Cole honored in two WHOA classes

Moore County’s Rileight Brē Cole earned top-five finishes in two categories with the Walking Horse Owners Association National High Points Program.

The program is a competition within the WHOA where members accumulate points throughout the year by placing well in various horse show classes, and at the end of the year, the individuals with the most points in their respective divisions are awarded as “High Point” winners.

Cole was honored in the Showmanship and Country Pleasure categories for youth.

“I owe a huge thank you to Jessica Mast, Chad and Scarlet Spencer, and my parents. If it were not for them I would not be in this situation,” Cole said.

“Uncle Chad got me into showing in 2021 when he asked me to show some of his horses. That is when I actually won my first belt buckle!”

At that point, Cole admits she was hooked.

“I began taking lessons with a barn out in Wheel, Tenn., where I continued to learn, but soon went back to work with Uncle Chad and Aunt Scarlet.”

A junior at MCHS, Cole remembers her first show horse was a turning point in her horse journey.

“For Christmas 2021, I got my own show horse, Easy Duz It,” she said. “He was for sure a learning experience. I call him Easy, but he is the furthest from easy.

“Fast forward, I moved to a barn in Shelbyville, Stonewall Farms, where I met Jessica.

“She helped me in many ways, including finding me a new horse named El Rio Lobo, whom I call Bo.

“Thanks to him I have been able to learn how to become an effective rider and not only that, but also becoming a blue ribbon rider in both riding classes and versatility classes.

Cole notes that with El Rio Lobo, she won several titles in regular season shows and 4H, including this year's high points in 4H Regional, State, and Southern Regional in Georgia in the Walking Horse Division. Cole also was named a 2024 Youth Animal Science All-Star.

“This past year, my parents bought me a new horse, Kool Vibes, also called Coolio,” Cole said.

Kool Vibes was her biggest competitor in years before, when she rode Bo.

“This last year I used Coolio mainly for my riding classes and Bo for my versatility classes,” Cole explained. “This is how I placed Top 8 in Showmanship with El Rio Lobo and Top 9 in Youth Country Pleasure with Kool Vibes” in the Walking Horse Report.

Cole said that this winter, she is focusing on teaching Coolio versatility. She hopes to compete as well as she and Bo did the past few years.

“I cannot wait to see what all we accomplish in 2025,” she said.

WHOA RANKINGS