R C Kola Earns His Royal Crown at WEC-Ocala with Joy Wheeler
By Delores Kuhlwein
Winning a class on a horse you’ve raised – one you’ve watched grow into his own – is an irreplaceable experience. When the win happens not only at his first show, but also the first time he is matched against some of the best Hunter Under Saddle horses in the industry, the occasion is magical indeed.
Take the case of R C Kola, by Its A Southern Thing and out of Its Al Over, owned by Johhny and Karen Tart, and shown by Joy Wheeler at the 2025 Orange Blossom Classic and A Sudden Impulse. “Roc” may have been at his first outing, but Joy Wheeler knows him well. “He was raised at our farm along with our clients Johnny and Karen Tart. So we were there for his birth,” she explains.
At his very first show last week, the Orange Blossom Classic, Joy and “Roc” were crowned open champions and limited champions in the Maiden 3 & Over Hunter Under Saddle.
Then on Wednesday at A Sudden Impulse, the pair came back for the first class of the day in the $10,000 NSBA 3YO Open & Limited Hunter Under Saddle, winning unanimously in both the Open and Limited divisions of the stout class of horses, earning $2220 and $1480 respectively the second time he was shown.
“This is just extra special to have this win because he’s just not even a prospect that we picked out,” reveals Joy. “We raised him, got him trained, and showed him.”
Joy says what she thinks sets him apart, besides checking all the boxes as far as she’s concerned, is his canter. “It seemed that when I visited with the judges in the lineup, they thought he has every gear, but his canter is extra special, and that’s how we feel. So I guess it’s a mutual feeling!”
She shares that R C Kola also has quite the fan club. “I’ve been fortunate to show some very nice horses in my career and I’ve never had a horse that a fan club the size of his. So we are headed to Kentucky to show after this, and we’ll try to just hit all the majors and campaign him as a three-year old and keep our fingers crossed.”
Showing Roc in the Grand Arena was just the icing on the cake. “I love this pen, and this facility, and it just doesn’t get any better than this. He was paid into a maiden class in Kentucky, and when he told me he was ready, I chose to show him here because I thought it would be amazing to show him in front of the hotel. He’s my guy.”
Results for the $10,000 NSBA 3YO Open & Limited Hunter Under Saddle at A Sudden Impulse 2025:
Open
Champion: R C Kola with Joy Wheeler for Johnny Tart -$2220
Reserve: A Top Gun with Sara Simons for Stephanie Mohindra -$1200
Third: Al Right All Right with Beth Case for Rebekah Kazakevicius -$900
First in Super Sires
Fourth: The Company You Keep with Keith Miller for Madeleine Bayless – $600
Fifth: Shezza Outlaw with Jamie English for Brenda Ramirez-$450
Second in the Super Sires
Sixth: With You Al Be Best with Scott Jones for Daisy Raken – $300
Third in the Super Sires
Limited
Champion: R C Kola with Joy Wheeler for Johnny Tart -$1480
Reserve: Built Just Right with Sandra Morgan -$800
Fifth in Super Sires
Third: Axxxel with Tyler Haney for Sara Poppleton -$600
