Luke Gingerich, Rio, and Chloe ILHA Invitational Freestyle Championship Routine

We got back home late last night from the International Liberty Horse Association Championship Show in Lexington this weekend. A big congratulations to all of my students and friends who were also there showing this weekend, and made such big improvements with your horses after all of your hard work leading up to this.
It was also so much fun to be able to watch and support my girl at her event across the park this weekend. Kaylee, I absolutely love watching you do your thing, and I'm so proud of you. Thanks to all of my students and friends who came over as well to support and cheer her and Ricky on!
Saturday night in the Invitational Freestyle, Rio and Chloe stepped up and just tried so dang hard for me. They ended up earning the overall Championship title, and I'm so proud of them both.
I knew what I was going out to do was a lot for them. It was their first time ever competing in a freestyle together as a team, and I had the rather ambitious goal of doing it both with them as a team while riding Rio, and while together at liberty on the ground.
It has been close to three years now since I set out on my goal of having the three of us work together as a team at liberty. We started this work in preparation for the ILHA Invitational Freestyle Competition that was to be held at Equine Affaire in the spring of 2020. I had been working hard to prepare them to perform together in a tribute freestyle in honor of the 10 year anniversary since my father lost his battle with cancer, only to learn that it would all be canceled due to Covid... Then the following year was so full and stretched me so thin with building my new place, that I had to let Rio take a really large extended break, and wasn't able to work with him much at all.
So when the opportunity presented itself this year, I decided to give it another try. It has been a big commitment to spend the time needed to bring Rio back into shape and have him able to compete again, while also working hard all summer to get Chloe ready for the freestyle reining at Congress, in addition to finding time to get her back into working at liberty with Rio again, particularly on the more difficult maneuvers I wanted to include in our freestyle.
I am admittedly my own biggest critic, and have very high standards for myself and my horses, so leading up to this, I kept questioning whether I had prepared them enough to perform at the level I wanted to demonstrate. Thank you, Kaylee, for listening to my concerns, watching us, and then being my voice of reason and encouraging me to accept where we were at and go for it. There are certainly plenty of areas that I know we can continue to refine, improve, and add to with time, patience, and consistency, but I am so thankful for how well it all came together for their first time out there in that environment together.
Rio was rock solid when he stepped back into the show pen Saturday night, even though it has been years since his last big performance. He is quirky, senstive, and difficult at times, but I'm so thankful for all he has taught and continues to teach me, and for being such a big help to me in working to continue building Chloe's confidence and abilities.
Before we went in, Chloe was a little unsure about all the props and distractions going on, but she went in and tried so hard to stay connected with us for our first time competing with Rio while mounted.
When I got off of Rio, I was so impressed with how smoothly she switched gears into her mirroring liberty work on the ground. She was so incredibly engaged and expressive and danced her heart out with me.
Rio joined back up with us at the end and picked right back up where he left off, and then Chloe couldn't help but contain her playfulness and excitement at the end after we were all done, and had to add a little of her own flare. I love to see horses that can display a high level of emotional and physical discipline and performance, yet are still playful, spontaneous, and full of personality.
Thanks so much to everyone who helped or came out to support me and my horses this weekend, both at the show, and with taking care of things back at home. There are too many to list, but your support means the world to me, and I appreciate each and every one of you.
Thank you to all of my sponsors for your support all year, that helps keep my horses at their best, and makes it possible for me to do what I do. Check them out below and show them some love!
Also a special thanks to Sarah Casey Kelley for all your help in mixing my music for this freestyle just how I needed it. I had some big requests, and you nailed it!
Last but certainly not least, thanks to God for once again giving me the opportunity to chase my dreams, do what I love, and share it with other people and the horses that we all love so much!
#legendsneverdie #rise #performanceliberty #cryptoaero #espanasilk #yarnellequinemassage #weaverleather #lakotaofohio

[@Endruss2025]

Those flying lead changes are awesome!!

[@DonnaHungerford]

❤you and your horse’s are amazing

[@melanieogle824]

You could tell Chloe was having a blast, both are beautiful.

[@debtompkins5363]

when Olympians think they need more tack, drugs and whips, make them watch this....