“Last place is not in my comfort zone. In fact, I didn’t know it was in my vocabulary. I like to be the first one to enter the pen, and coming out of the show pen last makes me feel rather squeamish.”

Among the largest of the AQHA classes were the Amateur Showmanship with 40 entries and the Youth and Novice Showmanship classes with over 30 entries.

The Keystone Showdown Novice Show started off with a bang! The number one Novice Show in the country for three years running did not disappoint with over 630 total entries.

Some of those circuit champions included Anne Wilson in the Amateur Select Showmanship and Courtney Archer in the Amateur Western Pleasure. Hayley Saul beat out the trainers to win the Green Trail and Makayla Maciejewski won the Novice Amateur Western Riding.

Class numbers held high with 27 in 14-18 Showmanship, 32 in Open Ranch Riding, 38 in Amateur Horsemanship, and 69 in Senior Trail with Snap Krackle Pop and Blake Weis leading for the circuit.

Check out Kelly’s first photo blog from the Indy Circuit that’s currently underway in New Castle, IN. Stay tuned for more photos and results coming from Mark Harrell Horse Shows at the show’s conclusion. If you’d like to become an EC Blogger like Kelly, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com.

There were 18 amazing horses competing for the very first time and it wasn’t until the final judges card was announced that we realized my horse, The Silver Foxx, aka “GG,” was named the winner of the class with Dave Archer! Reserve in the class was Angie Cannizzaro with CowboyPutASpellOnMe, owned by Leeman Farms.

You could hear the winners of the day being called as circuit champions were named! Megan Hawkins had a great show so far and came away with the Circuit Champion award in Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation and Amateur Western Pleasure. Meanwhile, Klay McDowall received the Circuit in Youth Western Pleasure on BF Fun Size and also won the exhibitor drawing of a Harris Saddle! Natalia DeVencenty, also in the McDowall barn, got the circuit win in Youth Horsemanship.