Isn’t it the greatest feeling in the world, to make your dreams come true together with your best friend!? At this year’s All American Quarter Horse Congress, Tom Clopp experienced this feeling while riding his gelding, VS Cruisin Blue, ”Cruiser.” 

Tom says, ”I think he is my favorite horse out of all the horses I’ve owned,” as he hugs the neck of his stunning and personable sorrel gelding.  

I got to know Tom and Cruiser last year when I worked with trainer Bruce Vickery in Texas. Bruce found Cruiser for Tom at the Congress in 2022. Since Tom has always trusted Bruce completely, he bought the horse sight unseen. “Bruce has an impeccable eye for a great horse. If he thinks the horse is a great match for me, chances are he is right! Look how well it worked out”.   

Cruiser did the pleasure and showmanship when Tom bought him, but he wanted to do more events and trail was at the top of the list. Bruce knew Cruiser had the makes of a great trail horse and started showing him in it at the Florida Gold and Gulf Coast. Bruce won the circuit champion in Green Sr Trail at the few shows he took Cruiser to in 2023. He ended up 3^rd in the nation when the show year came to an end.  

Mid-2023 Tom decided to move Cruiser to trainer Vicky Holt Parker. “I have to thank Vicky for the many successes Cruiser and I had this year,” Tom stated. Since Vicky only lives an hour away from Tom, he can be with his horse more often and work one on one. Tom has never really shown the trail before, so he wanted to do another event.  After a few months of training with Vicky he showed Cruiser in horsemanship for the first time and won the class under 6 out of the 9 judges. 

”Interestingly, Cruiser had not done much horsemanship before I got him, so we decided to start so I could have another class. We haven’t been doing it long, but he’s a naturally talented and athletic horse. He’s the ideal blend of athleticism, grit, mind and spark.” 

“Thanks to the time I am able to put in the saddle with Vicky, I have become a much more effective rider”, says Tom recognizing the hard work his trainer Vicky Holt has put into him and his horse. “It was so hard to get the time in needed to know my horse and be competitive.” 

“What were your expectations before Congress? Could you imagine winning it?” 

“When it comes to showing horses, I always think of the movie Any given Sunday starring Cameron Diaz. You just never know what’s going to happen. We had a great season leading up to the Congress so the possibility was there, but we had to do our job and outshine past performances and outshine a lot of amazing competitors. That was the goal.
As far as showmanship goes, we had been in the top 10 at the major shows in Level 2 Showmanship,  but at the Congress it’s a combined class with both Level 2 and Level 3. Making the finals was surreal and to place as high as I did was even more surreal. Showmanship has always been my favorite class, probably the one I’ve worked on the hardest. In the past year we worked on fixing detailed elements like perfecting our stops, getting a two step set up and having his pivot looks tight and smooth. At Congress, all those things came together that day and it was awesome”. Tom is for sure proud while talking about his showmanship performance and says that he has many great experiences with Cruiser but placing 11^th in the showmanship might be the greatest one.  

I asked Tom what he found most difficult in the patterns, what he had to work hard on and where he knew he could receive his plusses. Unfortunately, the Horsemanship pattern included a left right lead change, which isn’t Cruisers better way to change so that was an element they had to work hard on. For plusses, he knew he could trust Cruiser in the extended trot since he always is steady as a rock, cornering like he is on rails in the exact speed as Tom wants him to go. “It is so important not to put the whole pattern together over and over, but rather focus on the pieces in the puzzle so they can all be put together for show day”, Tom says.  

Meeting Tom, everyone can immediately see that working out and lifting is important for him. He goes to the gym 5 times a week, works with a personal trainer and does some cardio training (even if it’s not his favorite).  “Having muscles and being strong is absolutely a good thing while riding but sometimes I don’t realize my own strength. Working with Vicky has taught me how to do things with a bit more finesse and less force/muscle”.  

“I remember you spending a great deal of time caring for your horse at the show. You cleaned his stall, groomed him often, etc. is this something you truly enjoy?” 

“Yes that is one of the things I enjoy the most. Grooming gives me that quality time with my horse that I feel is so important. I strive to be a true horseman every day. I have a lot to learn, but caring for my animals is the first step to becoming the best one that I can be”.  

“What advice do you have when it comes to grooming?” 
“Make sure your horses are eating and drinking well. Regular turnout is also super important. Everything starts from the inside out for a horse to be healthy. Make sure you have a good curry and use it! Vacuuming and brushing the horse thoroughly and daily is key. I don’t like to have a ton of spray on the coat because they collect dust, so I make sure the coat is healthy and shiny in itself”.  

To finish off, I asked Tom what next year will look like and what his goals are. Tom told me that he doesn’t show too much but he will for sure go to Florida Gold and Gulf Coast, Sun Circuit and hopefully return to his home state of PA to show with some friends. The ultimate goal will be to show at the AQHA World Show.  
“I always like to go to Pennsylvania to show there with my friends, so I hope to go there at least one time next year”. But his biggest goals for the 2025 season are to consistently have great goes and improve every time in the Amateur Showmanship and Horsemanship as well as place top 5 in Amateur Showmanship at Congress.  

We want to wish you the best of luck with your precious Cruiser and hope to see you accomplish your goals for next year!  
 

Thank you for taking your time to give us this great inspiration and once again, BIG Congratulations on your accomplishments!  
 
 Text: Josefin Odeberg Photo: Shane Rux