Hey y’all! This is Lauren Crivelli from Visalia, California reporting to you from the AQHA World Championship Show. The show is already displaying the excellence of the exhibitors that have come to compete with huge scores and memorable runs.
This week I will be showing my sorrel mare, Bringin Booty Back, in the Amateur Ranch Riding and Shadd Parkinson will be showing her in the Junior Ranch Riding. “Booty” as we affectionately call her has a ton of personality and has quickly developed into a barn favorite, partially due to her funny name.
This is our first year showing together as well as my first AQHA World Championship Show as an Amateur. Oklahoma City holds many great memories from my Youth and NRHA years. We hope to continue that by laying down some great runs and reconnecting with great friends. I’m looking forward to capturing some of these moments and sharing them with you!
Picture #6 – Saturday, November 12, 2016
My final photo of the day before I head back home is of recently crowned AQHA World Champion Deanna Searles. Deanna was draw number one of 22 horses in the Senior Trail finals this morning. Deanna was aboard Kathy Tobin’s Suddenly A Good Bar and scored a 236.5!
Deanna and “Roanie” set the bar for the class and was good enough to be the final one left standing in the arena. It was so fun to watch Deanna and her husband, Jim, place in the final three in arguably one of the toughest classes at the World Show.
Jim and Deanna are fantastic people which made the win even more exciting. They have worked hard to put together a winning program with winning people in it. They are always there to help you out and always have a smile on their face; win, lose, or draw.
Congratulations to the entire Searles’ crew for a successful morning!
Picture #5 – Friday, November 11, 2016
Today was an exciting day filled with prelims in the ranch riding prelims, roping, hunt seat equitation, Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure and Senior Western Riding finals.
The variety of classes being held today didn’t keep the crowd away from the Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure prelims. The stands were packed as everyone cheered on the future of the western all-around industry.
There was an incredible group of horses in this year’s class. It made it difficult to pick a favorite. The top fifteen horses were called out and will be coming back for the finals tomorrow. Congratulations to all who made the finals in their respective events.
Picture #4 – Thursday, November 10, 2016
Today’s picture features the great mare, Floating On Assets, affectionately called “Ellie”, posing with me, and a longtime friend, Kendra Whitney. Kendra and I showed together when I owned Ellie, and, now, Kendra rides alongside Ellie in Leslie Lange’s barn.
I owned Ellie as a youth, and she was the first horse that I made the finals with at the AQHYA World Championship Show. We ended up with Top Ten finishes in showmanship and hunt seat equitation and a finalist in horsemanship.
Ellie has helped multiple riders accomplish their dreams; Julia Taylor owned her previously and placed at the World Show, Juliana Blackburn-Baskin purchased her from me, and they went on to earn a Congress Championship in horsemanship.
Now, Ellie is hoping to make Carly Estrech-Lueck’s World Championship dreams come true this year in the Amateur Showmanship and Horsemanship.
It’s so great to see a show horse succeed with so many different riders and continue to be happy doing it.
Good luck to Carly and Ellie as well as the rest of Team Lange.
Picture #3 – Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Debbie Cooper made a lifelong dream come true as she piloted Pete and Linda Hrebec’s incredible gelding, Whizzle For My Spook, to the Senior Ranch Riding World Champion title with an astonishing 243.5.
The pattern for the class had 15 maneuvers that the duo performed to near perfection. Debbie is pictured with Tricia Sarchett. Tricia raised “Cleveland” and won the Amateur Ranch Riding with him last year.
Tricia credits Debbie with getting her into the Ranch Riding classes. When Tricia was laid up in the hospital one year, Debbie stopped in and asked Tricia if she could ride Cleveland while she was healing. Tricia said yes, and the rest is history.
Cleveland had a natural ability in the ranch classes and has been a phenomenal horse for everyone involved with him. Congratulations Debbie, Pete, Linda and Tricia.
Picture #2 – Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Certainly A Vision and Tate Oakley certainly had a great day! Tate’s beautiful sorrel stallion started this morning off with a bang by winning the Performance Halter Stallions class.
Then, he went on to show that his form fit his function by winning the Senior Western Pleasure Level 2 class, besting a field of very talented horses.
Tate’s wife, Jamie Oakley, owns the great stallion and was there watching with their little girl in tow. As they called the final placings, you could see the excitement in her eyes as she waited for them to call Tate’s number.
When Tate was the final one standing, he side-passed over (who knew his horse could side-pass that well!) to Jamie to give her a kiss and collect his daughter for their victory lap.
It was a touching moment that reminded us how incredible these animals are at bringing families together because of a shared passion. Congratulations Tate!
Picture #1 – Monday, November 7, 2016
Our first photo of the day is of Shadd Parkinson and Blazing In My Boomers, owned by Tricia Sarchett. Shadd showed him in the Junior Ranch Riding this morning, earning the high score of 233.5! Shadd also made the finals aboard my mare, Bringin Booty Back, with a 224.5. Shadd’s runs on both of his horses were incredibly smooth and exemplified what a ranch horse should be able to do.
The pattern today had a pen of cattle in the corner and called for lots of extensions of the trot and lope as well as a turn and a half and side pass. The stands were full as people watched this year’s group of 66 fantastic Junior horses perform each maneuver with a high degree of difficulty.
This is such a fun class to watch, it’s no wonder that it is growing at such a fast rate. If you haven’t witnessed the Ranch Riding events, be sure to tune in tomorrow for the Senior Ranch Riding Finals and Wednesday for the Junior Ranch Riding Finals.
