Best Year Ever
A Certain Vino
If it seems like Vino dominated every pleasure class he entered in 2008, he certainly did, often winning unanimously. He won the Western Pleasure at the Youth World and Congress with owner…More >>
Best Performance in an 18-Hour Time Frame
Hot Ones Only
The two-year-old stallion did the unthinkable at the Congress. On Friday night, with Beth Case aboard, he won Masters Hunter Under Saddle and then repeated Saturday afternoon in the Junior. Great, right…More >>
Best Year to Show Your Own Horse
2008
Many
of us remember when 14-year-old Brian Kissinger won the Senior Pleasure
at the 1984 World show on Kings Bambi. 2008 wasn’t quite as remarkable,
but it definitely was a break-through year for…More >>
Best Broodmare
One For The Record
One For The Record, owned by the Kaplow Family, takes the best broodmare category in 2008. The 6-time World Champion and 1988 Super Horse winner is the dam of Broker Of Record and On Record who…More >>
Best Do-It-Yourself Performance
The DeMint Family with Fancy Diamond Kid
Fancy Diamond Kid pulled off a three-peat in 2008 winning the Amateur Performance Halter Mares at the Select World, the Congress and the Amateur World. Although owners Greg and Nicci DeMint were…More >>
Best Place to Tie One On (and have a lot of fun doing it!)
Southern Belle Casino Party
Connie Hill and Mike Coggin know how to put on one heck of a horse show and boy can they throw a party as well. The Casino Party on Thursday night in Tunica, Mississippi, featured games, fundraising…More >>
Best Put Together Show Ring Look
Katy Jo Pickard’s Cowgirl Outfit by Connie’s Customs
When it comes to show clothes, do the male trainer’s have it easy or what? Throw on a starched shirt, a tie (sometimes), and some chaps, and they’re ready for the show pen. Women trainers don’t have it…More >>
Best Big Time Production
Reichert Big Money Class
Lights, camera, action…oh, and a few indoor fireworks and laser light shows along with formal evening wear, too. JR Reichert and his crew have perfected the “production factor” before and during the…More >>
Best Place to See Horse Trainers in Drag
Ladies Pleasure at the March to The Arch
For about an hour in March, many of the top horse trainers ditch their hats, jeans and boots for makeup, fake boobs and low cut dresses. It’s a spectacle worthy of a Las Vegas stage, all in an effort to raise…More >>
Best “I can’t believe you just said that” Moment
“That horse would have been in the top-5 if it had been ridden by someone with more stroke.”
Said by a judge (who shall remain nameless) regarding a horse in a high-profile class he had judged.
We’ve all been exposed to some “I can’t believe you just said that” moments in this industry we all love. Although we can only go by the ones we’ve heard, and each of you
probably has a pretty good list of…More >>
Best Advertising/Marketing
Aspen Grove Ranch
In our business, we look at equine ads and websites all day. We actually had our own equine marketing company before we launched GoHorseShow.com. In our opinion, there was no better equine…More >>
Best Use of $10 at The Horse Show
The Night Watchman, Billy D. Williams
In today’s economy, $10 doesn’t buy much…a bag of shavings at the Congress or a few gallons of Diesel, or a 12-pack of beer (if you don’t care what it tastes like). But when you consider that many of the…More >>
Best Custom Saddle Design
Harris Leather’s Custom Saddle For Theresa Leighton
“WOW”
is all we could say the first time we saw Theresa Leighton’s saddle at
the Tom Powers this year. Custom designed by Harris Leather and Silver
Works, it features a two-tone look made of leather…More >>
Best Comeback
Ted Turner
2008 started great for Ted Turner. He went into partnership with NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw and all indications were that Ted was more on top of the world than ever. Then in September Ted was…More >>
Best New Thing at The Horse Show
Congress VIP Club
The Congress hit a home run this year with the introduction of its VIP club. A $100 membership fee bought sanctuary from the cold and concession stand alley in the form of a swanky lounge/restaurant…More >>
Best Concession Stand Food (That Doesn’t Taste Like Concession Stand Food)
The Hot Italian Sub at The Sweet Shop
It doesn’t matter how low-maintenance your tastes are, it is hard not to get beaten down by concession stand food. Served up in aluminum foil and far from gourmet, the Hot Italian Sub from the boys at The…More >>
Best Gig in the Horse Biz
Steve Meadows and Hylton Quarter Horses
Steve Meadows is the first to admit that it doesn’t get much better than working for Cecilia Hylton. It is not very often that an employee publically tells his boss that he loves her, and that’s exactly what Steve…More >>
Best Dressed Judge
Michael Colvin
The years of training and living in Italy definitely influenced Michael Colvin’s fashion taste. He may not own as much Versace, Dolce & Gabanna and Prada as he did back then, nobody dresses better in the…More >>
Best Chance of Being Hired By TMZ
Troy Compton
For those of you who aren’t familiar with TMZ, it’s the entertainment and celebrity gossip website and television show that has become famous for reporting on the antics of Lindsay Lohan, Brittany…More >>
Best Hat Shaper
Brook Parrish at Kendalls
We know quite a few people in this industry who will only let Brook touch their hat. Apparently the secret is out as witnessed by the steady stream of customers in line at the Congress to buy a hat from…More >>
Best Horse Show Politician
Peter J. Cofrancesco III
If you have ever spent any time with the guy, you know that “Peter J” is the consummate horse show politician. You definitely can’t walk 5 feet without him running into at least 12 people he knows…More >>
Best Youth Domination
Chelsea Bain and Sensational Blonde
Chelsea and the 6-year-old Sensational Blonde earned APHA World Championships in 3 classes: Youth Hunt Seat Equitation, Youth Showmanship and Youth Western Pleasure, was Reserve World…More >>
Best Way To Pick Up A Girl At The Horse Show
Impress Her With Your Dog And Your Truck
We actually don’t know who this dog or truck belongs to, or if it’s helped them get a date or not, but it sure made us do a double take! Waiting patiently for its owner atop the truck at the Texas Classic in…More >>
Best Tailgater
Ronnie Casper
Most commonly reserved for the parking lot of a sporting event, Ronnie Casper knows how to turn a regular horse show into the likes of an old college rivalry. Ronnie’s handy with a spatula and a set of…More >>
Best Company That’s No Longer in Business
BMB
If we had a nickel for every time someone asked if they could still get BMB blankets, we’d apparently be better off than BMB since they shut their doors in early 2008. With some of the best in the biz relying…More >>
Best New Toy (for those with an unlimited budget)
Equine Motorcoach
Nothing says luxury quite like a yacht. And nothing goes hand-in-hand less than horse shows and yachts…until now! The Equine Motor Coach is literally a yacht out of water and the most luxurious…More >>
Best Horse Show Dive Restaurant
Chelinos Mexican (on Meridian in Oklahoma City)
We attended over twenty major show circuits in 2008 and went out to dinner at every single one. With our bank account and waist lines as proof, we can definitely consider ourselves horse show restaurant…More >>
Best Person We Need To Thank
Holt Pope
If you thought you deserved this award, please don’t be offended. We are forever indebted to the countless people who helped make GoHorseShow.com such a success in its inaugural year and we truly…More >>
