AQHA Youth World Show & NSBA Wold Show Recap
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The Stars Came Out
by Mackenzie Patterson
Curious to find out who took home major hardware at the AQHA Youth World Championship Show and NSBA World Championship Show? Look no further.
But before we take a look at some of the major class winners, the biggest news at the season was the NSBA World Show record-setting high seller at the Kaplow Insurance Breeders Championship Futurity Yearling Sale. Always Seymour, a black yearling colt by One Hot Krymsun and out of She’s Always The Talk, was consigned by Laura Lovegreen and sold to Loretta Magnuson for an astounding $203,000!
Going back just a little further in time, the AQHA Youth World Show took place right before the NSBA World Show and crowned numerous winners creating many memorable moments.
AQHA Youth World Show
Deanna Green had two huge wins at the Youth World. Her first big win was aboard her well-known palomino mare, Blazenmytroublesaway. The pair won the Youth Western Riding Championship title for the second year in a row. “As soon as I loped off, I could tell that she was going to be really good. I pushed her forward and she felt like she would give me whatever I needed. I was really nervous about it, but she wasn’t,” Green says.
Green also won Youth Western Pleasure aboard the RL Best Of Sudden mare, Bestseatinthehouse, which is owned by Alexandra Chavez.
In Youth Hunter Under Saddle, it was Jenna Jacobs and Doodle Jump who won the Championship title. This was Jacobs’ final year as a competitor at the Youth World Show, so the win was extra special. “Oh my gosh, I started crying! I felt so sick. Once they start getting to the top ten, you just never know… I was so confident in my ride, but it’s still based on the judges’ opinions. I remember during every single placing just squeezing my eyes shut and praying to God,” Jacobs shares.
Natalie Vargo rode Art Of The Deal to win the Youth Equitation and Youth Hunter Hack. “It feels awesome. It’s a dream come true. I got third last year, so I just tried to beat the rider I was then. When they got down to the top five, I thought wherever I end up, I’ll be happy,” Vargo said about her Hunter Hack win.
The Youth Trail Champions were 14-year-old Emily Maul with Only Temptation, who had to compete in a head-to-head run-off with Gina Hitchman and So So Good after both scored a 237.5 in the finals. “There was a little pressure, but my coaches told me to go out there, breathe, and ride the pattern just like it’s another horse show. That’s what I did and obviously it pretty much worked!” Maul says.
Another young rider and first-time gold trophy winner, 16 year-old Harley Huff described her Western Horsemanship win aboard GW Jack Bar as amazing. “I was the Reserve World Champion last year in Equitation, so I’ve kind of been in that position before, but I was still so nervous,” she says. “I really liked the pattern and my horse was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for any better performance.”
Sydney Scheckel led A Perfect Pleasure to win an extremely tough Youth Showmanship class. “My horse and I have a great bond, so we can break down to those walk sections so easily. It was definitely the pattern for us. Each time I practiced, I felt so confident,” Scheckel says.”
The Equitation Over Fences class winner was Madison Eichstadt with Its My Lucky Detail. Emma Graf and One Sweet Mercedes took home the gold in the Working Hunter class.
The Hamm sisters both cleaned up in the Halter classes at the World Show. Monica Hamm won the 2-Year-Old Geldings with Coolsified Secret while Kaylee Hamm came in Reserve with SS Rampage. Monica led Miss Kittee to win the 3-Year-Old Mares class for the second year in a row while Kaylee was named Reserve with Guns And Lace. Kaylee and Giancarla were crowned winners of the Aged Mares class and Monica came in Reserve with Cool Smokin Lady. In addition, Monica was named the World Champion with the indomitable RPL My Te Cheerful in Aged Geldings.
NSBA World Show
Starting off Monday morning at the NSBA World Show, Killian Mullen and her 17.2 hand gelding, Certifiably Good, won the BCF 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle class. Kacie Scharf and A Movin Machine took the Championship title in the Novice Youth Trail. Scharf says Trail is perfectly suited for keeping her gelding’s active mind in check. The Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Champions were Shelby Ratliff and her 6 year-old gelding, Willy Has Potential. This pair competes under the guidance of Highpoint Performance Horses.
On Tuesday morning, Like A Boss and his owner, Sarah Nimigan, won double Championship titles in the BCF 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro and Open Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle classes. Ryan Flowers won his first NSBA World Championship title in Novice Youth Showmanship with his 11-year-old gelding, Invested In Cookies. Flowers was particularly pleased with “Chester’s” speedy spins during his pattern. The Youth Showmanship class saw a repeat winner in Sydney Scheckel and A Perfect Pleasure. The pair also won the same class at the AQHA Youth World Show the previous week. Stephanie Lynn and her 6-year-old gelding, Sensational Asset, won the Championship prize for the BCF 4-6-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle.
When Tuesday afternoon rolled around, Hayley Saul and her 10-year-old gelding, Eye On The Ball, were crowned as the winners of the Amateur Trail class. After a devastating injury and a lengthy two-year recovery, the 7-year-old mare, Invite Me To Paris, returned to the show pen to win the Novice Youth Western Horsemanship class, piloted by her rider, Emma Phinney. Angela Fox won the BCF Limited Non-Pro 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure aboard a flashy red roan filly, Lookin Good In Red, by VS Code Red. Fox was thrilled to have the opportunity to lease the mare from Charlie Cole and Jason Martin after her other two-year-old prospect, also sired by VS Code Red, had to undergo colic surgery just a month prior to the NSBA Show.
