The duo of Rob Pearce and RCY Kingsilver Enoch have been in the making for some time. ‘Enoch’s’ reining and liberty training story began in 1995 when Pearce bought his sire as a 2-year-old, Kingsilver Highline, ‘Sonny’ from Roy Yates. Their story is a testament to the special bond horses and riders form.
Pearce had always wanted to try reining, so he took lessons from Yates. Under his guidance, Pearce and Sonny earned 98 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) points and competed at the AQHA World Show four times during Sonny’s career.
“He was probably the coolest horse, personality-wise, that I ever was around,” Pearce said.
Even though Sonny’s show career was over, his journey with Pearce was not. A rancher friend contacted Pearce and offered to breed Sonny to one of his mares. Pearce hesitated for two years before he finally agreed.
The vet didn’t have high hopes Sonny would be able to reproduce, but Pearce said yes to appease his friend. The mare became pregnant and the story of RCY Kingsilver Enoch began. “I’ve had him since he hit the ground,” Pearce proudly declared.
When Enoch arrived, Pearce started building a community who followed their journey together. It was jokingly called, “TV Enoch.” There were birthday parties, show celebrations, a newsletter and a Facebook page showcasing Enoch’s training process.
Pearce trained Enoch alone with the help of clinics, DVDs and books. He credits his knowledge to professionals such as Clinton Anderson, Andrea Fappani, Dan James and Warwick Schiller.
The time Pearce put into Enoch paid off. The pair won the 2018 All American Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle Reining, earning an invitation to compete in the freestyle reining at the 2019 The Run for a Million.
For Pearce, showing is not simply about winning, it is about enjoying the journey and the bond it created with his horse.
As Pearce and Enoch prepare to compete in the $20,000 NRHA Invitational Freestyle presented by the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, their journey stands as a testament to the power of partnership.
“This horse has changed my life,” Pearce said, a feeling that is visible to all who witness this dynamic duo.
Join us at the OKC Fairgrounds on June 20 at 6 p.m. CST to cheer on Pearce and Enoch, along with the other freestyle competitors at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel.
