^CH Courageous Lord made a remarkable transition in 2012. The big moving gelding had spent much of his career competing in the Open Five-Gaited division - three times winning the Five Gaited World's Championship Horse Show at the Kentucky State Fair with Merrill Murray.He was the reigning World Grand Champion Open Five gaited Horse 2009-2011.

However, in 2012, ^CH Courageous Lord made the bold move into the Five Gaited Amateur division with his new owner Fox Grape Farms and rider Dr. Owen Weaver.

^CH Courageous Lord’s first stop on his 2012 tour was in Lexington, Virginia for the Bonnie Blue National Horse Show. Ridden by new trainer, Steve Wheeler, he won the Five-Gaited Open qualifier. For the championship round, though, Weaver rode ^CH Courageous Lord, and wowed the crowd, winning the Five-Gaited Grand Championship. Spectators were eager to see how the powerful open horse would make the transition to an amateur rider, and they were not disappointed.

On their way to their ultimate destination of the World’s Championship Horse Show at the Kentucky State Fair in August, the team of Weaver and ^CH Courageous Lord won the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship at the Blue Ridge Classic Horse Show in Asheville, North Carolina.

On Saturday night of the 2012 World's Championship Horse Show Horse Show, ^CH Courageous Lord defeated 10 other horses to become the Amateur World Champion of Champions Five Gaited Horse. The competition featured a thrilling two-horse work out between ^CH Courageous Lord and the reigning two-time World’s Amateur Five-Gaited Champion and completely undefeated team of ^CH The Daily Lottery and Gabe Deknatel. This showdown between two champions in the Amateur Five-Gaited Class was the highlight of the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show. When the judges’ cards came in, Weaver and ^CH Courageous Lord were crowned the unanimous 2012 Amateur World Five-Gaited Champion of Champions.

Reserve Champion Gabe Deknatel acknowledged ^CH Courageous Lord’s win later by stating, “Going up against the reigning 3-time World's Grand Champion in a 2 horse workout? A true thrill and a great honor! Coming in second? I never want to do anything but win on any horse, but if I could choose who to go down to, it would be Owen and the great Courageous Lord.”

“Louisville was great. It was really fun,” said Weaver. “It came down to a two-horse workout between ^CH The Daily Lottery and ^CH Courageous Lord, and ^CH The Daily Lottery had never lost a class. It was really exciting. I just loved every minute of it. The place was rocking and it was awesome. We put on a great show for the audience.”

Weaver and ^CH Courageous Lord closed out 2012 with back- to-back wins at the Kentucky Fall Classic Horse Show in the Amateur Five-Gaited qualifier and Championship, cementing an unforgettable debut show season.

“He is probably the most athletic horse I’ve ever known. He wants to give you everything. He puts it all out there,” remarked Weaver. “He’s quirky, but a lot of the great horses are. Most of all, he’s just kind.”

^CH Courageous Lord was recognized by the United States Equestrian Federation as a Horse of Honor in 2012 for his past glories, but his fans believe that he will be wowing the judges and audiences for years to come. It will be ^CH Courageous Lord’s big-moving trot, bold slow gait, and electric rack that will lead him to the winner’s circle time and time again.