First Congress Title For Nicole Eby and Ima Diamond Loper in Novice Amateur Trail

By: Brittany Bevis

Nicole Eby and Ima Diamond Loper achieved a huge milestone today by winning their first Congress Champion title in Novice Amateur Trail with a score of 226.5. The Reserve Champion in the class was Hannah Friedl with Rip City Zip with a score of 225.5. Third place was Natoshia Kelly with Blazin With Goodness with a 223.

For Eby and “Meg,” winning a Congress Champion title is literally a dream come true. “I saw the board and I had to look again because I didn’t believe it was true,” she says. “I was 69th to go, so we had to wait for like 40 more before we found out I was the winner.”

“Before this year, I’d never even placed in the Top Ten. I was a finalist when I was 12 on a Palomino, and I was Top Ten this year in Horsemanship. I can’t believe it. I never thought it would happen for me. I always felt like second place was always a good place for us, but it happened!”

Eby’s partner for today’s class was Meg, a six-year-old, grey mare she purchased at the Reichert Celebration last year from Troy Compton. Throughout this year, the pair has been competing in Novice Amateur All-Around events at all of the major horse shows like the March To The Arch and The Buckeye Classic and has achieved High Point titles at just about every event.

Earlier here at the Congress, Eby and Meg placed 7th in Novice Amateur Horsemanship and 13th in Novice Amateur Showmanship. For the past ten years, Eby has competed under the guidance of Brynne Bassler, and now the two have joined forces with Reid Thomas for the past year.

Eby was thoroughly pleased with her pattern today and had glowing praise for her horse.

“The whole thing was really amazing,” she says. “She was so soft; she picked her feet up; and her lopes were really pretty. She sticks her nose out, and she just floats over the poles.”

Novice Amateur Trail-

1-Ima Diamond Loper/Nicole Eby- 226.5

2-Rip City Zip/Hannah Friedl- 225.5

3-Blazin With Goodness/Natoshia Kelly- 223

4-Invitation Zip/Linda Spicer- 222.5

5-Hes Pretty Good/Kelly Birkenholtz- 222