Afternoon Champions at APHA World Include Kennedy, Starnes, Simons, and More

By: Brittany Bevis

This afternoon’s classes at the APHA World Show began with Open Western Yearling Longe Line. Kathie Kennedy was at the lead of The Best Ticket to a win for Stanley and Susan Scott.

“Ranger” is a double-registered Haylo Farms home-bred by No Doubt I’m Lazy and out of Best Ticket in Town. In the past, Kathie showed Ranger’s mother to a win at the Quarter Horse Congress, and she’s also accumulated wins in Amateur Western Pleasure and Amateur Western Riding. Although the dam is no longer at the ranch, Ranger’s grandmother, Troubles A Blazin, is still contributing to the next generation.

“I was super excited when he was born, that he had so much color, and that we would have the opportunity to do both breeds,” says Nancy Wilkerson-Ditty. “I like how correct, soft, and strong he moves. He’s also super laid back.”

Ranger has made a clean sweep of Western longe Line classes here at the World Show winning the non-pro division, gold breeders futurity, and Southern Belle Breeders Futurity.

Besides gaining help from Kathie with showing, Nancy does the work with her yearlings on her own. “I started it as fun, really,” she says. “When my husband and I bought our place, we had a ten stall barn, so I brought some babies over from the ranch and treated them as pets, basically. Then, I started playing with Longe Line and before you knew it we were Tom Powers and Congress bound, for the past three years.”

The Reserve Champion in the class was Scott Suggs with Whata Super Freak. Third was Wade Parks with Easy Bein Best. Fourth was Scott Weiss with Joan Simon. Fifth was Anthony Leier with VS Fire N Ice.

Jay Starnes rode John Simon to win Senior Western Pleasure. We spoke with Erin Bradshaw just a few days ago when she was named the World Champion in Amateur Senior Western Pleasure with John. Click here to read. The Reserve Champion was Garth Gooding with Been There Scene It. Third was Mike Hachtel with Scenic Freeze Frame. Fourth was RJ King with Even More Sensational. Fifth was Sara Simons with No Doubt I’m Invited.

In the Green Western Riding, Sara Simons rode Hez Blazin Trouble to a win. We spoke with Sara a few days ago when she won Junior and Green Trail with “Parker.” Click here to read. We also spoke with Andrea Simons when she led Parker last night to win Open Performance Geldings. Click here to read. 

The Reserve Champion was Shannon Gillespie with Kid In A Candy Store. Third was Anthony Wilson with A Good Mae Machine. Fourth was Carly Parks with Cowboys Guns Blazing. Fifth was Garth Gooding with Just A Roan Ranger.

Sara also rode Hez Blazin Trouble to win Junior Western Riding. Reserve was Carly Parks with Cowboy Guns Blazing. Third was Anthony Wilson with A Good Made Machine. Fourth was Shannon Gillespie with Kid In A Candy Store. Sara then rode Even More Sensational to win Senior Western Riding. She was also Reserve on No Doubt I’m Invited and placed third with One Flashy Sensation. Fourth was Callie Rouse with Zip Is It. Fifth was Erin Fick with Box Office Sensation.

So, Sara completed not only a clean sweep of all the Open Western Riding classes here at the show, a feat she’s never before accomplished, she took the top three spots in Senior Western Riding as well.

“This is my favorite class, and I do spend a lot of time on it,” she says. “I’ve had a couple of really special horses, like One Flashy Sensational and now Hez Blazin Trouble, and my two horses that were first and second today [Even More Sensational and No Doubt I’m Invited] are just six years old. They were first and second in the Junior last year, so that’s neat to win again. I’m proud of them.”

Sara’s mount for the Senior Western Riding win was Even More Sensational, a horse that was the 14-18 All Around with Samantha Stubblefield and was fourth in Western Pleasure last night in his first year in the Senior division.

Given the special nature of today’s clean sweep, we asked Sara to think back to the individuals who were influential in nurturing her love of the discipline. It just so happens that they were sitting in the stands today.

“When I was about 19, Jason [Martin] and Charlie [Cole] had moved here from California. That was when I decided that I really wanted to teach a couple of my horses, that really weren’t that talented, to change leads. That’s when I enlisted their abilities to help me, and I owe them tons. They helped me so much. They came especially today to watch Hez Blazin Trouble, because they just purchased him for their client, Bonnie Sheren.”

What’s the most helpful piece of advice she’s received from her mentors? “I think they’ve taught me to keep my legs really close to the horse, and that helps them to stay straighter. I find, when I judge, that’s what appeals to me the most. Obviously, there is also the quality of movement, but the straighter a horse can stay, the easier it is to earn credit. They taught me that early on. Straighten your horse and make sure that neck doesn’t move. The quieter you can be, and the straighter you can be, the better it will go.”