Q (Shawn McMillan Photography)

Katy, Texas. - Usually, the professional tunes up the horse before the amateur takes over the reins on the first day of a horse show, but Tuesday it was the opposite for Susan Baker's Q.

Instead, Baker guided the elegant bay to top honors in the Amateur-Owner Hunter section before trainer Peter Pletcher took his turn on Q in the First Year Green section.

"Well, you know how horse showing goes!" said Baker laughing. "So, I was like, 'OK let’s do it.' He went in, picked up a canter and was just good, quiet and never batted an eye. He felt really good."

Q, an 8-year-old warmblood (Quite Easy I--My Lady), jumped to first and second over fences and trotted to second under saddle and also picked up ribbons in the 27-horse field in the First Years.

Pin Oak is actually a milestone for Q as he's celebrating his one-year anniversary as a show hunter. Before his hunter debut, he earned some show ring mileage in the low jumpers.

"We’ve been really pleasantly surprised how quickly he’s picked it all up," said Baker. "I think he loves being a hunter."

Last year, Q finished the season in the Pre-Greens and 3'3" Amateur-Owners before moving up to the 3'6" in 2014. During Week 1 at Pin Oak, Q swept his section, winning all five blues.

"I had high hopes he’d be a good amateur horse, but you never know," said Baker. "He had a few days in Florida [over the winter] when he got a little green. The difference in the jump height took a little for him to figure out. But now he feels like he’s getting really soft and high over the jumps and really jumping in good form. He’s like, ‘OK, I got this.’ "

Baker, of Argyle, Texas, has trained with Pletcher at PJP in Magnolia, Texas, for five years. "He’s a blast to ride with. He always makes it fun," said Baker. "You laugh a lot, even when things aren’t going well. He doesn’t get so intense or take it too seriously, so in turn you don’t either. There’s always another day, another class or another show."

Although for Baker, Pin Oak just isn't any show.

"It’s one of those horse shows that has a mystique.They do an outstanding job with it, the committees, the volunteers, the sponsors," she said. "These three weeks are absolutely the best horse shows we have. It’s just the epitome of horse showing in Texas, from the jumps, to the awards, to presentations and parties, it’s top notch. It’s always first on the schedule."

Learn more abou the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show at www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2014PinOak/