Pony Pleasure and Pony Walk-Trot Coming to 2016 Little Futurity!

By: Brittany Bevis

We all started somewhere. The World and Congress Champions of today were the small fry riders and leadline exhibitors of the past. Following in that theme, The Little Futurity is excited to announce the addition of a few new classes to their show schedule in 2016.

The tiniest of horse show exhibitors will have the opportunity to compete right alongside their idols at the upcoming Little Futurity with two classes designed especially for them! We chatted with Gale Little to find out more about this fun idea.

“New this year, we will have a Pony Western Pleasure class, for exhibitors 9 and under, that’s being sponsored by Dianne Eppers of NSBA, and a Little Futurity Pony Walk-Trot class for exhibitors 7 and under. These classes will be so much fun!”

With just two months left to go before the Little Futurity kicks off June 12-14 during the Tar Heel Triple Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina, we’re certain tiny equestrians across the country are busy selecting their best ponies and polishing their moves before the show begins.

Also, for show horses of a larger variety, there is a new Maturity Intermediate Non Pro Western Pleasure class that will be held at the Futurity in addition to other signature slot classes. “The Southern Oaks 3 and 4-Year-Old Novice Horse Western Pleasure slot class will have an inside purse for horses that are still novice by the beginning of the Little Futurity (i.e. have not won more than $1,000). We will again have the Winehurst $10,000 Limited Horse Western Pleasure Maturity and the Non Pro 3 and Over $7,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure Maturity along with all of our futurity classes,” Little says.

Judges for the Little Futurity classes will be Jeff Allen, Rhonda Replogle, Terry Thompson, David Fairchild, Jonathan Meilleur, and Jessica Gilliam.

A heartwarming event during the show will be the annual Heart of Stone Western Pleasure class that will award all proceeds to the Heart of Stone Foundation, Inc, a non profit organization that supports families with children suffering from heart problems. The organization and class were created to honor the memory of Stone Pope, the late son of North Carolina Quarter Horse Association members Shane and Holt Pope. In 2015, the class raised over $22,000 for charity.

Click here to visit the Little Futurity website for entry forms, a schedule, and futurity class details.

We can’t wait to see those ponies! Speaking of pony riders who have gone on to great success in AQHA, APHA, and ApHC competition, check out this article in the latest edition of The Equine Chronicle, “POA Riders of Yesterday Become Champions of Today.“