NSBA News: Super Busy Saturday at NSBA World

NSBA.com

By: Connie Lechleitner

A super Saturday filled with classes in three arenas kept NSBA exhibitors busy with Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, Trail and Western Riding classes as well as Horsemanship events. The Trail pen saw many runs, including 157 shown in the Senior Trail class in the Pavilion.

Nick Weiss showed his brother Scott’s horse, Extremely Hot Blonde, to win the futurity title in the Breeders Championship Futurity Three-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. The duo were the unanimous champions among the judges.

“We bought her as a weanling, and took her to Brian and Dawn Baker’s to break out. We’ve shown her as a two-year-old and three year old and she’s probably won $13,000 or $14,000,” Nick said.

“She’s a palomino bred, so she gets to show in the color classes, and she is also eligible for the Super Sires. We will finish the three year old classes this year at the Congress.”

Jamie Dowdy and Kissed In The South earned the futurity title in the Breeders Championship Futurity Two-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure. Jamie showed Willow for her owner, Kristy McKechnie.

“She definitely has opinions about everything,” Jamie laughed, but I love her. She’s by Its A Southern Thing. I had a Dynamic mare growing up, and when I found out about her, I needed to be able to work with her. Gavin Pope started her. This was actually the first time I showed her, and she decided to be a show horse today.”

Cody Conover had quite the world show in 2021, and added to his winning streak by being named the futurity champion in the Breeders Championship Futurity Three-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure with Florencethemachine. He showed for Inez Mattke.

“This has been a horse that I started myself and she’s been my horse all year. I’ve got a really big connection with her,” Cody said. Known as Flo, the mare is by Machine Made and A Cooki For Certain.

“We started showing her in Arizona in March of her two year old year, and she was fourth in the AQHA World Show last year. She’s got a great personality – she’s very sweet and she doesn’t like to be in trouble. Plus she’s a beautiful mover. She doesn’t take a lot of preparation. We will be continuing to show her the rest of the year in the three-year-old events.”

Barbara Fletcher proved to be a quick study of The Candy Mann, whom she showed to win the Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6 Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure. She showed for owner, Caroline McKoane. The trio keeps the mare in California.

“Caroline bought Candyman from us earlier this year and kept her with us for a while, but Barb got her just a few weeks ago in California,” noted Chris Holbin, who had shown the mare last year and during the first part of 2021.

“I’ve been working really hard with her since we got her,” Barb said. “She has so much try, and such a great feel. Our goal with her is to gradually introduce her to the All Around events. She’s already started on Trail, so we hope to add that next year. Caroline has also shown her to the top five in Novice Amateur and Limited Maturity classes here at the World Show. I think she’s going to be a great All Around horse.”

June Warren Memorial BCF Three-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle

NSBA annual remembers association past president June Warren with the presentation of the June Warren Memorial trophy in the Breeders Championship Futurity Three-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.

June was instrumental in the development of the Hunter Under Saddle division of NSBA’s show classes and helped write the rules and develop the classes that are the foundation of the division today. Winning the futurity title as well as the memorial trophy was AQHA stallion Enticed, shown by Amber Hanson Pickard for the Deeds Family Farm.

“It’s pretty special because his mother, Pretty Assets, won the same class as a three year old,” Amber noted. “He’s really amazing. I just tried to keep up the pace. He is so fluid and slow legged. We are excited that he gets to go to the breeding farm for the 2022 breeding season with Amy Gumz.”

Amber’s husband, Dwayne, remembered June. “She rode so many good horses and set the standard for the Hunter Under Saddle horses in many ways,” he said. “June was a great lady, and she was such a great advocate for the Hunter Under Saddle division. I did a lot of business with her husband Ron over the years and have become good friends.”

“I will always remember when June was diagnosed with cancer, because she offered The Next Detail to Katy Jo Zuidema to show at the Congress that year. She was having trouble with her balance and didn’t think she could show him.”

Enticed would return to the arena on Saturday to win the Three-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle world championship with Erin Lieurance aboard.

Some familiar faces returned to the winner’s circle on Saturday. Not Just An Illusion and Cody Conover earned the world championship in the Maturity Limited Open Western Pleasure for owner Perry Jackson. KM You Make it Easy earned a repeat world championship, this time in Junior Western Pleasure with Rusty Green, showing for John McNichol. Moonrageous also earned a repeat world title in Senior Western Pleasure, with Aaron Moses showing him for his owner, Starland Ranch LLC. Sara Simons piloted Never Have I Ever to win the futurity title in the Color Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6 Year Old Open Western Pleasure, adding to Madonna’s impressive list of accomplishments.

Im Willy Good Today continued his winning streak as well, winning the Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle with Keith Miller showing for owner, Erin Shapiro Boatwright. Keith Miller also showed Nothin To It to win the world championship in Green Hunter Under Saddle, showing for Deborah Jury in a class that took two splits and a final to determine the winner. Scott Jones showed All Good to another world championship title in the Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle for owner Meredith Landy.

Katie Cochran also earned an additional futurity title with Good Ol Boys Club, winning the Breeders Championship Futurity Two-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, while Jennifer Leavengood won the Breeders Championship Futurity Two-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle aboard her horse, Al Be Worth It.