10/14 QH Congress Champions Include Turner, DeBoer, Crothers, Arentsen, Roark, and More

By: Brittany Bevis

The All American Quarter Horse Congress is in full swing here in Columbus, Ohio, and EquineChronicle.com is now onsite to provide our readers with nonstop coverage of all the action via articles, around the ring photos, video interviews, and much more! Keep up with all the coverage right here on EquineChronicle.com and follow The Equine Chronicle on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

First up this morning, Chris Arentsen led A VooDoo Doll to win Open Performance Halter Mares. The Reserve Champion was Luke Castle with She’s Showin Off. Third was Jeffrey Pait with Do Ya Dream Of Me. Fourth was Judd Paul with Onlythebestchocolate. Fifth was John Boxell with Natural Order.

The owner of A Voodoo Doo Doll, Karen Kay Martin, is thrilled to have her first Congress Championship title come with the 6-year-old mare by Very Cool that she likes to call “Baby.”

“I bought her from Diane Miller, and Chris Arentsen has kept her in training. She’s just exceptional. The first time I ever saw her was last year at the Congress, and I just fell in love with her.”

Because Baby is a Performance Halter horse, she must compete in an additional event besides Halter. Her speciality of choice is Barrel Racing. Coming up next, Martin will be showing Baby in the amateur division. She admits to being a little nervous. “However, she’s very sweet and calm. She notices what’s going on, and she loves Chris. Truthfully, I wasn’t even going to buy another horse, but I fell in love with her. It was like, I’ve done everything for my family, and it was time to do something for me.”

Ross Roark was at the lead of Rumerz R Flyin Babe to win Open Weanling Mares. The Reserve Champion, Limited Champion, and Elite Halter Futurity Champion was Nancy Dyer with Secret Entention. Third was Richard Shephard with Elliana. Fourth was Tom Robertson with Kute Kittee. Fifth was Luke Castle with Magnificense.

The Headley family is very excited about this win because it’s the first to come from a foal by their stallion, Rumerz. “She’s also out of a mare we raised named Custom Made Babe, and we have her grandmother too, out in the pasture, A Featured Touchdown,” Sarah Headley says. “Custom Made Babe is the first horse we ever had with Don Griffey, who now stands all of our stallions, and that was the start of our relationship.”

Sarah believes “Honey” takes after her mother in her markings and coloring, but her conformation comes from dad. “I think she looks a lot like Rumerz. She’s got that big old hip, pretty neck and face, and big shoulder.”

Kathy Headley adds, “This was very exciting because it was a big win and three firsts: first for mom, first for dad, and first for baby!”

Over in the Celeste Arena, Linda Crothers won Level 1 Working Hunter with Good By Me. The Reserve Champion was Jerry Erickson with The Dark Age. Third was Linda Crothers with Al Betcha Wanna Look. Fourth was Jerry Erickson with Awesum Blue Skies. Fifth was Jerry Erickson with Minute Maximus. Linda and Good By Me also won Junior Working Hunter. The Reserve Champion was Lainie DeBoer with DGS Don’t Tell Tales. Third was Chuck Briggs with Blue Kahlua. Fourth was Virginia Beaton with Starfish Point. Fifth was Miranda Schaefer with Smooth Like Jazz.

Lainie DeBoer was in the irons of DGS Don’t Tell Tales in Progressive Working Hunter. Chuck Briggs and Blue Kaluha were the Reserve Champions. Third was Lainie again with Part Blue. Fourth was Caroline Harrison with Supermodel N Minutes. Fifth was Virginia Beaton with Starfish Point.

The owner of DGS Don’t Tell Tales, aka “Dillon,” is MJ Fowler, who has owned the horse since he was three years old. “This has been a long time coming,” she says. “I’ve gone through a lot of prospects. I’ve brought him along slow and Lainie has helped me along. I’ve shown him a few times, and so has Lainie, but he’s still pretty green.”

After a little wreck in the practice pen prior to Level 1 Working Hunter had Dillon rattled, Fowler says it was up to Lainie to help bring things back around for her Progressive run. “He was beautiful,” she says. “He usually likes to land on the right lead, but he landed on every lead correctly, and she never had to change. He never touched a jump.”

