Two High Point Wins, Three Consecutive Years in a Row, By Two Barn Mates

By: Brittany Bevis

Undoubtedly, it’s an exhilarating feeling to be able to achieve a coveted High Point title at a major breed World Championship Show, such as the AQHA World Show, APHA World Show, or ApHC World Show. For Darren Vincent of Winning Ways Ranch and two of her friends and clients, Tara Hayes and DeeAnna McBride, this has happened for the past three years in a row.

Starting in 2018, DeeAnna McBride rode A Spotless Blue Boy to win the All Around Non Pro High Point title, as well as the High Point Equitation/Showmanship Exhibitor award. Then, DeeAnna and her horse repeated the same feat in 2019. This year, at the 2020 ApHC World Show, it was Tara Hayes’ turn to complete the same yet again with King Of Swing. That’s two High Point wins, for three consecutive years in a row, by two barn mates. Quite an accomplishment indeed.

The trainer of both ladies is Darren Vincent, who started working with AQHA Western Pleasure horses at the age of 16, as well as fitting up ApHC foals for Halter futurities. Fast forward to having kids of her own, she purchased a POA for the family. She later went on to coach several youngsters to win All Around High Point awards at the International POA show. After some of those same kids grew up, they needed larger mounts, so the natural progression saw the barn family move on to competing at the ApHC National show. The Winning Ways Ranch crew has not missed an ApHC Youth World Show or World Show since they started attending in 2005. During that time, they’ve achieved multiple Youth All Around World Championships, Reserve Novice All Around World Championships, Reserve 35 and Older All Around Championships, High Point English Horse titles, All Around Non Pro High Point Championships, High Point Equitation Rider titles, Iron Horse Award titles, and more.

DeeAnna is Darren’s daughter, and she has been riding since she was one year old and showing since she was four. Darren fondly remembers DeeAnna’s first World Show appearance, at the age of five. “She cried all the way home, because she lost the World title in Hunter Under Saddle, because she picked up the wrong lead. I knew then that she was competitive. Winning the Non Pro All Around High Point award two years in a row was rewarding. To excel in so many events at the World level, to win, and to do it back to back years is hard.”

In contrast, Tara Hayes had never competed in all-around events until last year. They were a green horse/green pattern rider combo when they came to Darren. “Tara would come train with me every chance she had,” she says. “Training her gelding and coaching Tara has been a pleasure. Tara owns the arena she rides in.”

During any given year, Darren keeps around ten, non pro riders in training for all-around event competition. “I train all riders together on weekends. We’re a barn family. Private lessons are giving during the week. My riders know how to dissect a pattern and ride it correctly. We work many hours on performance in the arena, as you’re performing for the judges.”

“Both of these riders, like all my riders, spend so much time in the saddle. I know the horses inside and out training them, so it helps to explain to the rider what to feel and fix. I always enjoy the texts after a weekend of lessons saying how sore they are! I know I’m pushing them to excel. Coaching correctly and honestly is why our riders are successful at World Shows. Educating riders gives them confidence to perform and win. I enjoy watching riders achieve their goals. The sweat and hours of drills all pay off.”

This year at the ApHC World Show, Tara brought home a laundry list of accolades.

• High Point All Around Non Pro
• High Point Showmanship/Equitation Rider
• Reserve High Point 35 & Over Non Pro

World Champions in

• Non Pro Showmanship
• Non Pro Saddle Seat Equitation (unanimously)
• Non Pro 35 & Over Hunt Seat Equitation (unanimously)

Reserve World Champions in

• Non Pro Saddle Seat Pleasure

Tara attributes her solid foundation, at an early age, in the Appaloosa breed to her success. “I’ve been showing horses since I was in the womb!” she says. “I was born and raised in the Appaloosa industry. My mom and stepdad, Dennis and Toni Dean, were Appaloosa trainers. Around 14 years of age, my parents sent me to Carol DalPorto for refining in my riding. We had a really successful 20 plus year career together. She was definitely a big player in building my foundation and work ethic.”

Fast forward to 2018, and Tara found herself without a horse. David Beck reached out to Tara’s husband about a horse he thought would be perfect for the skilled rider. “It was love at first sight,” she says. “I made the really tough decision to find a trainer closer to home, and that led us to Darren Vincent. We’ve been with her for the past two and a half years and couldn’t be happier. She’s the hardest working trainer I have ever met!”

Tara has always dreamed of winning the coveted All Around Non Pro High Point title at the World Show, and, this year, that dream came to fruition. “I’ve never had the horse to get the job done. You need to have a diverse range of classes under your belt. This was the first year I’ve ever done Saddle Seat, so it was a pleasant surprise to capture the title with having only added those classes this year! Also, I’ve been wanting to win the Non Pro Showmanship for years! I finally did it. It felt so good to accomplish that. Then, unanimously winning the Saddle Seat Equitation and 35 & Over Huntseat Equitation was amazing. I’ve never won any class at the World Show unanimously, so that was an amazing feeling I’ll never forget.”

Above all, Tara thanks her trainer and barn family for helping her to achieve this lifelong goal. “I know where my roots come from and where my foundation was laid, but none of this could have happened without Darren. She took a green horse and unfit rider into her program and made magic happen. To have two different riders win the All Around Non Pro title and the Showmanship/Equitation Exhibitor title for three years in a row is a true testament to the trainer she is. She’s one of the most dedicated and determined trainers I’ve ever had the opportunity to experience. Her program isn’t easy, and she has high expectations for all of her riders, and it shows in the pen. I can’t wait to get back at it for the 2021 show season.”

The rider to start off this streak initially was DeeAnna with A Spotless Blue Boy back in 2018. He’s since been sold, but DeeAnna owned him from his yearling year until he was eight years old. “He definitely made me work for every ride, and it was so incredible to see him grow and learn something new every year,” she says. “I’ve been showing my entire life. I showed POAs until I was 15, and then I switched over to Appaloosas. I’ve won over 20 World and Reserve World Champion titles, but 2018 was my first year winning the All Around, so I have been chasing that award for a very long time!”

The first year that DeeAnna first won, she competed in Horsemanship, Showmanship, Trail, Hunt Seat Equitation, Bareback Horsemanship, Saddle Seat Pleasure, and Saddle Seat Equitation. She received three World Championships, two top fives, and two top tens. In 2019, she competed in the same classes and added Western Riding. She scored two World Championships, one Reserve World Championship, two top fives, and two top tens.

DeeAnna’s most memorable moment from that time in her life was winning Hunt Seat Equitation unanimously in 2019. “That was the first year that my fiance was able to come to the World Show, after five years together, and he was only there for that one class. He has such a busy schedule that he can’t come for a long period of time, or at all, so it was so special that he was able to see my big win and actually be in a win photo! Even though he’s not able to come to World most of the time, he’s absolutely my biggest fan.”

DeeAnna is thrilled that Tara was able to continue the Winning Ways tradition this year and score her first All-Around win. “I was so thrilled that Tara won the All Around High Point. There is no better person I would have liked to pass that award on to. Since we are barn mates, I have seen her overcome challenges and grow as a rider; she really is an inspiration.”

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