A Few Of Our Favorite Things

By Delores Kuhlwein

We recently asked our readers:

What is your favorite award you’ve won at a show or for year-end? This is also a favorite question of many awards coordinators!

We had some great responses and some wonderful photos! Thank you to so many of our readers taking the extra step to submit a photo individually.  Read the responses below – we’ve formatted the photos so you can click on them to enlarge:

 

 

LuAnne Coleman

The OQHA hi-point for the year, Phil Harris work saddle that I personalized with my name and husband’s name. My husband, who passed away unexpectedly, told me he wanted me to win that saddle and I did it.

 

 

 

 

Caroline West

Buckles or bronze sculptures for high point awards.

 

Candice Monsen

My favorite awards are usable things! I love my English bridle or show halter that I got for year-end awards! Oh, and my power bike for horse shows!

 

 

Amanda Williams Palmer

Love buckles but the chairs and coat hanger plaques we have given away are my favorite awards – courtesy of the new and upcoming awards company Cedar Creek Design & Woodworking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mindy Erskine

My favorite award was a yearend custom painting of my horse on slate/stone. For shows my favorite is usable items like coolers/blankets.

 

Kelsey Marriott

Mindy Erskine, that was my favorite too and since Jasper passed it truly is a lovely memento of our accomplishments!

 

 

 

Amy Marie

My favorite award was my very first belt buckle from Aphc Top 10 in the Nation award I received with my heart horse Ones N Uff. It means so much to me as I keep my horses and home and do everything myself with no trainer. It means so much more when you put in all the hard work yourself.

 

 

 

 

Meredith Nelson Landy

I won a leather halter with a silver plate engraved with my name and my horse’s name. I have loved it and it gets used every day.

 

Shannon Diemart

My favorite is a hand painted pottery lamp that I won for a year end highpoint back in the ‘90s. It has a painting of the gelding that won the award on the front with his name; and on the back a list of the classes he won.

 

 

 

 

Jeri-Lou Lillefjeld Biggs

I love buckle cases. I’ve sent a picture of one of my favorites. I love to get sheets too.

 

 

 

 

 

Caitlin Raysser

Stuff we can use!! Blankets, chairs, jackets, headstalls, halters, etc. I think my favorite, oddly enough, will always be the embroidered fuzzy blankets Spotted Valley ApHC gave away years ago. I still use mine all these years later even though it’s falling apart 😂.

 

Lisa Stone Hehn

A set of embroidered really nice bath towels.

 

 

Cheryl Melody Grove

My favorite award was a trophy donated by Rhonda Replogle which belonged to her late mother. I received it at the Suntan Circuit Show for Overall Hi Point Amateur. It meant so much to me in light of the woman who received it first, and the generous heart of her daughter who continues to give back as an AQHA Judge.

Kim Fullwood

Cheryl Melody Grove, Nancy was a very special Lady❤️.  When I started showing real halter in 2014 she was a great cheerleader ❤️. Those things one never forgets.

 

Heather Field Benedict

My two faves are a handmade wooden brushbox with the award plaque mounted on the side and a stall blanket bag with the show logo and award title on it.

 

Erin Grace Wieldraayer

A rolling bale bag was my absolute favorite award. I have also love every groom bag, chair, cup, haybag etc. Anything I can use! I love my buckles…but I really love things that I can put on display by using useful!

 

 

Anna Minich

My favorite was the L1 all-around saddle at the NOQHA L1 show. It was really cool for the opportunity at a L1 show and so great for us beginning exhibitors. And at that time my current work saddle was an ancient ranch saddle, so you can believe it when I use that new saddle almost every day.

 

 

Mikey Trueba

Money!

 

Lizzie Anne

Money!

 

 

Ellen Mae

I love usable awards (horse related or not) for weekend high points blankets, bags, picture frame, binders, cups, stools,etc. My favorite award though is a custom hand painted Cowboy Bronze I chose for my year end award for All Around high point for the Illinois Paint Horse Association. We have a very talented lady that paints them for us and every single one turns out stunning!

 

 

 

Karen Pumphrey

A bronze that looks like my horse.

 

Jennifer Nabors

Buckles!

 

Jane Fultman

Usables!

 

Samantha Petersen

My favorite award I’ve won at a show would probably be the Open High Point Champion Horse at the Spring Fling ApHC show at the Equestrian Center in Iowa Falls, IA. Raised, trained, and showed my stallion (YM Taks Two to Tango) myself and from our average in placing in the halter, HIH, and performance classes, we somehow managed the title while I was also pregnant!”

Husband and I stayed around for the awards to be given to friends (one had won the NP Game Horse Award, another had won the Open Performance Award) and after they received theirs, we decided to head on our way home.  Went to the gas station to fill up, I remember absolutely CRAVING a jelly filled donut (remember, pregnancy cravings).  As soon as I got back to the truck, I looked at my phone to see about 5 missed calls from a friend, Jessica Isaackson.  Gave her a call back, and I remember her saying something along the lines of “you need to come back, there’s something you needed to grab”.  I remember wondering why they couldn’t just grab what I forgot as we lived only a couple miles from each other.  Got back to the show grounds and Jess told me to head up by the office table.  Went up, and they had my buckle waiting there.   It was absolutely unexpected, and was the first buckle my horse won me as a 2 year old and only having maybe 10 rides.