Laura Spell and All Time Vandal Win $10,110 in APHA World Show BT 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes
PHJ release by: Mary Grace Schmid
(Photo by Larry Williams Photography)
With a long, floating trot and demanding ring presence, All Time Vandal and Laura Spell of St. Louis, Missouri, proved to be a dynamic team in the 2019 Breeders’ Trust 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes. A 2017 sorrel overo stallion by All Time Fancy and out of Charismatic Kate, “Graffiti” secured a $10,110 paycheck as the winner of the Open Division of the class.
Bred by Sharene Greer of Riverside, California, Graffiti was purchased by Allie Littlefield in October 2017 from Lisa Beth Novacek. Allie brought Graffiti to Laura and Wade Spell in January 2019 and they got to work right away to prepare the stallion for his upcoming show career. Graffiti earned a number of championship titles at the 2019 NSBA World Championship Show, and Laura says the stallion’s willing attitude and natural ability has helped established Graffiti as a talented performer.
“This is only his second show ever,” Laura said. “We’re really happy with how he is doing so far.”
With a successful NSBA World Show under their belt, Laura felt confident going into the Breeders’ Trust 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes.
“I felt ready going into the class today,” Laura said. “You never know how 2-year-olds are going to behave and he is still a stud, but he’s really honest and doesn’t pay mind to anything that is going on around him.”
Laura and Graffiti’s confidence was evident as they trotted down the center line, catching the audience’s and judge’s eyes. This year’s Breeders’ Trust Hunter Under Saddle Stakes had an impressive lineup of 11 entries—nearly double the amount of entries from last year’s class—and $39,737 was up for grabs. Despite the large crowd, Laura says Graffiti was with her every step of the way.
“He was really good, which makes me really excited. He was pretty tired, which is good for the hunt seat,” Laura said. “He wasn’t looking at the crowd or anything. He really gave me 110 percent today. I have Allie to thank for trusting me with him.”
As for Allie, Laura and Graffiti’s win in the Breeders’ Trust Hunter Under Saddle Stakes was a culmination of months of hard work.
“It was awesome to have him win this class. I bought him as a weanling, so it’s been a long time coming,” Allie said. “I’m so proud of this team and what we’ve been able to accomplish so far. I’m so thankful for Laura, Wade and everyone at Spell Show Horses. They are all amazing; they truly run like a well-oiled machine and I’m grateful for their guidance.”
Unofficial results follow:
Open Division
1st ALL TIME VANDAL shown by Laura Spell earning $10,110
2nd THE COWGIRL CODE shown by Carly Parks earning $8,029
3rd KISS MY COOKIES shown Shannon Gillespie earning $5,947
4th ON THE COUNT OF THREE shown by Morgan Ilic earning $2,973
5th WITH ALL MY HEART shown by Julian Tomas earning $2,676
Limited Division
1st HOOS SOPHISTICATED shown by Laura Bracken earning $5,947
2nd LL COOL N LAZY shown by Nicole Giumenti earning $3,965
All Breeders’ Trust-enrolled horses—Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Bred—are eligible to compete in the Breeders’ Trust Pleasure Stakes classes at the APHA World Championship Show. Horses are enrolled into the Breeders’ Trust Pleasure Stakes as yearlings and then pay an entry fee during their 2-year-old year; read more about the program here.
