The Five-Time World Champion That Nobody Wanted

By: Brittany Bevis

That title doesn’t make very much sense, does it? Of course everyone would want to own a five-time World Champion and two-time All-Around Champion, right?

Non-pro ApHC exhibitor, DeeAnna McBride, knows first-hand that while it’s easy to desire the end product of many years of hard work, most people don’t have the foresight to seek out a diamond in the rough- a scruffy, awkward foal that nobody wants.

Flashback to the Appaloosa World Show Sale in 2012, DeeAnna wasn’t necessarily looking for a prospect, but DeeAnna’s mother convinced her that the gangly, gray yearling was worth a second look. The horse was called A Spotless Blue Boy and was by Skys Blue Boy and out of Lukes Affair, so his breeding was what attracted DeeAnna initially.

“I have worked with other Skys Blue Boy horses before, and I love how talented they are,” DeeAnna says. “Hudson wasn’t as mature as the other yearlings, and he was quite spirited, so I think a lot of people passed on him due to that. But, from the moment I saw him, I was able to look past all that and got a strong ‘I have to have this horse’ feeling. When he went through the sale and I was the only one who bid on him, I was shocked!”

As the only bidder, DeeAnna became the proud new owner of Hudson and their journey began as a team in 2013. They didn’t win their first World Championship until 2018, but between 2018 and 2019, they won five World Championship titles and two All-Around Non Pro High Point titles. “He trained out slower than most horses, but I knew the potential would come out if I was patient,” she says.

Now, at the age of eight, Hudson helped DeeAnna claim numerous wins at the 2019 ApHC World Show including a unanimous World Championship in Non Pro Hunt Seat Equitation, a World Championship in Non Pro Saddle Seat Equitation, a Reserve Championship in Non Pro Saddle Seat Pleasure, a fourth place finish in Non Pro Bareback Equitation, a fifth place finish in Non Pro Western Riding, a sixth place finish in Non Pro Showmanship, and a tenth place finish in Non Pro Horsemanship.

“It has always been the ultimate goal of mine to win the All Around Non Pro High Point at the Appaloosa World Show, but it’s never the main focus when competing at the World Show since it’s a very difficult award to win. I try to focus on each individual class and having the best ride I can. I didn’t think in a million years that I would win the All Around two years in a row, so it’s definitely an accomplishment that I’m most proud of. The Equitation High Point is also special to win two years in a row since my trainer works very hard to ensure that I’m the most prepared that I can be.”

DeeAnna’s trainer also happens to be her mother, Darren Vincent of Winning Ways Ranch. “She does a great job of making sure we’re ready for the World Show by doing different drills and patterns. Our barn always rides and trains as a team, so we have a strong team bond, which makes for a very fun World Show. Although I didn’t enjoy it in the moment, I’m thankful to my trainer for having me ride Hunt Seat patterns with no irons before the World Show to build strength. It seemed to pay off!”

Of all the classes she competes in, DeeAnna’s favorite is Equitation. “Hudson is so cool, because he has such a large stride that he can stride out for a big hand gallop and collect back to a slow lope. He’s so talented and agile for being such a big horse. I love this horse so much; he has so much heart and always tries 110% for me.”

Now that the year has come to a close, DeeAnna is giving Hudson a break while she works with her new prospect, a 2-year-old by One Hot Krymsun. “I love purchasing young horses and making them into great all-around horses. My biggest advice to others [looking to do the same] is to follow your gut instinct and try to imagine that horse two years from now, five years from now, etc. A lot of people get focused on what they look like in the moment, but horses can change over time, so you have to be looking ahead. The great thing about purchasing horses through a sale is that most sales have incentives. For example, the Appaloosa World Show used to offer Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle classes for the yearlings that went through the sale the previous year, and the payout was pretty good.”

But, even if you select what seems to be the right prospect with excellent breeding, quality conformation, and pleasing looks, it’s always a gamble. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance. “I like to compare Hudson to an ugly duckling. He was big and awkward as a yearling, and no one wanted him, but he grew up to be a beautiful champion.”

“You can do anything if you have a few good people believing in you, and we had such a great support system who never gave up on us. My trainer was with us from day one. No one knows our struggles and challenges better than her, so it’s so incredible to share these accomplishments with her. Hudson is definitely my once-in-a-lifetime horse. He’s the gray, dappled horse the little girl in me had always dreamed of owning one day.”

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