PENN TWP — Carissa Chilcott spends a lot of time with her horses.

They train together. They ride together ... they win together.

A lot.

The 25-year-old Penn Township resident recently returned from Tulsa, Okla., where she had two horses compete in the Pinto World Show and Color Breed Congress competition.

“Those shows are usually held at different times,” Chilcott said. “With the COVID going on, the Pinto Horse Association decided to hold both shows at the same time to cut down on travel.”

No matter.

Chilcott and her 9-year-old horse, PSU Nittany Kuel, picked up 10 awards between the two shows. PSU Nittany Kuel is the horse's registered show name. Its barn name is CJ.

In the World show, Chilcott and CJ were unanimously named world champion for the second consecutive year in Ranch Trail. They were also unanimous world champions in Ranch Horsemanship, Reserve World Champion in Ranch Riding and Ranch Reining, and World High Point Award winner.

The latter award was an engraved directors chair.

“The categories are different disciplines the horses and riders perform,” Chilcott said.

Some involve gait, obstacles, roping a steer, riding in circles, etc.

CJ excelled in every area.

Most horses have a separate groomsman, trainer and rider. Chilcott does all of those things with the horse herself, including transporting the animal via trailer from Butler to Tulsa.

“It adds to the difficulty,” she said of competing. “I get less sleep, wake up earlier in the morning, stay up later at night ... but it's very satisfying when we do win.

“The better bond you have with the horse, the better you do in these shows.”

While the World show only involves pintos, the Color Breed Congress includes multiple breeds. Chilcott and CJ won numerous awards there as well.

They were Reserve High Point champion, CBC champion in Ranch Trail, CBC Reserve Champion in Ranch Horsemanship, Ranch Riding and Ranch Reining.

“She is really self-motivated,” Shirley Chilcott said of her daughter. “People at these shows are amazed she does all of the grooming, training and riding herself. They see her in the barn grooming her horse and ask, 'Who is this girl?' because she's so successful.”

Carissa took a second horse — 16-year-old Shi Bar (barn name Simon) — to the competition as well. Simon had just finished three years of rehabilitation from injuries and illness.

Simon did not win any championships, but had several top-five finishes.

“I took him to some smaller shows to get him ready,” Chilcott said. “He had been a horse I rode in jumping competitions, so this was a completely different discipline for him.

“Absolutely, I'm every bit as excited for what he was able to do and the way he performed.”

Chilcott has had a fascination for horses since she was 2 years old.

“We took her to the Butler Farm Show when she was 2,” her mother recalled. “She jumped out of her stroller when she saw the horses and wanted to climb into the barn with them. The interest was instant.

“She took horseback lessons when she was 5, joined the Butler Equestrian team, the 4-H club ... it's been ongoing.”

Chilcott owns four horses today and houses them in a barn on her family's property.

“Carissa still lives with us so she can be near the horses and care for them,” Mrs. Chilcott said.

In preparing a horse for an upcoming competition, Chilcott rides it for an hour, five days a week. She spends another two hours per day grooming and training.

“You build that relationship and trust,” she said.

She began taking horses to World shows in 2017 and has since accumulated more than 50 ribbons and six world champion buckles.

“I'd love to have my own show barn one day and share it with clients,” Chilcott said. “That's my goal for the future.”