Kristen Galyean Wins Amateur Western Pleasure With VS Lady In Red, 10 Years After Winning With Grandmother, Vital Signs Are Good

By: Brittany Bevis

This afternoon, Kristen Galyean made a triumphant return to the World Show pen after a ten year absence. The last time Kristen competed here in the Jim Norick Arena at the World Show was ten years ago when she was named the World Champion with Vital Signs Are Good.

Because of the overlap with the AQHA World Show and the NCHA Futurity, she hasn’t been back since. However, today, she was named the World Champion in Amateur Western Pleasure on VS Lady In Red, a granddaughter of Vital Signs Are Good.

“Every since I’ve gotten married, I haven’t shown here because of the conflict with the schedules,” she says. “It’s been really hard. I just made the decision this year, because I wanted to come back and try to win the Cutting and the Western Pleasure in the same year.”

Kristen accomplished her goal, first winning Amateur Cutting with Harley at the beginning of the AQHA World Show and then today with “Lady” in Amateur Western Pleasure. “[My husband] Wesley wanted to be here, but he couldn’t. Then, I wanted to be [in Fort Worth] yesterday, but I couldn’t, because I was showing. It was tough, but we were with each other in spirit.”

We wondered if it’s hard for Kristen to switch back and forth between competing in the fast-paced, adrenaline inducing sport of Cutting and the slower, more precision-oriented discipline of Western Pleasure. “It used to be hard, but it’s easier now, because I’ve done them both for so long. When I first started Cutting, Wesley would tell me that I was sitting up too straight! You definitely have to change your body weight and ride completely different, but I think I’ve got it figured out now.”

Coming off a Reserve Championship finish in the Non Pro Maturity and a third place finish in Amateur Western Pleasure at the Quarter Horse Congress, there were a few things Kristen was hoping to improve upon. “I feel like both rides here were about as perfect as I could ask for,” she says. Aaron Moses also rode Lady to place third in Junior Western Pleasure earlier in the show. Kristen would like to thank Aaron, in addition to Becky and Gil Galyean, who rode Lady to win The Equine Chronicle Congress Masters as a two-year-old in 2015.

Making this win even more special is the fact that Lady is by Kristen’s stallion, VS Code Red, and out of the great mare, Cool Krymsun Lady, whose mother was Vital Signs Are Good. “I’ve always loved Cool Krymsun Lady, so I bought Lady when she was a weanling from the Knapp family. They actually have her full sister, and Sara Heeley has been doing well on her too.”

“It’s so easy for Lady. She’s very talented, and her father, Waylon, also has a lot of gifts and natural, raw talent as well. They are passing it on, which makes me very happy to see.”

Accompanying her mother on her victory lap was Kristen’s 5-year-old daughter, Gracelyn. “She came out and said, ‘That was so much fun!'” Then, two-year-old Aislynn insisted she join in on the fun as well, once she woke up from her nap, of  course.

The Reserve Champion in the class was Hillary Roberts with Momma Knows Best. Third was Natasha Blanchard with Made N The Shade. Fourth was Alex Chavez with Rock County Kid. Fifth was Candice Hall with Made By J.