Afternoon APHA World Champions Are Megan Brown/All On The Line and Shannon Gillespie/BMQ The Jig Is Up

By: Brittany Bevis

Hunter Under Saddle has been the discipline of choice today at the 2016 APHA World Championship Show. In Masters Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle, Megan Brown rode All On The Line to win their first APHA World Championship title as a team.

Megan has owned five-year-old “Sly” since he was just two years old. The beautiful bay gelding is by All Time Fancy and out of a mare named Miss PT Cruiser. Earlier this year, they won a Color Hunter Under Saddle class at the NSBA World Championship Show, but this is their first APHA World Championship earned as a team. Sixteen years ago, Megan remembers winning this same class with a horse named El Sky Bar.

“Sly is super cool,” she says. “He’s a great loper and the easiest horse to ride. You just sit up and show.”

Megan relies on trainer Alyse Roberts for guidance with Sly, but since Alyse is at the AQHA World Championship Show today, Megan was on her own for this class. “I was a little nervous, but he was good. She will come down to show him in the Junior Hunter Under Saddle tomorrow.”

Helping to provide a bit of polish and style for the show ring today was Megan’s custom jacket and coat from Boo Yah Custom Show Clothing. It’s quite handy that Megan happens to be the co-owner of the company with Elizabeth “Spike” Brewer. It’s been a good day for the Boo Yah ladies; Spike wore a custom coat to place Reserve in Classic Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle earlier today with her horse, Good At It.

The Reserve Champion in Masters Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle was Jennifer Heuker with Bigger Yet. Third was Deborah Wartick with I Just Am. Fourth was Kelli Foster with Ima Mega Sensation. Fifth was Marci Griffin-Michaels with Gotta Glo Slo.

In Senior Hunter Under Saddle, Shannon Gillespie rode BMQ The Jig Is Up to a unanimous win. “Ziggy” has had a busy month, coming directly from a performance at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio last week. He placed fifth in Green Western Riding, fifth in 12-14 Hunter Under Saddle, and sixth in Senior Hunter Under Saddle. Shannon has had the 8-year-old gelding by BMQ Legacy since he was two years old.

“I feel like we’ve had him forever,” Shannon says. “Doing Western Riding has actually helped him on the rail, because, especially in Hunter Under Saddle, they can get bored. He’s always super happy.”

“He was awesome at the Congress. It was great for a big Hunt Seat horse to go in and do that well. He’s one of those horses that doesn’t know how to say no.”

Coming up later in the show, Shannon and Ziggy will compete in Green Western Riding. In fact, they did a bit of practice during their victory lap in Senior Hunter Under Saddle today by adding a lead change on the way out.

“He loves it. He’s so slow-legged, and he has great rhythm. I’ve been working on his Western Riding for a long time. He was a great natural lead changer, but, because of his size, it took him a while to get broke enough to do those patterns.” Whereas a typical-sized Western horse might have five strides in between changes on a long line, 17.2 hand Ziggy clears the same space in two. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s fun. I love it. Showing in the Coliseum at the Congress seemed very small for him, but he was awesome.”

The Reserve World Champion in Senior Hunter Under Saddle was Laura Spell with LX Just Call Me Fancy. Third place was Shane Christensen with All That And More. Fourth was Brian Isbell with Real Me In. Fifth was Leanne Williams with All About The Swing.

Winning the Amateur SPB Showmanship was Jesse Lambourn with Invite Beth. The Reserve Champion was Hallie Thomas with A Sensational Machine. Third was Rebecca Osborne with Irresistible Appeal. Fourth was Cailtin Gordon with Sensational Jack Bar. Fifth was Jeanette Svenneskog with Rockin My Lazy.

Amateur Walk-Trot Showmanship was won by Sabrina Seehafer with All That I Got. The Reserve Champion was Colleen Anfinson with Radically Mezmerized. Third was Nadine Raymond with Electric Sensation. Fourth was Nanci Ryan with Toobusy Bein Fabulous. Fifth was Elizabeth Goodale with Hot Roddin Sally.