Andrea Alderson Wins First AQHA World Title With Most Appealing Dream in Am. Performance Halter Mares

By: Brittany Bevis

Today has been full of firsts at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City. To kick off the morning, Thomas Coon won his first ever AQHA World Champion title in Amateur Weanling Fillies and then his second in Amateur Yearling Geldings.

Now, Andrea Alderson has led her 4-year-old mare named “Roxi” to a win in Amateur Performance Halter Mares. This is Alderson’s first time winning an AQHA World title. Last year, Ross Roark lead Roxi to win the Alderson family’s first ever AQHA World Championship with a home-bred.

“This is my very first time showing here in amateur classes at the World Show,” Alderson says. “It’s kind of a lifetime culmination of dreams and working hard for my whole family, because we’ve been raising horses for 65 years. It’s exciting. My mom, dad, and brother are all here.”

In charge of fitting Roxi for this World Show was trainer Jon Barry. Ross Roark will once again reprise his role at the lead of Roxi for Open Performance Halter Geldings next week.

Not only does Roxi excel in Performance Halter, she also continues to compete regularly in Western Pleasure. Although both events require slightly different strategies for excellence, Roxi is able to perform at the top of the field in both.

“We take different times to focus on one event or the other, because you have to fit them up to show in the Halter and then take some weight off so they go around easier in Western Pleasure,” Alderson says. “She really does like to ride. It’s kind of a balancing act.”

“We will continue showing her throughout the rest of the year, because currently she is winning High Point in the Open Performance Halter Mares, and hopefully I will get points so I can lead the nation in the amateur part. Then, next year, hopefully we will get a couple of embryos out of her. I like Huntin For Chocolate and RL Best Of Sudden, but we’ll have to see what the rest of the group thinks!”

Amateur Performance Halter Mares-

1-Most Appealing Dream/Andrea Alderson

2-Escape The Drama/Abigail Pait

3-Huntin For A Cowboy/Katie Mitchell

4-Lighten Up Rainbo/Brooks Spicer

5- Inviting Rumors/Lauren Wilhelm