NSBA News- Making An Impact- A Sudden Impulse Futurity Starts Strong
By: Connie Lechleitner
The inaugural A Sudden Impulse Futurity, taking place at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala April 23-May 1, is seeing strong entries and stiff competition in its first few days of the schedule.
“It’s going really well,” noted Greg Wheat, WEC Ocala facilities manager. “People are really happy to be showing here, and we’re happy to see everyone too.”
Tuesday Top Earners
Tuesday, April 27, saw a number of large payouts, from Trail to Hunter Under Saddle to Western Pleasure.
Carmen Mayabb had a very strong morning in the Trail pen on Tuesday. She showed Drinks R On Me to a co-championship for owner Janice Warford, with Michael Colvin showing Sleepininthestands for Gillian Chant earning the other half of the award. The duo split the purse with each receiving $1,789.20
“I started him last summer,” Carmen said of the gelding. “He’s very expressive, sometimes too much so, but he had a great pattern today.”
“My horse was bred by Angela Wade and is out of her show mare, One Hot Drama Momma,” Michael said. “He’s doing really well.”
Carmen and owner Janice Warford picked up another win in the Four and Five Year Old Limited Open Trail with Good To Be Lazee. “He is the best boy,” Carmen said of the gelding.
“He’s been really good here. Janice won the Novice Select Trail the other day and I was third with him in Junior Trail. He’s the easiest horse to prepare and is just so laid back.”
Tuesday’s Maturity Western Pleasure class featured Open and Intermediate divisions as well as a Super Sires Stakes class within it.
Line Up Behind, shown by Cole Baker for JR and Melissa Cook, took home the biggest check in the Super Sires Maturity Open Western Pleasure, earning $3,735 with the VS Flatline gelding. “He’s just been so consistent,” Cole said of his mount. “He’s so much fun to show.”
In the Intermediate Open Western Pleasure division, Joetta Bell rode a horse she shares with her daughter, Trinity, The Beat Gos On. They earned $608. “We bought her last year at the end of March when COVID started,” Joetta said.
“I didn’t get to try him but I was really familiar with her when Rusty Green had her. Trinity shows her in the 13 & Under classes, and I’m just lucky to be able to show her a little bit too.
“I was nervous showing in the Open class, but it worked out. I loved being able to show in this big pen here at the World Equestrian Center, because you could really stretch out and show your horse off.”
In the Open division of the Maturity Western Pleasure, Aaron Moses and Moonrageous bested the class with three firsts on the judge’s cards, earning $1,380 for Starland Ranch LLC. The gelding is among Aaron’s most consistent show partners.
“Spider just shows so well,” Aaron said. “I wanted to get him off the rail a little bit and show him off, and he just goes wherever he needs to go. He’s the most stress-free horse that I show. He might not be perfect every time, but I know he’s going to try his best every time.”
Hunter Highlights
Two Hunter Under Saddle classes showed in the Grand Arena on Tuesday, with Tali Terlizzi seeing double paychecks for the day.
Tali and Its Game On had their game faces on to tie to win the Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. They tied with Hez Best Dressed, shown by Laura Bracken. The two split the first and second place prize money with each earning $499.
Tali’s Al Be Bleu, shown ably by Jamie English, won the Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle, taking home $983.20 for the win.
The show day culminated in the first go of the Three Year Old Maiden Western Pleasure, in which the top ten Open horses making the finals were announced.
Weekend Winners
Blake Weis joked that he is developing a Non-Pro lifestyle. The trainer flew in to show in the Maturity Maiden Trail class on Saturday and took the win aboard Hot Lopin Lily for owner Caroline Cavallo, earning $5,539.20. “I was so excited to see this maiden Trail class and the added money, and wanted to be here to support it,” Blake said.
“RJ King and Blair Townsend brought this horse down for me, and RJ had her ready to go for me. It’s a horse we raised at our barn. I had been showing her in Western Riding, and we took her over a lot of practice courses at shows to get ready for this class.”
Susan Roberts and Sure Am Southern tied with Kent Ray Taylor and Snippity Snap to win the 50 & Over Non-Pro Western Pleasure. They split the first and second place money to take home $871.25 each. “I was so excited, because this was just my fourth time to show Calvin,” Susan said of her gelding. “He is just the sweetest horse, and I really love showing him.”
“Boo is doing so well,” Kent Ray said of his mare. “We’ve had a great start to the horse show.”
The Lopin Illusion has been in the money for the past several days, and on Sunday owner Michael Hershberger took the reins to win the Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure, winning $1,923.60.
Monday saw another big Trail purse with the $5,000 Added Junior Trail. Brad Ost piloted Made In Detroit to first place for Mallory Menard, winning $2,128. “We started Olive on Trail last year, and she’s done really well with it,” Brad said.
“Of course it helps when they move that well to start with. She’s a lot of fun to show, and she gets better all the time at it.”
The A Sudden Impulse Futurity continues through Saturday, May 1. To learn more, please visit worldequestriancenter.com.
