The Championship Show 2024 -Wednesday, September 11, 2024 – Featured Class Highlights

From WEC Ocala:

Ocala, FL – Wednesday, September 11 featured two highly anticipated Ranch Riding events: the $20,000 Non Pro Ranch Riding Challenge and the $50,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding & AQHA L2/L3.

On Wednesday evening, thirty-four horse-and-rider combinations competed in Indoor Arena 5 for the $20,000 Non Pro Ranch Riding Challenge. By the end of the night, it was local rider Madison Hayden Rafacz who dominated the event, claiming both first and second place and receiving a $1,000 bonus for being the highest point-scoring youth rider.

Rafacz guided her own 2012 gelding Whizenboonsmal (Peptoleap x She Whiz A Star) to first place and Got Twisted In Vegas, a 2017 mare by High Roller Whiz x Whimpys Dun Twistin to second.

Speaking about her winning horse, Rafacz shared, “He is perfect. His nickname is ‘Peter the Great’. He actually came to me with that nickname when I bought him, and he’s lived up to the name. He is a special animal. Every time I need him to show up, he’s there.”

Rafacz also touched on her close connection with both horses. “I’ve had ‘Peter’ for almost seven years; it will be seven years at Congress. I bought Jasmine [Got Twisted In Vegas] when she was two. She was actually the first horse I’ve ever bought with my own money, and I’ve had her for five years. Jasmine used to be wild, but she’s grown up so much,” she added. “Peter, he’s 12 now, but I don’t think he’s grown up since he was two,” she laughed.

Rafacz was thrilled to compete at World Equestrian Center, saying, “It’s incredible. I love showing here. The first time they had this show, Peter was hurt, so I only got to do the Reining Freestyle, and that was super fun. I live here, so I come here all the time, but showing here is a blast. The amount of money World Equestrian Center puts into the show is incredible.”

$20,000 Non-Pro Ranch Riding Challenge Top Three Results:
1 Whizenboonsmal, Madison Hayden Rafacz, Madison Hayden Rafacz
2 Go Twisted In Vegas, Madison Hayden Rafacz, Madison Hayden Rafacz
3 Winn Like Flinn, Lane Kail, Lane Kail

Complete results for the class: NP RR Challenge – Championship.xlsx (squarespace.com)

 

$50,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding

Bud Lyon continued his winning streak in the $50,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding, securing first and second place. He took the top spot riding Sumac Gunnabeflashy (Gunnatrashya x Chics Graceful Whiz), a 2017 gelding owned by Leslie Vagneur Lange, and placed second with Dan E Fox’s 2018 gelding Double Tapn (Lil Joe Cash x Whiz N Snap).

Regarding Sumac Gunnabeflashy, Lyon remarked, “They recently honored that horse at the NSBA banquet for being NSBA Horse of the Year. I have run out of superlatives for the horse. He is truly special, and I don’t use that word lightly.”

Lyon further praised the gelding’s reliability, “As he has gotten older, he has gotten really consistent and really reliable. That’s the other component that you have to have in order to achieve the success that ‘Romeo’ has achieved. I think that by God given talent, by training and by luck he has been able to achieve these incredible feats that we didn’t think would be possible but we are surely glad that he did.”

Reflecting on his partnership with Sumac Gunnabeflashy’s owner, Lange, Lyon added, “When Leslie first approached me several years ago and mentioned that she would be interested in letting me find a prospect for her, I did not realize at the time that she intended to leave the prospect with me.  She has had so many opportunities to sell that horse or take him away from me and she has done neither of those things. If I have a question or need advice, she is always there for mentoring. She has been the best owner that I could hope for.”

Lyon had quite the successful day scoring a double victory early in the morning, then later in the evening his students dominated the top five of the Non Pro Ranch Challenge.

$50,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding Results:
1 Sumac Gunnabeflashy, Bud Lyon, Leslie Vagneur
2 Double Tapn, Bud Lyon, Dan E Fox
3 KR Smart Dreamer, Pete Kyle, Pete and Tamra Kyle