GoHorseShow would like to thank Rusty and Katie Green for letting us know that multiple Congress Champion, Whatscookngoodlookin (Candy), has been awarded the NSBA Horse of the Year for 2011. This gorgeous bay mare has earned an impressive $65,751.62 in futurity earnings so far in her short show career.
“Candy is an exceptional mare,” former owner Ray Arnona told GoHorseShow.com. “I’ve been in this business a long time, and she is in a class by herself. Hopefully, I can be half as lucky with some of my other up-and-coming futurity horses. Everyone loves Candy.”
The four year-old is by A Good Machine and out of A Cooki For Certain and was bred by Eric and Lisa Zwirner of EZ Farms in Marysville, Ohio. Candy and Rusty Green are undefeated in every two and three-year-old futurity they have competed in the past two years. Quite a streak!
“She is a very beautiful mare and a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” trainer Katie Green tells GoHorseShow. “She is a great mover, a little spunky, but loves her job.”
Two years ago, at the Congress, owner Ray Arnona of New Orleans, Louisiana won the Two Year-Old Limited Non Pro at the Congress and Rusty won the Two Year-Old Open and last year won the Southern Belle Three Year-Old Open Futurity Western Pleasure classes at the Congress. Candy was not shown at the AQHA World Show in the Two Year-Old Western Pleasure because Rusty Green was one of the judges.
Candy’s new owner, Hillary Roberts, of Edmond, Oklahoma made their debut as a team in the western pleasure at the Arizona Sun Circuit, and they were circuit champions in the Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure. Sixteen year-old Hillary Roberts says she is very excited to have her own pleasure horse this year. “I showed my mother’s horse, Only Ever After, in the pleasure classes last year and was top five at the Youth World, but Rusty and Katie thought I should get my own horse– so, my mom and I didn’t have to share,” Roberts says. “Ray wanted to keep Candy in the barn so after the World Show my parents worked out a deal to buy her for me.”
Click here to see Hillary and Candy’s ad in the March GoMag
Last year, Rusty and Katie Green’s other horse, Blazingmytroublesaway was NSBA Horse of the Year for 2010–so that’s two years in a row for Team Green. We congratulate them on their success.
The Horse of the Year award is designed to represent the best in the history of the pleasure horse industry. Members are encouraged to nominate horses believed to be deserving of recognition as NSBA Horse of the Year. The NSBA Horse of the Year will be chosen each year based on NSBA participation, show record and points earned in that year. The award will be a traveling trophy with a permanent award given to the previous years’ recipient. The winner will be announced at the annual awards banquet.
