krymsun Kruzer was ready to get back to the show pen. He competed at the Florida Winter Circuit, qualifying for the AQHA World Show in Junior Hunter Under Saddle. By July he had also qualified in Junior Pleasure Driving. Four months later, The Krymsun Kruzer captured the title of Reserve World Champion in Junior Pleasure Driving with Lisa Ligon and placed seventh in Junior Hunter Under Saddle, with Holt in the irons. After that, it seemed there was no limit to what The Krymsun Kruzer could do...and he proved just that at the 2009 Congress when he captured the Open All-Around Horse Award by winning Championships in both Junior Working Hunter and Junior Hunter Hack, with Linda Crothers in the irons; a Reserve Championship in Performance Halter Stallions with Ted Turner; a third place in Junior Hunter Under Saddle and a fifth in Junior Western Riding, both with Holt; and a ninth in Junior Pleasure Driving with Brian Holmes.

But, hard as it is to imagine, the best was yet to come as Pratt, his team and his fans were about to learn.
At the AQHA World Championship Show a month later, The Krymsun Kruzer - still just a junior horse - was qualified in seven events and Pratt and Holt had the Featherlite Super Horse title on their minds. They were not to be disappointed. By the time the last class was judged, The Krymsun Kruzer had earned a World Championship title in Working Hunter (first under all five judges) and a Reserve in Hunter Hack. A third place finish in Pleasure Driving, a fourth in Hunter Under Saddle, a fifth in Performance Halter Stallions and a 15th in Western Riding sealed the title (and a $25,000 voucher toward the purchase of a trailer from Featherlite). He also was presented the Most Valuable Horse-English division honor, with a $5,000 award.

The Krymsun Kruzer, sired by One Hot Krymsun and out of Pleasure N Passion, was retired from showing in 2009 with 327.5 AQHA points, an AQHA Performance Championship, three Superior Performance Awards, an Open Halter Register of Merit and $31,711.60 in National Snaffle Bit Association earnings.