Amy Jo Erhardt Named Leading Owner at 2017 AQHA World Show

By: Brittany Bevis

For Amy Jo Erhardt, winning the title of Leading Owner at the 2017 AQHA World Championship Show came as a complete surprise. “I had no idea such a thing existed!” she laughs.

Amy Jo brought eight Halter horses to the World Show this year, all of which claimed top placings in amateur, open, L3, and L2 classes, which helped boost the overall total points earned and ultimately resulted in Amy Jo winning the Leading Owner title.

Amy Jo’s horses include Pass Da Pepper, an aged mare by Very Cool and out of Miss Ultra Classic; Be A Diva, a 3-year-old mare by Western Gunslinger and out of I Can Please; Trump This Mr, a 2-year-old mare by Mister Elusive and out of Ima Phenomenal Gal; Illicit Intention, a weanling gelding by My Intention and out of Kiddins Drama Queen; Guns and Leather, a yearling gelding by Theamazinggunslinger and out of Sashay This Way; Dawns Cool Girl, 3-year-old mare by Very Cool and out of Dawns Best Girl; DMM Secret Sinsation, a 3-year-old gelding by The Top Secret and out of Contemptified; and Kewel, a 2-year-old stallion by Acoolest Touchdown and out of TF Cool Silhoutte.

Expert handlers that helped lead these horses to victory include Tim Finkenbinder, Steve Ferguson, Ross Roark, Joe Engle, Amy Jo, herself, and her granddaughter, Mariah Gipson. Another exciting accomplishment came when a new award was presented, the L2 High Point Halter Exhibitor, that was won by 20-year-old Mariah.

“Mariah had been to the World Show the year prior and showed in Ranch Riding, but this was her first year showing any Halter horses,” Amy Jo says. “AQHA presented her with a check for $2,500, which came out of the money donated to Halter classes by Gary and Linda Gordon, Steve and Kathy Headley, and Terry and Tammy Bradshaw. She will be able to use it towards her college fund.”

Also, during the World Show, the announcement was made that Steve and Kathy Headley have committed to donate $50,000 to the payouts over the next three years. Gary and Linda Gordon have committed to donate $50,000 over the next three years. Terry and Tammy Bradshaw have committed to donate $51,000 over the next three years. That’s a whopping total of $453,000!

“I think it’s wonderful that people are really supporting the Halter horse industry. I think we need something like that within AQHA. We have the Breeders’ Halter Futurity that is so successful because it gives people the opportunity to receive funds back for what they do. I think giving monetary payback for all the hard work is really exciting, especially for someone like Mariah to use towards her college fund.”

During the show, Amy Jo’s eight horses accumulated numerous points in different divisions.

Amateur classes

• Amateur Weanling Geldings- Reserve Champion- Amy Jo Erhardt with Illicit Intention
• Amateur Yearling Geldings- fourth- Amy Jo Erhardt with Guns and Leather
• Amateur 2-Year-Old Mares- L2 Reserve Champion- Mariah Gipson with Trump This Mr, third in L3
• Amateur 2-Year-Old Stallions- L2 Champion- Mariah Gipson with Kewel, sixth in L3
• Amateur 3-Year-Old Geldings- L2 Champion- Mariah Gipson with DMM Secret Sinsation, third in L3
• Amateur 3-Year-Old Mares- L2 Champion- Mariah Gipson with Dawns Cool Girl and fifth in L3
• Amateur 3-Year-Old Mares- Reserve Champion- Amy Jo Erhardt with Be A Diva
• Amateur Aged Mares- L2 Champion- Mariah Gipson with Pass Da Pepper, fifth in L3

Open classes

• 2-Year-Old Mares- fifth- Tim Finkenbinder with Trump This Mr
• 2-Year-Old Stallions- seventh- Joe Engle with Kewel
• 3-Year-Old Geldings- Reserve Champion- Steve Ferguson with DMM Secret Sinsation
• 3-Year-Old Mares- third- Steve Ferguson with Be A Diva
• Aged Mares- fifth- Steve Ferguson with Pass Da Pepper
• Weanling Geldings- third- Steve Ferguson with Illicit Intention
• Yearling Geldings- Reserve Champion- Ross Roark with Guns and Leather

Of all the top placings, it was the Reserve Championship earned by Be A Diva in Amateur 3-Year-Old Mares that was the most memorable. “I think the 3-year-old mares classes with Be A Diva were probably the most exciting. She was Reserve in the Amateur and third in the Open. It was a very tough class, and she’s an outstanding mare that we haven’t had the chance to get out much. She did incredibly well, and I’m so proud.”

Looking towards 2018, Amy Jo is excited to have several babies coming out of her proven show mares. Pass Da Pepper will have two foals, by Heza Secret Agent and out of Solaris. Dawns Cool Girl will have a foal by PF Premo.

Amy Jo is excited to have her granddaughter, Mariah, by her side in the show pen, and is looking forward to next year, when she hopes her daughter, Mariah’s aunt, will join them, resulting in three generations in the show pen. “She’s a mom, so she’s been busy with the kids and all their sporting activities, but I think she’s going to come back and join me next year!”

“I’ve been showing horses since I was about 11 years old. I did it until I had children and then got out of it for a few years. I did Paint Horses for a long time and then got into Quarters for the past five years. We live in Ohio, but recently purchased a ranch in Texas, in February, and Joe Engle and Mandi Knowles came to work for us in April.”

Congratulations to Amy Jo Erhardt and Mariah Gipson on their exciting accomplishments!