By: Brittany Bevis
Today’s classes at the 2019 APHA World Show have consisted of a variety of disciplines. First, in the Watt Arena, Debra Instone led Bases Loaded to win Amateur Yearling Stallions. Reserve was Cameron Brees with Ima Dirty Addiction. Third was Adam Matthews with Got A Bad Addiction. Fourth was Cindy Polley with CNC Call Me On Sunday. Fifth was Annette Schobel with Mr Thunderstruck.
The winner of Amateur Weanling Geldings was Karry Voss with Party With The Best. Reserve was Kevin Hardcastle with Starzz. Anita Weiscamp led Justified Intentions to win Amateur SPB Yearling Geldings. Reserve was Thomas Coon with Hes Got Finesse. Third was Gretchen Jackson with Im Stylin N Profylyn. Fourth was Janel Trammel with Hez Stylin No Splash. Fifth was Brian Lueth with Hes Obviously Sly.
Anita purchased “Leon” from Jason Smith at the beginning of 2019. The double-registered gelding will be headed to the AQHA World show later this year.
“He’s the one you want to go to all the time, because he’s very sweet and easy to show,” Anita says. “I had three of the judges today tell me that he’s so balanced. I was always told to draw circles on the chest, the middle, and the hip. If they match, then he’s balanced. If there are ‘tubes and a cube,’ then the horse goes to the bottom of the card.”
The Amateur SPB Yearling Stallion winner was Nancy Dyer with Ive Benhad. Reserve was Cara McMillian-Gibson with Fearocious. Third was Ed Becker with Elb Loki. The Amateur 2-Year-Old Stallion winner was Cara McMillian-Gibson with The Final Verse. Reserve was Patricia Borland with My Mcconaughey. Third was Dillan Mora with Kidd Perfection. Fourth was Donn James with Coolest Gold Style.
Anne Ray led Dialed In to win Amateur 2-Year-Old Geldings. Reserve was Ashley Parker with Chosen. Third was Jackie Weatherman with Hez A Cool Sinsation. Fourth was Lenora Doud with Hez Keeping Secrets. Fifth was Leanna Fast with Uncomprimizing. Winning Amateur 3-Year-Old Geldings was Billy Franks with Hes That Xcellent. Reserve was Shari Brown with Heisman Winner. Third was Kim Helburg with LLR Hes So Cool. Fourth was Ashlee Lonon with Blue Intensions.
In the John Justin, Laura Rogers led TWF Shades Of Gray to win Amateur SPB Yearling Longe Line. Reserve was Donald Hagen with Extremely Hot Goji. Third was Danita Drake with Rock One Seven. Fourth was Mackenzie Chapman with Party With The Best. Fifth was Kathryn Mitchell with Taco Bout Last Night.
The winner of the 4-Year-Old and Older Western Pleasure Sweepstakes was RJ King with Shes A Flatliner. Reserve was Scott Weiss with Elicious. Third was Scott Thomas with Moneysonmymind. Fourth was Garth Gooding with Been There Scene It. Fifth was Kenny Lakins with Born Sophisticated.
Megan East-Hogan rode Scene It Eye To Eye to win the Non Pro 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Sweepstakes. Reserve was Cody Caliendo with Zensational. Third was Andrea Kengis-Foss with Refleet. Fourth was Lila Owens with Best Made Machine. Fifth was Hayley Cunningham with Sleepless To Night.
Last year, Megan rode “Luke” to win 2-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure. The gelding is by Scenic Impulse and out of a mare that Megan’s mother used to show in Western Pleasure named Certainly Flirtin.
“We foaled him out, and Mike Hachtel has had him since the very beginning,” Megan says. “He was really special, even as a weanling. We knew he had a special look to him. He’s so quiet and so soft. He’s one of the easiest horses I’ve ever ridden, and he doesn’t want any trouble.”
Earlier in the show, Megan and Luke placed third in Amateur Junior Western Pleasure. Coming up next, Mike and Luke will show in the 3-Year-Old Challenge and Gold Breeders Western Pleasure Futurity before heading to the Quarter Horse Congress. Megan will also bring her Hunter Under Saddle horse, Al Bet Ur Two Faced, to the Congress for futurities as well.
Winning the Amateur SPB Western Pleasure was Alexis Solakian with Good N Iresistable. Alexis has owned her 3-year-old, double-registered gelding named “Jackson,” since he was just a yearling.
“We bought him as a yearling from Teresa Storm, who has his dad, Iresistable Sudden,” Alexis says. “This is only my second show with him. I love how steady he is. He’s always the same in his head and neck, and you can move his body and push him around a lot.”
Because Jackson is a fast learner and very smart, Alexis is hoping that he will learn how to do Trail and Western Riding next year with her trainers, Garth and Sonessa Gooding, and boyfriend, Austin Gooding. This is Alexis’ first World Championship earned at the APHA World Show, making this win very exciting. For his reward, Jackson will get a whole bucketload of his favorite treats.
“He will eat anything- literally anything. His favorite is German Horse Muffins. He will also eat peppermints and gingersnaps. He’s very personable, easy-going, and quite lazy.”
Shannon Yeaton rode Legs For Days to win Novice Amateur Horsemanship. Reserve was Brittany Benzinger with Invite Lucy. Third was Elise Heard with Lazy With The Paint. Fourth was Christine Kasik with Mr Fancy Loot. Fifth was Kelsey Dunlap with A Scenic Legacy.
Shannon Yeaton not only rode Legs For Days to win Novice Amateur Horsemanship. Earlier in the show, she won Novice Amateur Western Pleasure. “Pickles” is by John Simon and out of My Legs R Sensational. Shannon feels very lucky that she’s been able to lease the mare for the past month, something she calls a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“She’s one of the best-minded horses in the entire world,” Shannon says. “I love how she’s so happy all the time. She’s been the first horse that’s been really fun for me to show. It’s been a long time for me to get to show in all-around classes. and I’m really excited about it.”
Pickles is just four, relatively young to compete in all-around classes. In fact, today was the first time she’d been shown one-handed, in a bridle, in a Horsemanship pattern. “I couldn’t of asked her for anything more. She took very good care of me when I got a little nervous. I tried to let her do her job and not get in her way.”
This is Shannon’s first time competing at the APHA World Show, something she’s dreamed about her whole life. But, she was a little nervous. “I’ve never ridden a pleasure horse in my entire life that actually goes slow when you tell it to go slow and doesn’t run away. That was my nightmare before the Western Pleasure class. But, Pickles never even thought about it.”
Shannon also has a 2-year-old by Lazy Luvah that’s currently in training with Erin Fick. She’s very excited about the future with “Bailey.”