By Connie Lechleitner, NSBA:
The final Friday at the NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity saw a heat advisory outside and hot competition inside as the show continued into its final weekend.
Boys Are Better Was Best In Hunter Under Saddle
Friday began with the gelding Boys Are Better earning the Breeders Championship Futurity Open Three Year Old Hunter Under Saddle futurity championship with Keith Miller in the irons for Carrie Warren.
“We bought Dusty from Beth Case, and she had put about 30 days on him when we got him,” Carrie said. “He’s by Good Better Best and out of Huntin Only Blue. I saw a video of him that Beth had posted. She didn’t really have him for sale at the time but I had sent the video to Keith and we tried him and loved him.
“We didn’t show him as a two year old, but we brought him out for the three year old events this year. He won at the Virginia Maiden and Venice, and was reserve at The Premier, and I showed him to reserve in Venice in Select Amateur. I really like the way Dusty canters – he’s so pretty to watch. Keith did a great job showing him. I can’t wait to keep showing him in the Non-Pro.”
Kelce Has Game
Becky Galyean showed J Loww to win the Breeders Championship Futurity Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. The mare known as Kelce was bred and raised by Becky and Gil Galyean.
“We got an embryo from Cory Seebach and Candice Hall and raised her,” Becky said. “The year she was born, we were using Super Bowl names so she is named after Travis Kelce. She’s by Sloww Motion and out of Made By J.
“When she was growing up, we thought she was pretty cute. We showed her last year and won the Level 2 Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show, and we were reserve in the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the Congress. Today she did everything I asked and went really soft. She was a good girl, and showed great.”
‘Sir Richard’ Wins Another BCF Title
The decorated show gelding Start Ur Engines had a new pilot but a familiar winning result when Becca Britton showed the gelding to the futurity win in the Breeders Championship Futurity Four To Six Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure. The duo showed for owner Kylee Wiseman.
“We’ve only had him since January or February,” Becca said. “We bought him to be Kylee’s Amateur Western Pleasure horse. He’s the most honest horse you’ll ever show in the pen. He showed really good today. He loped great and jogged great and was very consistent.
“We’ll go on to the Quarter Horse Congress and the AQHA World Show after this.”
‘Perfect Patton’ Gets The Win
Kelsey McArthur showed her gelding Ridin On Chrome to win the Breeders Championship Futurity Four To Six Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.
“We bought Patton as a two year old,” Kelsey explained. “Chris Gray had started him, and Keith Miller finished him for us and he just did a fabulous job. This is just our second year to fully show him, and we show in both the Hunter Under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation. We plan to add Showmanship next year.
“He has a sweet personality. He gets cookies when he does a good job. Today he definitely will get cookies. He just did so well. It felt like he gave me 100 percent and gave his full heart when we showed.”
Zensational Was Sensational
Sara Simons showed a mare that has a close connection to her to win the Color Senior Western Pleasure. Showing Zensational for MC’s Dragon Ranch, she showed a long-time horse for a long-time client for the win.
“Scarlett is by our family’s stallion, Zippos Sensation,” Sara said. “She’s strictly a Paint horse, and she’s seven years old. She won Senior Western Pleasure at the APHA World Show and has won a lot with her owner, Marilyn Caliendo over the past few years.
“Scarlett just flows every stride. I love to lope on her, and I could lope for hours with her. It’s even more fun that we’ve now won this class two years in a row at the NSBA World Show.”
We Know ‘Whoo’ Won The 4-6 Year Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure
Linda Ball Sargent and her six year old gelding The Whoo were the champions in the Breeders Championship Futurity Four To Six Year Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure, earning what she considered her first big futurity win with her horse.
“We bought Wyatt as a two year old,” she said. “He’s by The Lopin Machine and out of Whos Cheatin Who and was bred by Linda Berwick. Aaron Moses had him as a two year old, then he was with Cleve Wells for a little while before we started working with Shane Dowdy.
“I’ve probably been showing him for three years, as a four, five and six year old. What I love about Wyatt is that he is so soft, and he is so consistent. When you look at him, he looks exactly the same all the time.
“I won an NSBA championship with my mare Amblin So Good, but this is our first major futurity win with Wyatt. We used to not do as many futurity classes, but Shane has encouraged us to show in them. He was really good today and did his job.”
‘Colorful’ World Championship For Stoppin To Sleep
In the Color Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure, Kenny Lakins piloted Stoppin To Sleep to a world championship title for owners Anthony and Christina Curiale.
“We got Maggie as an early two year old,” Kenny said. “She’s by Heartstoppin, and her momma died and she was an orphan that they bottle fed. She’s really special to the Curiale family.
We showed her some last year as a two year old. We were fourth in the Two Year Old Western Pleasure at the Congress last year, and I had a feeling that she would be an even better three year old, and she is. She’s a really fun horse to show. She’s very soft, steady and smooth, and she’s exactly what you want in a Western Pleasure horse.
“We’ve had a few people ask if she is for sale, but the Curiales have a granddaughter who fell in love with her when she was born, and she has her name on this horse as a Youth horse a little later. We will also pull a couple of embryos on her and we’ve got a few horses in mind to breed her to.”
The Doctor Was In For Senior Ranch Riding
Cody Crow and the palomino gelding Dr Moonshine had just the right prescription to navigate the Senior Ranch Riding pattern, taking home the world championship for owner David Reyes.
“Doc is eight years old and he’s by Shiners Voodoo Dr,” Cody said. “He was a Reiner but he wasn’t quite up to that job, but we thought he might do well in the Ranch classes, and he really likes it. I’ve had him a little over two years. I think he likes getting to do something different every day.”
The NSBA World Show is a comeback party for Cody. “I shattered my hip and pelvis and had them replaced, and so I was laid up for a while,” he said. “This is really my first big show to come back and show at. I love Doc’s expression and his ears when he shows and today, we had a really nice free lope and transition from the extended lop into the regular lope in our pattern.”
Cody appreciates having the Ranch classes at the NSBA World Championship Show. “I think it’s great exposure for our part of the industry,” he said. “We don’t always have the other parts of the horse industry when we show, and I think it’s important to have events like this to be able to bring our sport to this audience. We love it, we love showing here and we enjoy the prizes and just being at this show.”
To view complete show results, see the NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity schedule or view the live video feed, please visit nsba.com. The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity continues through Sunday, August 20.