World Show Pleasure Versatility Challenge Purse Set at $50,000! More Surprises in Store…
By: Brittany Bevis
2019 marks the second year for the Pleasure Versatility Challenge and there are exciting plans to bring even more fun and excitement to the AQHA World Show in just a few weeks. Thanks to the sponsors of the event, including title sponsor, Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses; Cimarron Trailers, sponsor of the Pattern Class; and The Equine Chronicle sponsoring both the Western Pleasure and the Conformation Class, in addition to many other sponsors, cash payouts will extend from first to eleventh place this year with a total purse of $50,000.
Incredible prizes include a champion’s trophy buckle, courtesy of Holly Spagnola Design; two show headstalls and a show halter for the class winner, donated by the Official Tack Sponsor, Blue Ribbon Custom Tack; a Chuck Letchworth Bits and Spurs show bit going to the Reserve winner in Western Pleasure; and a gallon of Equine Omega Complete going to each contestant, courtesy of O3 Animal Health. Also, Blue Ribbon Custom Tack will be awarding a Dowdy Blue Ribbon saddle to the owner of the horse that finishes just out of the money, in eleventh place.
Deanna Searles and KM Flat Out The Best, the winners of the 2018 inaugural event.
Other wonderful sponsors include: Hassinger’s Equine Sports Medicine, Weems & Stephens Equine Hospital, Extremely Hot Chips, Cool Breeze, I Am The Party, RL Best Of Sudden, The Lopin Machine, Mechanic, The Mile High Club, Machine Made, Its A Southern Thing, VS Code Blue, VS Goodride, No Doubt Im Lazy, How Bout This Cowboy, Lazy Loper, Clint Fullerton, Robin Frid Show Horses, Dry River Ranch, Prince Farms, Jill Newcomb and Murray Griggs Show Horses, Highpoint Performance Horses, Western Hauler, Andreini and Company, Banks Ranch, Starland Ranch. Chuck Letchworth Bits and Spurs, Award Recognition Concepts, The Resorts at Paws Up, Empyre Show Horses, Powderbrook Farms, Whitney Ridge, All That Show Clothing, Vickery Performance Horses, Carrie Grose Quarter Horses, Clint Ainsworth Show Horses, and Voge Quarter Horses.
The $50,000 purse will be divided as follows:
- 1st- $10,000
- 2nd- $8,000
- 3rd- $7,000
- 4th- $5,500
- 5th- $4,500
- 6th- $4,000
- 7th- $3,500
- 8th- $3,000
- 9th- $2,500
- 10th- $2,000
The event will take place on Saturday, November 16th at approximately 6 pm. Another new addition this year is that there will be live commentators for the live feed broadcast in the form of Professional Horsemen Robin Frid and Gene Spagnola.
The format of the event will be similar to the past year in that it’s open to three-year-old Quarter Horses that will compete in three classes: Versatility Pattern (40%), Western Pleasure (40%), and Conformation (20%). Horses cannot have been shown astride in any Western Riding, Trail or Versatility class prior to the official entry deadline of September 16th. After that date, horses may have been shown at any competition before the World Show, like the Quarter Horse Congress.
Prior to exiting the arena after the Versatility portion of the event, riders will be required to dismount and remain on the ground until the final horse has completed the pattern. Also, horses will remain in the make up pen for the duration of the class. After the line up of the Western Pleasure class, tack will be removed with the assistance of up to two grooms and horses will be prepared for the Conformation portion of the class. There will be a five minute time limit that begins when the first wheelbarrow enters the arena.
Four judges will determine the placings of each class and there will be no overlap. All the judges will be sequestered until they have completed their judging portion. The low judge’s score in all three classes will be dropped. All placings will be held until the event has been completed.
Click here to view the Versatility pattern.
Stay tuned for more exciting news regarding this class coming soon.
