This was Leann Asper's time.

After finishing second at the national equestrian championships in two previous years, she recently broke through to the top aboard Prim N Proper.

Asper, who graduated from Lake City High in June, topped 59 competitors in the Half-Arabian Country English Pleasure Division (ages 14-18) to win the national title at the Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show in Albuquerque, N.M.

"I thought I had a good chance to win it, but I was still really excited," Asper said. "There's a lot of people at the competition, and it's one of the hardest divisions to win."

Asper won the Region 4 championship in Nampa in June to advance to the national event.

She finished second at nationals in two previous years with a different horse, a purebred male, and cracked the Top 10 last year with Prim N Proper.

Asper said it takes time to get to know a horse's behavior, especially on the big stage, and she believes her experience with Prim N Proper last year helped her this go round.

"I knew her a lot better this year," Asper said. "Last year was my first year of showing her at nationals. I knew what to expect from her. All horses have their quirks, and you need to be able to stay ahead of those. You need to help them look as good as they're capable of."

In the competitions, teams are judged in a variety of ways, including high-stepping action, manners and how calm they can be.

Asper, who will compete for Washington State University in track in the 800 meters this year, won a pewter horse statue, blanket and belt buckle for her effort at nationals. She hopes to qualify for the event again next year with Prim N Proper.

"I'm planning on competing as long as I can," she said, adding that she has been showing horses since she was 12 and her mom Diane used to show. "I really enjoy working with horses and bonding with them. It's a lot of hard work, but when you win it's really rewarding."