If you showed on the AQHA circuit during the 1980’s and 90’s, the name “Skipa Stars Lace” was synonymous with superstar. Think along the lines of 13-time AQHA World Champion Vital Signs Are Good, but a mare that dominated in both the English and western events.. The 1984 grey mare was by Skipa Stars Buck and out of Scoots Lace and was bred by DE Corbin of Los Lunas, New Mexico.
“My mom found her at the world show in 1987, and she loved her, but she was buckskin and she didn’t like that,” former owner, Leigh (Wewers) Berryhill recalls. “However, the next year, she turned grey, so she bought her.”
Leigh continues, “What I will remember the most about her was how beautiful she was. You would think by looking at her that she was a prima donna but she wasn’t. She did like to show off. I think she knew how good she was, so, maybe she was a little cocky. This makes me laugh just thinking of her.”
The four-time AQHA World Champion, three-time Reserve World Champion, AQHA World Show Amateur All Around mare, AQHA Youth All Around High Point and multiple Congress winner was owned by Leigh Berryhill and then Jill (Pennau) Briggs. Before passing away on Monday due to complications associated with old age, the famous mare was retired at John and Jill Briggs’ farm in Pilot Point, Texas for the past 22 years.
Jill Briggs (pictured left with Lace) told GoHorseShow that Lace was her once-in-a-lifetime horse. “She was a lot of work but she taught me so much,” says Jill, who won the High Point Youth in the Nation in 1992 and a World and several Reserve World Championships. “Since Lace, I have never had a horse as special as her that could do all the events so well. I had her for 22 years, and I didn’t realize it would hit me so hard now that she is gone. She was out in the pasture behind my house, and it is so weird not seeing her there anymore. She definitely changed my life for the better.”
Lace amassed an impressive 1800 points in 10 different events including the western pleasure, horsemanship, western riding, reining, halter, hunter under saddle, equitation, hunter hack, working hunter, showmanship, and trail. Lace was talented in all of the events she showed, but she was best known as one of the best western riders of all time. Leigh remembers that her favorite win with Lace was her first world championship in western riding. “There was a tie and we had a runoff. It was very nerve racking, but Lace came through again!”
According to trainer, Jackie Krshka, who won two world championships and multiple Congress Championships with the mare in western riding, Lace really liked to buck her riders off. Krshka recalls a time where she was riding her in an English saddle warming her up and she was really fresh and bucked her off. “She was a wild child, but when she was locked in she was effortless and unbeatable. I think she would still be competitive today. Back then, I showed her on a pretty draped rein.”
Leigh also remembers a funny time when her now husband, Leonard Berryhill, showed her in a western pleasure class in Kansas. “Leonard was with me at a show, and he wanted to show her in the western pleasure,” Leigh recalls. “I said today is not the day. He kept on, so I gave him the reins for the Senior Pleasure. Well, of course, when he was loping on a full drape, one of the horses behind her started acting up and she dropped her right ear–that’s how she would give you a little hint something didn’t suit her. Then, she lowered her head and bucked. Of course, not terrible, but enough that he shortened his reins the rest of the class and came out saying I was right!”
Leigh adds, “My life changed when Lace and I went to train with Jackie Krshka. I got a life long great friend and mentor. The best part of owning Lace was the people I met along the way. I’m so glad we sold her to Jill Briggs who gave her an amazing forever home!”
