2018 AQHA World Show Wrap Up

AQHA Publicity

That’s a wrap on the 2018 Lucas Oil AQHA World Championship Show! Amateur and open exhibitors from the United States, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom competed for 99 world championships and 90 Adequan® (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan)Level 2 Championships champion titles.

More than 1,900 horses and 1,400 exhibitors competed in western, English and halter events, with nearly 4,500 entries in these events. View the official results and score sheets at www.aqha.com/worldshow.

In addition to Level 3 and Adequan® Level 2 classes, the Lucas Oil AQHA Superhorse, AQHA All-Around Amateur, OKC Leading Owner, The American Quarter Horse Journal Reserve Leading Owner and the top Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred horses in both the amateur and open divisions were awarded at the show. The show also featured the inaugural Pleasure Versatility Challenge, presented by Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses.

The show also offered five Level 1 (horse) stakes classes with added money; three of the Level 1 (horse) stakes classes were new to this year’s show. Exhibitors in the Level 1 stakes classes competed for $1,000 in added money in each class, plus 75 percent of the entry fees.

Again this year, more than $150,000 was added to the halter prize money thanks to the generosity of 10-year cumulative breeders Steve and Kathy Headley of Bloomington, Indiana; 30-year cumulative breeders Gary and Linda Gordon of Fossil Gate Farms, Roanoke, Texas; and 30-year cumulative breeders Terry and Tammy Bradshaw of Thackerville, Oklahoma. The halter bonanza also recognized the top Adequan® Level 2 exhibitors in both the open and amateur divisions, splitting $10,000 between them.

If you were unable to join us in Oklahoma City, or missed the free live webcast, brought to you by Nutrena, be sure to check out the results at www.aqha.com/worldshow. You can also watch The American Quarter Horse Journal’s “Journal Winning Run” interviews with each world champion, starring the best riders in the world.

One of the highlights of the various special events at the Lucas Oil World was the Lucas Oil World Match Roping. Roping fans filled the stands for the star-studded event featuring Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tie-down roping champions. First, young guns Cory Solomon and Timber Moore went head to head, with Timber taking home $10,000 in prize money. Then legends Blair Burk and Cody Ohl competed for $7,500, with Blair taking home the cash. Moore won the overall Young Gun vs. Legend showdown. Read more about the Lucas Oil World Match Roping.

AQHA retained the services of speed-event ground expert John Laws to ensure the Association provided top ground conditions for the Lucas Oil World exhibitors and horses competing in speed events at the show. The speed events were also scheduled at the beginning of the show to ensure that the ground could be monitored without having to work the arena for different disciplines in between these classes.

AQHA Professional Horsemen volunteered their time to give free Ride the Pattern clinics, presented by Nutrena. These clinics gave exhibitors and spectators the perfect opportunity to learn how AQHA Professional Horsemen would approach a specific 2018 Lucas Oil World class or pattern. Thanks in part to Nutrena’s generosity to match the amount donated at the Ride the Pattern clinics, the Professional Horsemen Crisis Fund raised more than $4,000. The AQHA Professional Horsemen also hosted an online auction raising nearly $25,000 for the crisis fund.

Nutrena also highlighted its Feed It Forward program at the Lucas Oil World. Feed It Forward is a giving program designed to help organizations that share the belief that the bond between animals and people change lives. Animals change lives. Find out how Nutrena is helping at www.FeedItForward.org.

Special Awards

The Lucas Oil Superhorse title is awarded to the horse that earns the most points in three or more Level 3 events in three categories during the show. This year, 22 contenders competed to take home this prestigious award. Blue Kahlua, owned by Montlake Farms LLC of Seattle, was crowned the 2018 Lucas Oil Superhorse. The 2013 brown gelding by Chocolua and out of Exotic And Blue was bred by Alyse Roberts of Tuttle, Oklahoma. Blue Kahlua was shown by AQHA Professional Horsemen Chuck Briggs of Azle, Texas. The team earned 25.5 points by earning the reserve world championship title in junior pleasure driving, third in junior working hunter and in junior hunter hack and was a finalist in the performance halter geldings. Blue Kahlua’s connections received $25,000; an original Lisa Perry bronze; and a flower bouquet. Read more about the top five Lucas Oil Superhorse winners.

The AQHA All-Around Amateur Award is presented to the exhibitor and horse team that earned the most points in three or more Level 3 amateur events in three categories during the show. This year, 19 contenders qualified to compete for the title. Angela Fox of Frisco, Texas, earned the title of 2018 AQHA All-Around Amateur. Fox showed her American Quarter Horse, HP The Rusty Fox. The 2015 sorrel gelding, who is by Mechanic and out of Sheza Pleasure by Nite Chip, was bred by Mariann Harrington and Joe Prause of Cabot, Arkansas. Fox and HP The Rusty Fox earned 38 points. They placed third in amateur hunter under saddle, third in amateur performance halter geldings, fifth in amateur showmanship and seventh in hunt seat equitation. Fox received $15,000, an original Lisa Perry bronze and flower bouquet. Read more about the top five AQHA All-Around Amateur exhibitors.

The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Leading Owner is awarded to the owner who has the highest number of points accumulated for their horses entered at the Lucas Oil World in both the Level 3 classes and Adequan® Level 2 classes. The owner must have three horses entered at the show to be eligible. This year’s OKC Leading Owner was Amy Jo Erhardt of Oxford, Ohio. The American Quarter Horse Journal Reserve Leading Owner was awarded to Fred Wilcox of Louisa, Virginia.

For the amateur and open divisions, the owners and breeders of the top placing Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred horses each received $250. The owners also received a specially designed trophy. In the amateur division, Samantha Smith of Royse City, Texas, rode the 2006 grey gelding Guns A Flippin (Playgun-Flips Lil Angel by Colonel Flip), bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC of Douglas, Wyoming. In the open division, Lincoln Figueiredo of Brazil, took home the win with the 2009 bay mare Weavers Playgem (Gems And Starlight-Budhas Playgun by Playgun), bred by Stan and Nancy Weaver of Big Sandy, Montana. There were 156 horses bred by Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders that competed in Level 3 and Adequan® Level 2 classes at this year’s Lucas Oil World.

About the Lucas Oil World
The Lucas Oil World is the premier event in the equine industry. The show brings together exhibitors, owners, breeders and fans of the American Quarter Horse from around the world for two weeks of exciting competition, educational opportunities and a bountiful trade show.

Lucas Oil is proud to be the title sponsor for the 2018 Lucas Oil World. Other show and event sponsors include Adequan®, Bank of America, B&W Trailer Hitches, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ford, John Deere, Justin Boots, Markel Insurance Co., Nutrena, Smart Pak and Wrangler. AQHA event sponsors include Camden Equine Rehab, Cripple Creek, Elite Stall Mats, The Equine Chronicle, Kiser Arena Specialists, Four Sixes Ranch and Iconoclast.

For more information on the Lucas Oil World, visit www.aqha.com/worldshow.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHAnews on Twitter and visit www.aqha.com/news.