And you thought the World Series was over.

That's not the case for Rebecca Miller-Sheppeck.

The 28-year old Butler County native will be competing in the American Quarter Horse Association's World Competition Monday in Oklahoma City.

"You could say it's the World Series of performance events for quarter horses," said Miller-Sheppeck, who lives with her husband Jason in Effingham, Ill.

Monday's competition will focus on hunt seat equitation, one of several divisions of competition that includes cutting, barrel racing and reining.

"Riders will be judged on their ability to control a horse and assume proper equitation," said Miller-Sheppeck. "There will be 39 competitors in all. The top 15 will advance and will be placed, depending on their performance, next Friday in the finals."

The event carries a $12,000 purse.

All competitors had from January until late July to tally enough points to compete at the prestigious event.

"The final weekend of July, I drove from an event in Tennessee to one in Illinois to get enough points," said Miller-Sheppeck. "I ended with 17½, which was enough."

One or two judges score the action at a normal hunt seat equitation competition. But, considering the stage, five judges will be working in Oklahoma City.

Though this is the first such competition for Miller-Sheppeck, she has logged many hours of practice, dating back to her days in West Sunbury.

A 1994 graduate of Moniteau High School, she learned to love the sport from an early age.

"I've been showing horses since I could walk," she said. "My parents coached me, pushed me and put in the time and money that was necessary.

"We had an outdoor arena," Miller-Sheppeck said. "It the winter, it was tough and we tried to find an indoor one."

After graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport in 1998, Miller-Sheppeck returned to Butler County and worked as a dental hygienist.

Finding time to train horses proved to be a struggle.

"It was very difficult," she said. "There would be nights where I'd be riding the horses at 10 or 11 p.m., just to get the work in. Just finding the energy was tough."

Two years ago, Rebecca and Jason, a 1992 Butler High grad, moved to Illinois. That's when Rebecca decided to take on her passion full time.

"My husband helps with a lot of it," she said. "He takes care of the paperwork and organization. Right now, we are working with four horses.

"I usually work with each one for about one to two hours every day."

As for Monday's competition, Miller-Sheppeck is hoping to become a finalist.

"I'm just hoping for a good ride and a good show."