Get to Know the Horses in the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters- Hunt Seat Edition
By: Brittany Bevis
In this first edition of “Get to Know the Horses in the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters- Hunt Seat Division,” we have two exhibitor/owner combos, a trainer with a “Surfer Dude,” an equestrian with a “big puppy dog” whose biggest pet peeve is flies, an exhibitor/owner team who’s decided to keep it all in the family, and a rider with the “best trotter she’s had since 1999.”
We would like to introduce you to Beth Case with Al Be Seeing Ya, Sandra Morgan with This One’s Hot, Kristy Starnes with Al The Right Moves, Alyse Roberts with The Next Factor, Katy Jo Zuidema with What Matters Most, and Kim Reynolds with Just One Last Detail.
Exhibitor: Beth Case
Horse: Al Be Seeing Ya, aka “Tom”
Sex: Gelding
Sire: Allocate Your Assets
Dam: The Last Wahoo
Owner: Beth Case
Description: “He’s really quiet and really kind of laid back,” Case says. “I bought him from Nancy Sue Ryan when he was a baby. He’s lazy, but he’s really good-legged. I never have to longe him. It’s nice to have one that I know is going to be quiet! I had another one, that’s a Hot Ones Only, that’s really nice. Between those two, the owner wanted to show the filly sooner, and this one didn’t have an owner so he got saved till the end.”
Is it more or less nerve-wracking when showing a horse you own? “I don’t really know yet. I know when I had It’s Been Awhile and I showed him at the Tom Powers and the Southern Belle I was so nervous. I’d never shown a horse I owned before. I don’t know if I’m going to be nervous with this one. It’s kind of like there will be no one to get mad at you if you mess up at least!”
Interesting Fact: “He’s really pretty boring. He just does his job. He doesn’t like to do much, but he does have a ball in his stall that he plays with sometimes. He also likes to east. If one of his friends is in the pasture and he is in the arena he will nicker at them.”
Kristy Starnes. EquineChronicle.com Image
Exhibitor: Kristy Starnes
Horse: Al The Right Moves, aka “Surfer Dude”
Sire: Allocate Your Assets
Dam: Zippin Artbeat, (an Artful Move mare)
Owner: Nika Vilcins
Description: “He’s huge, really dull, and quiet,” Starnes says. “He’s pretty lazy, just like a surfer dude, so that name fits him well. He’s technically considered to be a chestnut, but he’s so light that he’s almost Palomino. His mane and tail are white.”
Why did you pick this horse for the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters?
“We picked him because he’s so big and strong. He was pretty much ready to show in June, and he’s kind of taken everything in stride. He seems like he has the mentality to be a two-year-old hunt seater.”
Is it fun having a youth exhibitor as an owner of a Masters horse? “She is really excited. She has her other horse to show here, but now she will get to come back the last weekend to watch the Masters. This is the first year she will be able to stay and watch it. Next year, he will be her youth horse, and we will do some futurities. That’s the plan.”
Sandra Morgan with Steve Stephens and friends. Photo courtesy of Gordon Downey.
Exhibitor: Sandra Morgan
Horse: This Ones Hot, aka “Hugo”
Sire: Hot Ones Only
Dam: A Hot N Blazing mare
Sex: Gelding
Owner: Sandra Morgan
Description: “She bought the horse as a yearling, and she showed it at the Tom Powers in the English Longe Line and won with it,” Steve Stephens says. “She just brought it home and has been preparing for the Masters. He is a 17+ hand 2-year-old. He’s huge. He’s big in body and has lots of maturity. He’s got a great mind. He’s like an old soul.”
Interesting Fact: “Sandra actually turned around and bought the next baby out of that mare, which is by Good I Will Be. It’s ironic because she bought it before she ever bought the stallion!”
Why did she choose this horse for the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters? “He’s big and pretty. He’s definitely a show stopper. When she was at the AZ. Fall Championship, people stopped her constantly. She was bombarded by people asking about him. He has a body that will make you think he’s a performance halter horse, but he’s 17 hands tall and a great mover.”
Exhibitor: Alyse Roberts
Horse: The Next Factor, aka “Ben”
Sex: Gelding
Sire: Next Detail
Dam: Cameo Blue (a Sky’s Blue Boy mare)
Owner: Julie Nickels
Description: “He’s super laid back and great minded,” Roberts says. “He’s always hanging out basically like a big puppy dog.”
Why did you choose this horse for the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters? “He’s big and pretty and a great mover. His mind was probably the biggest thing.”
Interesting Fact: “His biggest thing is that he hates flies. He absolutely can’t stand them. He doesn’t get turned out because of it. Other than that, he doesn’t care about anything. We have stocked up on fly spray!”
Katy Jo and Tim Zuidema. Photo courtesy of Gordon Downey.
Exhibitor: Katy Jo Zuidema
Horse: What Matters Most, aka “Wallace”
Sex: Stallion
Sire: The Krymsun Kruzer
Owner: Judy Davis
Interesting Fact: “He won the Hunt Seat Longe Line here at the Congress last year,” Davis says. “He’s been pretty easy to train and very, very athletic. He’ll do the western riding, working hunter, and a lot of other things when he gets older. He’s already a really good lead-changer.”
Description: “He’s brown, and he’s real short-backed. He’s got a lot of conformation for a hunter under saddle horse. He looks more like a Quarter Horse than a Thoroughbred. He’s really good-minded, and he’s strong. I think it takes that kind of a horse to be able to go in there when it has never been shown before.”
Why did you choose to be an owner this year instead of an exhibitor? “I have other horses to show this year, but I thought this horse suited Katy really well. He’s kind of lazy, and she’s a lot more aggressive than I am. I think it’s a good match. Also, it’s kind of nice to be able to keep it in the family, because Katy is my stepdaughter.”
Kim Reynolds. Photo courtesy of Gordon Downey.
Exhibitor: Kim Reynolds
Horse: Just One Last Detail, aka “Alfie”
Sex: Gelding
Sire: Just Like Detail
Dam: Fashion Me In Blue (a Congress Champion)
Owner: Michele Heisner
Description: “I love him,” Reynolds says. “He’s great-minded and wants to do his job. He’s a really cool horse. He got broke very easily. We never went through a tough spot with him, which was really cool. He’s very sweet, and he has a lot of personality. He goes out there and tries to make you happy and stay out of trouble.”
Interesting Fact: “Usually, we come out with these Masters horses, that we get later in the year, and people say, ‘there’s no way they are going to have one of those things ready by the end of the show.’ This one was so broke so early that I’m nervous something is going to happen, because I actually have one that’s ready!”
Why did you choose this horse for the Equine Chronicle Congress Masters? “He’s the best trotter that I’ve had since 1999 when I was Reserve at the AQHA World Show, and he can lope both directions. It’s funny because, when he’s in motion, his neck is really easy to keep in place. As soon as he stops, his head pops up, and it’s not near as pretty. In the middle, he will be the one looking into the stands. But that’s ok as long as the class is over!”
Stay tuned for more Equine Chronicle Congress Masters-Hunt Seat Edition profiles coming soon…