It may have been her debut class, but that didn’t stop the RL Best Of Sudden mare, For Your Eyez Only, from winning the world cup in the BCF 4-6-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure class with Cody Parrish aboard. Carli Pitts and Hot Lady Born Lopin were named the Youth Western Horsemanship Champions. Incredibly, the 6-year-old mare, “Dixie,” just started learning Horsemanship this past January.
On Wednesday, Kili Crawford won both the BCF 4-6-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure and the Color Non-Pro Western Pleasure classes aboard her new gelding, Chasing A Dream. The Select Showmanship NSBA World Champions were Don Yeager and his 6-year-old gelding, Cee Money. The pair also won the same class at the 2014 Quarter Horse Congress. Trainer and judge Karen Graham led Blazin Occasion, an 11-year-old buckskin gelding, to win the Color Open Trail.
Numerous wins were awarded to Hillary Roberts of Capital Quarter Horses, LLC. She won the Color Non-Pro Trail with her 11-year-old, double registered gelding, Chrome On My Zipper. Roberts also won the BCF 3-Year-Old Open Non-Pro Western Pleasure and the Open Non-Pro Western Pleasure with For One Knight Only.
Ona Good Kiss was piloted by Jim Searles to a win in the 2-Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure on behalf of owner, Susie Johns. Kenny Lakins and Available By Invitation took home the prize in 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. So far, this filly, owned by Peek Owen, is undefeated in the show pen. Her next show will be the All-American Quarter Horse Congress.
When Thursday morning rolled around, Becky Galyean and her homegrown mare Extreme Moonlite won the 2-Year-Old Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure. The pair also won the BCF version of the class. Jenna Dempze, who is also part of the Galyean team, won the 2-Year-Old Open Non-Pro Western Pleasure with her new filly, I’m Special N I Know it.
The Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle Champions were Larissa Affeldt with Huntin My Zipper. “He is the sweetest horse,” she says. “If he is laying down, and I go in his stall, he literally puts his head in my lap and cuddles. It is the cutest thing!” Also in the Hunter Under Saddle pen, Shanda King rode Angry Birds to win the 50-and-Over Hunter Under Saddle championship title. Amateur exhibitor Sunni Chernega and her 7-year-old gelding, Nearly Chocolate, started off the afternoon with a bang by earning the world cup in Amateur Equitation.
The Color Open Maturity Hunter Under Saddle class winners were Keith Miller and Big Kountry Kruzer while Allison Clarke and Legs Luther won the Color Green Hunter Under Saddle class. Not Just Anyhoo won his fifth 2015 NSBA World Championship on Thursday afternoon after winning the Junior Hunter Under Saddle with Beth Case. The gelding also won the BCF 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, BCF 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle with owner Rebekah Kazakevicius.
Switching gears to Western Pleasure, Dr. Candice Hall and her mare Made By J won the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Limited Western Pleasure. “She is my super cute pet by my super cute stallion [Machine Made]! Riding her is like riding him, and I love that. She is like my second horse-of-a-lifetime, and I will never sell her. Hopefully, I will be riding her babies someday,” Dr. Hall says.
On Friday morning, Brad Jewett and the famous palomino mare Blazenmytroublesaway won the Color Open Western Riding class. Marilyn Masterson and Suddenly It’s Time were crowned winners of the Maturity Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
In the 3 Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure, Adam Smith and Cool Huntin Lady took the Championship title. For One Knight Only racked up another win in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure with trainer Rusty Green in the saddle. Darcy Reeve and her legendary gelding, A Certain Vino, won the Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Finally, the Open Color Maturity Western Pleasure class winner was Randy Wilson aboard A Midnite Intuition.
Over in the Longe Line arena, Darlene Morawski and Withouta Doubt won the Limited Non-Pro Western Yearling Longe Line class. Pete Mead and Batt Attitude won the Non-Pro Western Yearling Longe Line, as well as the BCF version of the class. Big winners in the Western Riding classes included Jamie Dowdy and It’s A Southern Thing in Junior Western Riding and Jason Martin with Heavenly Mac in Senior Western Riding.
Lauren Love and Wearin Only Moonlite were named the Amateur Horsemanship Champions, and Brook Hokana piloted Ima Blond Investment to win the Color Non-Pro Horsemanship. For the 50-and-Over Horsemanship class, Lisa Stewart and her 1997 gelding named Touched By TNT took home their first NSBA Championship together.
Back in the Hunter Under Saddle pen, Sara Goldstein and Sensational Asset won the Maturity Intermediate Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. Wow The Crowd and Bobbi Theisen were crowned the Champions in the Color Non-Pro 3-6-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle. The 3-Year-Old Open Color Hunter Under Saddle winners were Alyse Roberts with Justin Beamer.
On the final day of the 2015 NSBA World Championship Show, Kenny Lakins and One Lazy Investment were named the Senior Western Pleasure Champions. The Maturity $10,000 Limited Open Western Pleasure class was won by Scott Frye aboard We’re Talkin Easy. Samantha Idhe and Call Me Interested won the Novice Amateur Horsemanship, and Madison Zuidema piloted Pineapple Express to win the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
August was a busy month. Congratulations to everyone!
