Morning Wins at APHA World Show Go To Ceccarelli, Thompson, Gillespie

By: Brittany Bevis

First up this morning at the APHA World Show, Katy Ceccarelli of Nevada rode her homebred, 8-year-old gelding, Sonny’s Tuff Pistol, to win their first World Championship title in the Amateur Ranch Trail Sweepstakes. It’s been a long road for “Pistol” and Katy to get to this point in their showing career.

“I was there when he birthed and his momma colicked and he almost died,” Katy says. “I had to bottle-feed him for two days. I sent him to a trainer, and then we had to take three years off, because he was so crippled. The vet said he would never show again. We came back in 2014 and started doing Ranch Horse classes.”

“I have no trainer. I have no barn. I have friends like Marcie, over here, who bust my chops and make me realize what I need to do!”

Katy is candid when she comments about the difficulties she had during other classes here at the World Show. “We’ve been disqualified once already at this show. He reared up in the pattern.” What made the difference today? “I’ve been riding the [fire] out of him,” Katy laughs. “We don’t just trot around. We work hard.”

Katy was very pleased with Pistol’s swift trailer load and effective dummy drag in today’s pattern. Katy explains that because she lives in a dry, desert climate where brush fires can be common, having a horse that will load on command isn’t just great for getting bonus points in a pattern; it’s a necessity. “I live in such a fire prone area. If I tell my horse to go in the trailer, he better just go. He doesn’t need to jump up and fly in there, but he needs to go in and wait for me to tell him it’s ok to come back out. You never know…”

Being a former pleasure horse, Pistol has never drug a real cow before, but Katy has a special way she prepares him for that obstacle as well. She hooks up a little red wagon and loads up her Border Collies, Tina, age 14, and Daisy, age 2, and has Pistol take them for a ride around the property. “Daisy also like to ride in the saddle!”

The Reserve Champion in the class was Jacki Jo Parks with Smart Lil Smokin Gun. Third was Renate Lynn Finley with Gunner Hold Your Fire. Fourth was James Jones with Deltas Foxy Big Heart. Fifth was Nonie Casselman-Reed with Zeena Lena.

In the Solid Paint Bred Hunter Under Saddle, Shannon Gillespie was named the World Champion with Fancy N My Stillettos. The Reserve Champion was Cooper Evans with Al Take You There. Third was Rebecca Osborne with Irresistible Appeal. Fourth was Domonique Brummond with Gotasecondchance. Fifth was Brooke Dixon with Super Chip My Ride.

In the Classic Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle, Sharnai Thompson rode Because She’s Worth It to win. The Reserve Champion was Elizabeth “Spike” Brewer with Good At It. Third place was Elizabeth Juette with Huntified. Fourth was Nicole Dalton with The Wow Factor. Fifth was Ashley Bland with Finally My Time.

We had the chance to speak with both Sharnai and Spike following the class. 2012 was the last time Spike had the opportunity to show a Hunt Seat horse at the World Show, and many of our readers will remember his name, All Rise. Last year, when her husband’s Western Pleasure horse grew considerably, Spike thought it might be time to throw on an English saddle.

“Jody’s horse got really big, so I thought I would make him my Hunt Seat horse!” she says. “We bought him as an early yearling from Deb Powers, and Jody has done all the work on him. I told him I was going to steal his horse! But, he shares very well.”

“McGee,” or as Spike’s 2-year-old daughter, Addison, calls him, “Gee Gee,” is now four years old. Last year, he did quite well in Western Pleasure classes with Top Ten and Top Five finishes. Later on here at the show, Jody will show him in Amateur Junior Western Pleasure, and Laura Spell will show in Green Hunter Under Saddle. “Laura and Wade have helped me here at the show and have been a big help.”

What is it about this young horse that enables him to do so well in both Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle? “He’s pretty big for a Western horse with a really good topline, and he’s soft and up in his shoulder. He’s pretty to watch. He profiles so good, and he’s so solid. It’s hard to find one like that. I don’t know if Jody and I will ever find one we can share again.”

Sharnai Thompson was in the irons of the recent Equine Chronicle Masters 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Champion, Because She’s Worth It to win Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle. Just last week, “Phoebe” was ridden by Beth Case to win the Masters at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Because that was a maiden event, today was the pretty bay filly’s second time being shown under saddle. “She was really good,” Sharnai says. “She’s only two, and there were a lot of horses in there. It was kind of a big step for her, but she handled it really well.”

There was one part during the class when Sharnai was concerned Phoebe’s lack of experience might show; however, she pulled through. “She’s a great trotter, and she was really good down the middle. I didn’t know how she was going to do with that, because she’s never done it before. Then, she lopes with the best of them. She’s so soft to the ground but so strong.”

Her strength coupled with softness is a quality Sharnai believes she gets from her father, Hot Ones Only. Later on in the show, Sharnai will ride Phoebe in the Non Pro 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle and Beth Case will ride in the 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle and Gold/Silver Futurity Hunter Under Saddle.