Afternoon Winners at APHA World Show Include Lehn, Snapp, Runkle, and Zuidema

By: Brittany Bevis

First up this afternoon, Connie Runkle rode Strike N It Big to win Non-Pro 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle. The Reserve Champion was Tracy Stenroos with Sum Fabulous Party. Third place was Stacey Pape with It’s Swing Time. Fourth place was Paris Hughes with Death By Chocolate. Rounding out the top five was Vanessa Froman with Reddy To Dance.

In Masters Amateur Junior Western Pleasure, Tim Snapp rode Scenery to a big win with Susan Juroe and I’m First N Line placing Reserve. Third place was Carla Perri with Only Good Times. Fourth was Melvin Mousley with Sensational Design. Fifth was Heidi Kokemiller with In Victory Lane.

This win aboard Scenery, aka “Gingersnap,” was special for the Snapp family because the 3-year-old mare dates back to a long line of champions. “She dates back to the first Paint mare we ever had, named Jetta,” Tim says. “She’s kind of the foundation of some of the horses we’ve had over the years. Jetta had the stallion, Zip Man, and then his first foal crop had Zip Miss. She would be Gingersnap’s great-grandmother, and she was a multiple World Champion that Ty and Karen Hornick helped us with. Then, Zip Miss had Miss Hottie, and she was a Reserve World Champion in Amateur Western Pleasure here at the World Show. Then, Gingersnap is an embryo out of Miss Hottie and by A Scenic Impulse.”

As a two-year-old, Gingersnap was named the Limited Champion in the Reichert Celebration Equine Chronicle 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure with Carly Veldman Parks aboard and Reserve in the open division of the class. Later on at the World Show, Wade Parks will ride in Gold 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure and the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Challenge. Tim will climb aboard once more in Non-Pro Three-Year-Old Western Pleasure.

Considering the level of success this mare has had during her short career, it’s unbelievable that she almost didn’t make it to the show pen at all. “When she was a weanling, we were taking her over to our vet, because she had an abscess,” Tim says. “I went off the road and rolled the trailer, with her in it. The accident totaled the trailer. It was bad. The trailer was on its side, and we had to cut her out of the top of the trailer. It didn’t affect her at all; she had a couple tiny scratches, and she hauls just fine now.”

As for what the future holds, Tim’s eight and a half year old son Casey has laid claim to Gingersnap, when she gets a little older. He decided to give her a try during Dad’s victory lap today.

Winning the Senior Hunter Under Saddle for the third year in a row was Katy Jo Zuidema aboard David Buckham. The Reserve Champion was Shannon Gillespie with BMQ The Jig Is Up. Third place was Ryan Painter with Zip Me All The Way Up. Fourth was Sara Simons with A Lot To Offer. Fifth was Laura Spell with All About The Goods.

Katy Jo and the eight-year-old, All Time Fancy gelding named “Rodney” have quite the history as a team. This was their third year in a row winning Senior Hunter Under Saddle. While Rodney’s size and presence might be a bit intimidating to other horses, Katy Jo describes him as a big clown. “Sometimes, he tries new things,” she says. “This month, his game is to bounce the bridle in his mouth while I’m riding. He has so much personality. He’s a big kid.”

Despite his playful nature, Katy Jo has no qualms about praising this horse’s skill as a Hunt Seat master. “He’s truly one of the nicest Hunt Seat horses I’ve ever ridden,” she says. “He’s everything I like in a Hunt Seat horse, and I mean that. He has hang time when he trots, and his head and neck come out of his body perfectly. He’s great hocked, and he matches back to front perfectly. He just floats.”

Recently, at the Quarter Horse Congress, Katy Jo and Rodney were named the Reserve Congress Champions in the Maturity Hunter Under Saddle.

Finally, after two tough cuts and a finals in Green Western Pleasure, Troy Lehn was named the World Champion aboard A Chrome Cookie for owner Alexandra Chavez. The Reserve Champion was Mike Hachtel with RR In The Spotlight. Third place was Shannon Gillespie with Colorado Chrome. Fourth place was Jenna Gibbs with Can I Get Your Number. Fifth place was Scott Suggs with Huntin An Invitation.

“Rocky” is a 4-year-old, double-registered gelding by RL Best Of Sudden that trainer Troy Lehn has had in the barn for the past year. The pair has had great success in both AQHA and APHA competition in Trail and Western Pleasure events. Owner Alexandra Chavez rode Rocky to a win at the Tom Powers Futurity just a few months ago.

“We’ve started doing the all-around events with him, and he’s been really successful in Trail all year,” Troy says. “I took a break from the AQHA World Show to come down here and show him. We will show in Green Trail tomorrow.”

This win was very exciting for Troy because it’s his first time winning at the APHA World Show in a Western Pleasure class. Looking forward to next year, Troy is hoping to add Green Western Riding to Rocky’s list of classes.