Kassandra Jones and Chasinthesensation Are World Champions in 14-18 Showmanship at 2013 AjPHA Youth World Show
At the conclusion of a very tough 14-18 Showmanship finals this evening at the 2013 AjPHA Youth World Championship Show it was Intermediate exhibitor, Kassandra Jones, who led Chasinthesensation to a win.
Judging the class of 63 exhibitors were Dave Denniston, Holly Hover, Brad Kearns, Stephanie Lynn, and Tom McBeath.With three firsts, one second, and a sixth Jones and “Slick” won both the Intermediate portion of the class, receiving a bronze trophy, and the regular division winning a neck ribbon, belt buckle, halter and lead and other assorted prizes.
Jones and Slick have been a team for quite some time now, nearly six years. She actually had the unique opportunity to witness the birth of her now 6-year-old mare.
“We bought her mom in foal, and we got to see her be born,” she says. “I was at the barn for a lesson on a Saturday afternoon. I’ve had her since she was a baby.”
Jones first connected with her current horse trainers, Carly Veldman and Wade Parks, in September of 2012. At the 2012 APHA Fall World Championship Show, Veldman rode the mare to a Reserve World Championship finish in Junior Trail.
Coming up later this week, Jones will compete in Trail, Western Riding, Horsemanship, and Western Pleasure, but she’s very glad she earned her first World Championship title in her favorite class.
“Showmanship is one of my favorites,” she says. “If you have a good relationship with your horse it stands out and it shows you guys as a team. Slick has so much personality. She is happy all the time. I’ve never seen her pin her ears.”
“I loved our pattern. We went in there with a plan, and we stuck to it. The long trot was good for me. We wanted to just go in there with speed and have correct lines, especially going to the judge. Trotting a straight line away from the judge was our biggest thing.”
Some of our readers might not know that Jones’ trainers have a very special event coming up, their wedding, which is scheduled to take place in a little over a week in Athens, Georgia. Jones plans to attend the festivities and hopes today’s win might serve as somewhat of an early wedding present.
“I had a big goal coming here, but I wasn’t getting my hopes up for anything,” she says. “I really wanted to get a buckle, but I went in with a fresh mind and I wanted my pattern to be the best it could be.”
Congratulations to the entire Parks-Veldman crew on an exciting win today in a very competitive class.
14-18 Showmanship
1-Chasinthesensation/
2-Inthesweetshop/Jenni Hansen
3-A Painted Selection/Kelsey Jung
4-Outrageous Sensation/Holly Strevey
5-A Good Intention/Anne-Marie Fortenberry
14-18 Showmanship (Intermediate)
1-Chasinthesensation/
2-Sensational Luxury/Meredith Milton
3-My Cowboy Cadillac/Sarah Orsak
4-Reddylittleleaguer/Shay Lynn Voorhees
5-Don’t Rock My World/Anna Hutlas