After his win, Dillon went right back in the next class and was named the Reserve Champion in Junior Working Hunter.

Back in the Coliseum, Open Yearling Mares was won by Jeffrey Pait with She’s That Radiant. This was also your Limited Champion. The Reserve Champion was Chris Arentsen with Dimplez. Third was Tom Robertson with Apleezing. Fourth was Thomas Coon with Enspiring. Fifth was GiGi Wood Davis with TNR Dee Lish. The winner of the Elite Halter Futurity was Mitch Leonarski with Believe Im Cool.

While Terry Bradshaw is busy today with his NFL Sunday football coverage, his horse, Inexces, was led to a win in 2-Year-Old Mares with Ted Turner at the lead. The Reserve Champion was Jeffrey Pait with ER A Secret Fox. This was also your Limited Champion. Third was Dewey Smith with Blue Ribbons N Lace. Fourth was Ross Roark with Walkaroundher. Fifth was Ronald Stratton with Cool E.

Ted Turner has had “Barbie” in the barn since she was a weanling. For the first few years of her life, she was owned by Thomas and Mimsi Coon. Bradshaw bought her after Christmas of 2017. Barbie is by My Intention and out of a daughter of Mr. Conclusion. Turner believes her best quality is her correct conformation. “She’s very correct, has a freaky neck, and everything fits where you want it to. Also, she’s not overly posty in her hocks.”

Winning 3-Year-Old Mares was Tom Robertson with Baby I’m Worth It. The Reserve Champion was David Kellerman with KR She’s Xceptional. Third was Rick Leek with Shez Sucha Diva. Fourth was Anthony Bladen with Mandalae Bay.

Robertson has had “Penny” in the barn since she was just a baby. She’s by Image Matters and out of an Acquisitions daughter. “She’s worth a penny,” her owner, Lori English jokes. Lori and Warren English have owned Penny for two years now, and she’s their first halter horse. They’re very excited to pull embryos next year. “We’d love to see how she’d cross with a performance horse, because she’s a gorgeous mover,” Lori says.

When it comes time to breed the mare, Robertson is hoping she will pass on a few of her winning qualities to her offspring. “I’d like her to pass on her coloring, for one, but also her correctness, especially in her legs. She will be good for years to come.”

Coming up next, this now seven-time Congress Champion will be shown in the amateur division by Lori and Warren’s daughter.

The winner of Aged Mares was Ross Roark with Alluring Intention. Reserve was Tim Finkenbinder with Shangri La. Third was Steve Ferguson with Be A Diva. Fourth was Jeffrey Pait with Can’t Touch Her Guns. Fifth was Tom Robertson with Equities. Ross also led Alluring Intention to be named the Grand Champion Mare. The Reserve Grand Champion Mare was Baby I’m Worth It, led by Tom Robertson.

Roark has had the 6-year-old mare, Alluring Intention, in his barn since she was just a filly. “I bought her as a baby from Jerry Vawter. She went through growing spurts, so we didn’t show her as a baby or a yearling. We showed her late in her 2-year-old year and she was the Grand Champion Mare at the Breeders Halter Futurity. She came back the next year and was the World Champion 3-Year-Old Mare. She’s also won as a 4-year-old and 5-year-old.”

Alluring Intention is by My Intention and out of a Kid Coolsified mare. The plan for the remainder of 2018 is for Sarah Headley to show her in the amateur division here; to show her in amateur and open at the AQHA World Show; and to retire her in 2019. “This was kind of a bucket list thing. I always thought this mare should have a shot to win here. You just don’t ever know what will happen, but she sure is of that caliber.”

“We will pull embryos from her, but I think it’s good for a mare to carry one too. We will probably breed her to the Headley family’s stallions, Heartz On Fire and Rumerz. They have a great set of studs, so she will get her chance.”

Today’s readers’ question for Roark has to do with belt buckle superstition. “I’ve always been little superstitious, but I also feel that you make your own luck. I live in the west and it’s always been that you can wear a buckle you won the next day, but not on the day that you win.”

Stay tuned for a video interview with Ross Roark coming soon on The Equine Chronicle Facebook page.