TP Christmas Challenge Champions Include Grimes, Harris, Orr, Tamulewicz, Ditty, Holbin, Moses

By: Brittany Bevis

Today kicked off the start of Futurity classes at the Tom Powers Christmas Challenge that’s being held in Ocala, Florida at the brand new World Equestrian Center. Starting off with Hunter Under Saddle classes, Sheila Grimes rode All In Blue to win the Novice Horse/Novice Rider Hunter Under Saddle. She and “Harley” have been a team for about three and a half years now.

“He has been a blessing,” she says. “I wasn’t really looking for another show horse, and didn’t really think I could swing it. I got him sight unseen. He has been the coolest, best horse I’ve ever had in my life. We show at one big show a year, and I’ve been really wanting a title. This is it!”

Sheila has been riding horses since she could walk. She first started out in the APHA show pen and, after taking a break, she returned to the AQHA scene with her 11-year-old gelding, Harley. “He’s never going to leave the barn,” she says. “He’s the barn favorite. Hunt Seat has always been my jam. I love the horse’s movement with free, long, flowing gaits, and I love big, giant horses.”

Julian Harris rode an equally giant Hunt Seat specialist to win 3-Year-Old Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle for owner, Tara Chappell. His partner was Truly Priceles Flirt, a gray mare Tara has owned since the mare was just two days old. “When she was born, I took one look at her and knew I wanted her. She was this little, fuzzy, jet black baby.”

When Tara first sent Julian a video of the mare being ridden around with her daughter, Jayden, aboard, he knew she had potential. “I’ve had her since February,” he says. “She’s wicked competitive and knows when she’s supposed to show. She turns it on, and you’d better be ready to show. She’s super easy to ride and a bit more of a forward-moving horse compared to what goes around now, so for her to be rewarded for how she did today was awesome.”

Jayden and Truly Priceles Flirt will be embarking into Novice Youth and Youth classes like Hunter Under Saddle and Hunter Hack next year, with perhaps a bit of Pleasure Driving and Super Horse competition thrown into the mix. “It’s been very fun,” Tara says. “We love working together, and the product shows.”

23-year-old Spencer Orr rode Scenics High Voltage to win the Maturity Novice Rider/Novice Horse Western Pleasure for owner, Lily Anderson, on behalf of Show Horses by Shannon Vroegh. This horse came to the barn the first of the year, and he’s quickly become a favorite, as evident by his bevy of lovely ladies!

“Jimmy” is a 4-year-old stallion, which suits Spencer just fine, because he started out showing POAs and has ridden stallions in the past. “He’s actually really fun and easy to show. He’s a super good boy. He’s a really tight Western Pleasure horse, which is a little different than what we usually have with our all-around horses. He’s a lot smaller strided, but he’s still really softy and floaty. He also does Trail, and we started him in Horsemanship this year.”

Brianna Tamulewicz returned to the show pen after a two-year absence with her little sister’s horse, Miss Famous Maker, to win the Color Breed Non Pro Western Pleasure. 13-year-old Blueberry has been in the family for 12 years, and she has been busy lately creating the next generation. “She has a VS Code Blue, VS Code Red, Lazy Loper, a Blazing Hot weanling and, for 2021, she has a VS Code Red and Lopin Machine,” Brianna says. “This was Mom’s idea. She told me that we were bringing her on Sunday, so I clipped her up and we came. She had never been in this pen before today. She probably hasn’t shown in two years and neither have I.”

“That’s probably the most attentive she’s ever been in the show pen. I was pretty proud of her not looking at the bleachers being right up high from the arena.”

Later on in the show, Brianna is excited to ride her 2-year-old, Machine Made mare, RV One Shady Lady.

Nancy Ditty achieved a special win in the Non Pro Maturity Western Pleasure aboard Forever Kool, aka “Perfect Pumpernickel.” The win was historic as well, because Nancy and this mare have won every year at the Tom Powers since her first competition as a yearling. “She won Yearling Non Pro Longe Line, 2-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure, 3-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure, and now as a 4-year-old she came back and won the Maturity,” Nancy says. “She’s a homebred Machine Made and the first horse I ever did Longe Line with.”

Nancy explains that Rusty and Katie Green helped with Pumpernickel when she was a 2-year-old, and Jason English has had the reins ever since. “I’ve shown a lot of horses, and I’ve always known how special she was from day one with how smart she is, how sweet she is, and how big of a heart she has.”

Aaron Moses rode Moonrageous to win Junior Western Pleasure for Jim and Anneene Miller. This homebred, black stunner is by Only In The Moonlight and out of Suddenly A Cool Lady. He just came off winning Junior Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show one month ago.

“He’s one of our all-time favorites,” Aaron says. “He’s so great minded. Actually, we figured out the other day that he’s the last horse that we still have in the barn that we started our first year of business, so we’ve gotten to see that whole process through. He’s a very special horse to me.”

“I think he’s an incredibly great mover. He’s gotten really solid this year and some little things we’ve wanted to get stronger have come together the end of this year.”

Chris Holbin rode The Candy Mann to win 3-Year-Old Limited Western Pleasure. Chris explains that this 3-year-old gelding by VS Flatline was purchased as a two-year-old from Rusty and Katie Green, and they’ve been having a blast with him ever since.

“His owner, Macy Brandt, was fourth at the AQHA Youth World in Western Pleasure, and he was reserve at the NSBA World,” Chris says. “We couldn’t be more excited to finish out the year winning the 3-Year-Old at the Tom Powers. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do.”

Chris is the first to acknowledge that this win is a result of a team effort with his wife, Shannon, who rides the horse as well. “He’s spunky,” she says. “We love his personality. He definitely has that extra something, and it’s what makes him so special.”

Chris appreciates the gelding’s natural stride and even movement. “He takes the same step and has a pretty topline. He has good cadence and is just a really pretty horse to watch.”