Photo and Results From 2014 Deep South APHA Zone 6 Zone-O-Rama

By: Brittany Bevis

As evident from our EC Around the Ring photos, a very interesting cast of characters gathered in Tunica, Mississippi for the Deep South Zone 6 Zone-O-Rama that took place over the weekend. Clever costumes and St. Patrick’s Day regalia were all for a good cause, however, in an effort to raise money for Kaitlyn McCulley’s AjPHA Youth Presidential Service Project, “Bring It Home.”

At the conclusion of a Stick Horse Race and Ideal Stick Horse costume competition and calcutta on Friday, a whopping $10,000 was raised to help endow AjPHA Youth Scholarships. The amount will go towards completing two scholarship endowments and begin a third.

“It was unbelievable,” says show assistant Peggy Ivins. “It was run in two different ways. One was an actual race, for the younger people, and the second was a costume class for the adults. That’s where you had Karen Kennedy, Sue Huckaby Woodson, Mary Parrott, Susie Shaw, and George Ready in costume. Judges, Billy Smith and Kaitlyn McCulley, judged the top two picks. Then, it went to the audience for their cheering and shouting to get involved.”

Another fun side-competition during the show encouraged riders to get to know their fellow competitors, Zone Directors, and show vendors.

“Each day, one of the Zone Directors would have two poker chips,” she says. “People would come up and ask if they had the poker chip that day. At the end of the show, the person who had the most poker chips won a prize. People were asking everyone if they had the chips. One day, they gave the poker chips to the vendors to give out.”

The casino theme continued with the popular Gamblin’ On Trail in Tunica program, where circuit champions in trail classes were given the opportunity to draw for cold, hard cash. Once again, the Caliendo family sponsored this fun event, and Robert Dehn was in charge of creating the clever and challenging trail course.

“At the end of it all, the circuit champions in trail came back in and they drew envelopes that had money in them,” she says. “If I’m not mistaken, Daranne Folino’s envelope had $500 in it! People loved the Gamblin’ On Trail with the chance to win money. Also, the novice classes were some of the big added money classes this year. Last year, it was the amateur classes with the added money. Every year, we try to spread it around.”

“We all work really hard to make this a fun show and to give something away in every class. It’s a lot of hard work that starts immediately after the show ends to prepare for the next one. Every time a class was called into the arena, we’d have three or four door prizes. Clubs bought hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards.”

With over 300 stalls sold before the event even began, Zone 6 Committee members were hoping for a turnout that would meet, if not exceed, turnout for the 2013 show, which claimed the sixth place spot on the APHA top shows list with 742 entries.

“The amateur classes are always the bigger classes, to me,” she says. “Every class, that I saw, was pretty good-sized. Some classes had more this year and some had less. The Amateur Halter Geldings was a really big class. I think the overall feeling was that it was a great show.”

“Everybody was happy and having fun. There was a lot of cooking going on at the stalls. The facility is wonderful, because once you’re under that roof, you’re there all the time. There are plenty of RV spots and good eating places within ten miles.”

The most coveted prizes of the circuit were five work saddles that were awarded to the winners of the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure, Youth 13 and Under Western Pleasure, 14-18 Western Pleasure, Classic Amateur Western Pleasure, and Masters Amateur Western Pleasure.

Thanks to Mrs. Peggy Ivins for providing our readers with a selection of Circuit Champion winners at the 2014 Deep South Zone 6 Zone-O-Rama. Additional results will be coming soon. Scroll below to see fun photos courtesy of Gordon Downey. Stay tuned for a fun St. Paddy’s Day video clip montage coming soon to our The Equine Chronicle Facebook page…

Circuit Champions Results:

Youth Hunter Under Saddle 18 & Under- Kimmy Shidler and BMQ The Jig Is Up

Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle- Kimmy Shidler and BMQ The Jig Is Up

3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle- See My Double and Mackenzie Chapman

Youth Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle- Hanah Maher and Social Invitation

Youth Walk Trot Hunt Seat Equitation- Hanah Maher and Social Invitation

Sr Hunter Under Saddle- BMQ The Jig Is Up and Shannon Gillespie

Nov Am Hunter Under Saddle- Good Publicity and Jamie Bishop

Amateur Hunter Saddle- All Rise and Jennifer Schexnayder

Nov Youth Hunt Seat Equitation- Hooked On Detail and Callie Foster

Jr Hunter Under Saddle- LX Just Call Me Fancy and Laura Spelll

Nov Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation- Size Matters and Gabrielle Covert

Youth Hunt Seat Equitation- Anna Hutlas and Don’t Rock My World

Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation- Coleen Bull  and Timeless Assets

Youth Walk Trot Trail- Vested Right and Alexa Rogers

Green Trail- How Inviting and Ryan Painter

Novice Youth Trail- Some Sweet Machine- Mallory Vroegh

Novice Amateur Trail- Stately Sensation- Hannah Heinbuch

Junior Trail- How Inviting and Ryan Painter

Amateur Senior Mares- Amanda M Wallinger and Intentionally Made

Yearling Mares- Taylor Luneack and JRA I’m A Good Girl

3-Year-Old Mares- Amanda M Wallinger and Intentionally Made

Aged Mares- Roger Lonon and Predictably Awesome

Amateur Jr Geldings-Nathan Miller and Intriguing Clue

Amateur Sr Geldings- Carlee McDuffie and A Secret Addiction

SPB Sr Geldings- Cameron D Dees and A Sly Fella

Youth Trail 18 & Under- Mallory Vroegh and Some Sweet Machine

Amateur Trail All Ages- Jennifer Humphries and A Subtle Impulse

Youth-Walk Trot Showmanship- Hannah Maher and Social Invitation

Novice Youth Showmanship- Lauren Gralla and RL Sudden Style

Youth Showmanship 13 & Under- Olivia Mae Eagles and Chipped In Roses

Youth Showmanship 14-18- Paige Kemper and Mr Jack Cool

Amateur Walk Trot Showmanship- Jacque Jaworski and Just A a Lucky Heathen

Novice Amateur Showmanship- Jessica Coker and My Only Appointment

Amateur Classic Showmanship- Karly Furnas and Cool And Candid

Amateur Masters Showmanship- Jodie Nolen and A Likely Sensation

Youth Mares All Ages- Austin Wesley and JRA I’m A Good Girl

Youth Geldings All Ages- Lauren Gralla and The Only Alibi

Amateur Junior Mares- Renee Wesley and JRA I’m A Good Girl

2-Year-Old Geldings- Olin Parker and Intriguing Clue

3-Year-Old Geldings- Jodi Finkenbinder and Grey Intentions

Aged Geldings- Sidney Thomas and A Secret Addiction

2-Year-Old Stallions- Olin Parker and Exact

Overo Color- Olin Parker and Intentionally Made

Tobiano Color- Hannah Eberspacher and Magical Jet Lag

Green Hunter Under Saddle- Joyce Boss and Back That Up

Hi Point Overall Youth Mare- JRA I’m a Good Girl and Austin Wesley

Hi Point Overall Amateur Mare- Amanda Wallinger and Intentionally Made

Hi Point Open Mare- Amanda Wallinger and Intentionally Made

Hi Point Open Gelding- A Secret Addiction

Hi Point Amateur Gelding- Carlee McDuffie and A Secret Addiction

Hi Point Open Stallions- Exact and Olin Parker

Hi Point Gelding- Lauren Gralla and The Only Alibi

Hi Point Amateur Stallion- Barbara Case and Dunn With Precision