AjPHA Youth World Hunter Under Saddle Champions Include Eckert, Hehr, Martin, and Nielson
Josie Eckert with The High Rise
By: Brittany Bevis
Expertly coiffed horses with their stately dressed equestrian counterparts filled the Will Rogers Coliseum today in Fort Worth, Texas for a day of English elegance. First up, Sheldon Hehr bested all the girls winning Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle 14-18 with his big, beautiful, bay horse, A Gift For All. The Reserve Champion was Lacey Spinks Shelhorn with A Malibu Barbie. Third place was Isabella Applegarth with Get The Sensation. Fourth was Kaia Bowden with CNC Hez High Profile. Fifth was Ashlyn Newton with Sleepin In My Socks.
Sheldon Hehr with A Gift For All
First-time Youth World competitor, Josie Eckert, rode The High Rise to win Novice Youth 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle. The Reserve Champion was Kimber Cobbs with Whatcha Expect. Third was Shelby Lenhart with All In Blue. Fourth was Lauren Hall with Alotta Vested Pine. Fifth was Kendal Fellegy with Fancy Sneakers.
Josie just came off an excellent Pinto World Show where she received one World Championship title and three Reserve Championship titles. Just yesterday, she continued the winning streak with two Reserve Championships in Ideal Paint and Discipline Rail.
Josie Eckert and Kimber Cobbs, winners of both the Novice Youth 13 and Under and 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle.
Josie has owned her 3-year-old gelding, The High Rise, since he was just four months old. He is named “Malcolm” after her grandfather who passed away a few years ago. Although he wasn’t a horse lover, per say, Josie is confident he would be pleased with the honor, a fact that was confirmed by her two grandmothers who came today to watch her compete.
Josie and Malcolm compete under the guidance of Heather Pelletier and have since March of this year after switching over from AQHA competition. Josie says Heather gave her some helpful advice before she went in the pen to compete. “She told me to let him out, not to keep him all bunched up and try to control everything. I’m supposed to let him do his thing. Also, I have this thing with my arms where I pull him up when I post, so she reminds me to bend my arms.”
Kayla Martin with Wicked Roses
Later on in the show, Josie will be competing in Equitation and Showmanship. For both of those classes, as all the others, she will be wearing her two, good luck charm bracelets. “One is from Heather and it says, ‘Marked For Greatness.’ The other is my Mom’s. It’s a horsehair bracelet made from a horse that Grandpa found for her. It has a charm with his handwriting that says, ‘I believe in you, love Dad.’ I wear them when I show.”
UPDATE- As we were writing this article, Josie and Malcolm won Novice Youth 13 and Under Equitation!
In Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle, Kayla Martin rode Wicked Roses to a win. The Reserve Champion was Kinzie Cobbs with Whatcha Expect. Third was Gracie Harms with Above All. Fourth was Delaney Good with Kewl Zippin Strider. Fifth was Izzie George with All Unzipped.
Kinzie Cobbs with Whatcha Expect
Josie Eckert was in the winner’s circle again in the 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle. Kimber Cobbs received her second Reserve Championship title of the day with her horse, Whatcha Expect. Third was Lauren Hall with Alotta Vested Pine. Fourth was Sydney Hatcher with Only Good Intentions. Fifth was Chloe White with Party With The Artist.
Finally, in 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle, Alysia Nielson rode BMQ The Jig Is Up to win in her final year of youth competition. The Reserve Champion was her friend and barn mate, Georgia Vernal, with Fascination Sensation.
Alysia and Georgia were understandably overjoyed, and a bit surprised, when they were named the World and Reserve World Champions in the same class. Both ladies compete under the guidance of Gillespie Show Horses and have for two years and five years, respectively.
Alysia and Ziggy
“I actually talked about this happening, when we were at boot camp,” Alysia says. “I told Georgia she could do really well in Hunter Under Saddle. But, after the first cut, she was happy she made it to the finals, but didn’t think it was her best ride. I told her I knew she could do it!”
Georgia and “Theodore” have a previous 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle World Championship under their belt, but a shaky warmup last night had her a bit concerned. “The thing about the Word Show is that it makes me very nervous,” Georgia says. “Also, the pen was really packed compared to the preliminaries. My warmup last night was not good. Shannon said it was fine because sometimes, when you practice, it might not be that great, but the class may still turn out well. I was really down on myself, because I wanted to do well. But she said you can’t always practice and have it be perfect all the time.”
Luckily, Georgia had her friend, Alysia, by her side in the finals today, and they were able to negotiate a packed crowd with two of the largest horses in the pen. “We talk to each other when we’re in the pen, to let each other know when we’re passing,” Alysia says. “We talk the whole time!”
“For me, my focus is on keeping Ziggy slow and his head consistent, because a lot of the time we like to build at the trot. We make our way around the pen pretty quickly, especially around the smaller horses.”
Both ladies will be competing in Equitation later this evening. Alysia and Ziggy also have Western Riding and Showmanship left. Georgia will be competing with Theodore in Horsemanship, Western Pleasure, Western Riding, Trail, and Showmanship.
Third place in 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle was Rebecca Figueroa with Just Say Whoa. Fourth place and the Intermediate Champion was Hannah Stokan with Gallant Zippo.Fifth place was Lauren Gralla with A Sudden Legacy. Sixth was Sheldon Hehr with A Gift For All. Seventh was Ashley Aden with Reddyformycloseup. Eighth was Erin Griffin with Gotta Glo Slo. Ninth was Taylor Burgess with RL Talk About Sudden. Tenth was Madison Blauwkamp with Easy On My Assets.
