It’s that golden globe, the title and World Show buckle – the win that eludes so many – that remains the motivation and fuels the fire for thousands of hard working horsemen around the world. But for a few, the quest is over, the buckle the reward for their life’s work well done.
A record was also set by Bruce Vickery riding Signature Absolute in the Junior Trail. Bruce brought home the trophy with a score of 238.5 for owner Nancy Riggs of California. Senior Trail was also won by Michael Colvin and PF Put It In the Park with a score of 235.
An assess they did! Jason Gilliam riding Hours Yours And Mine owned by Kaleena Weakly scored a arena record high 239.5. With 99 entered a shoot-out was held. After the top fifteen scores were taken directly to the finals, the next fifteen highest scoring runs came back to ride the course again. From the fifteen that showed in the shootout, an additional five competitors were taken to the finals making the finals a twenty horse class Tuesday night.
The Junior Pleasure horses showed well, by the rules and not too slow. It was a nice representation of just how great our horses and horse trainers are. Good job pleasure riders!
Things were low key at the World Championship Show today. Junior Trail preliminaries were held in the Performance Arena and Junior and Senior prelims and Amateur Cutting Finals in the Norrick.
Lainie DeBoer was the big winner tonight in the HuntField Derby. She won the Low aboard Regal Tequila owned by Lori Bucholz and the High on Bruce Brown’s lovely grey mare Dive. All in all it was a big success. Unless you were lucky enough to be one of the five year olds that got to take a Behind the Scenes Barn Tour. Ruth Ellen and Dianne Eppers each guided a group of youngsters through the barns introducing the children to horses and all that is good about horses. Kids were able to pet, brush and give treats to horses. They were even able to hold a World Champion trophy. Tours took place while Amateur Cutting preliminaries showed in the big pen and the sale was going on in the Performance Arena. But the big event of the day was the PARA Reining Demonstration.
The winner of the event was US Air Force Veteran Derrick Perkins who rode the 2014 Amateur World Champion Tie-Down Roping horse, Mr Fritz Wood with JD Yates on one side and Shawn Flarida on the other side. 
Stephanie Speaks to PARA Reining Competitor Elinor Switzer of GermanyHorses were not an immediate passion for Elinor Switzer. The German born American’s riding got off to the classic European start with the hunter seat. As a matter of proper education, she took lessons on school horses, learned training level dressage and even did some jumping.
With limited use of her left side, Elinor felt that western riding would best suit her needs and sought a stable that would allow her to test her theory and ride with one hand. In 2001 she found a stable that was willing to let her ride. It was here that she began to once again trust her ability to control her legs to coordinate her movements by riding both in the arena and out on the trails.
The Amateur Working Cow Horse competition came down to a two horse race. Amy Lund aboard The Big Day tied with Meryl Reber on top of Ima Chick Please in the finals earlier this evening. The ride off was amazing with the each of the two amateurs riding their hearts out and riding like the Champions they are.
After a big day of Amateur performance finals, the barns felt quiet this morning. It was a good time to talk with yesterday’s Showmanship winner, GoHorseShow’s Picture of the Day photographer, Kaleena Weakly.
Kaleena made her first trip to Oklahoma City for the AQHA World Championship Show in 2002. She purchased Hours Yours And Mine as a two-year old pleasure prospect while she looked for another All-Around prospect. As it turned out, Blondie fit the bill.
Sharnai Thompson and Only Blue Couture brought home a second World Championship Title by winning the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. After just having won the Amateur Western Pleasure the night before, Sharnai was on a roll. Equitation was won by Ariel Herrin and Challenging Details, a student in the equine program at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN. Still riding on a cloud last night, she said she decided to skip school one more day to stay at the horse show after her big win in celebration of her first World Championship win.
Amateur Performance Geldings was won by Upgrade To Escalade and Sydney Miller of Reidsville, NC. Notable in the results – performance geldings that actually still perform! It was a good day for Team Habighorst with wins in the Amateur Aged Geldings with Jeff and a Reserve in the class with Vern, World Champions in Amateur Two Year Old Geldings and Reserve World Champions in Amateur Aged Mares, won by Frank Berris and Exceptional Playgirl. Amateur Three Year Old Stallions was won by Anne Prince WITH PF Premo and Amateur Yearling Fillies won by Amy Knowles leading Flawless.Yesterday Kaleena Weekly’s Picture of the Day featured a picture of Jeffrey Johns sitting on Lopin For A Chex after winning the Amateur Western Riding. This morning I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff about his win.
The first thing Jeff said regarding his run, was to never give up, never count yourself out. Jeff came to the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show “humbled up” after his horse spooked at the Congress resulting in a zero for their efforts. As the Johns say, they went from the penthouse to the outhouse in mere seconds.
Jeff showed conservatively in the Prelims, his trust not entirely intact. But when he stepped into the pen for the finals last night, he was anything but conservative. “Go big or go home” he told himself and let out the rein.
With just two men left standing in the arena, one in a blue shirt and Jeff in red, the feeling was all too familiar to Jeffrey Johns. Having been Reserve under saddle twice before, he hoped this time would be different. Always in red, jokingly, Jeff and his mother had wondered aloud if Searles shouldn’t change their stable colors to blue.
But this year it was different.
Wearing the blue shirt, Rob Huver and All But Sudden were called out Reserve World Champion leaving Jeff and “Lazy” standing alone in the arena to receive the trophy, buckle and title, 2014 AQHA World Champion Amateur Western Riding.
Jeff keeps things in perspective, understands he is blessed and was thrilled with the win. Later, upon further inquiry, it was discovered that several Searles team members were wearing their “lucky blues”…..
But anyone showing in the Showmanship warmed up quickly. The pattern started with a single cone then had exhibitors crisscrossing the arena going between the trot and walk on their way to a profile set-up in front of the judges. Determining the correct line of travel and handling the multiple transitions made it a challenge. But once again, these Amateurs proved their mettle and made it look easy.
One horse notably missing in the Amateur Western Pleasure was A Certain Vino. I spoke with owner Darcy Reeve tonight about Vino’s absence. Darcy said that Vino was sad to be left at home but was enjoying his spa time. Although he was probably ready to show, the decision was made to keep him home after the 14 time World Champion suffered a minor set back earlier this fall. Vino wishes all his friends “Good Luck”. Secretly, stable mate Ima Petite Classic a.k.a. Kramer, was happy not to share the limelight and have Darcy’s undying attention.Daily Report #3 Monday November 10th
Monday was Fun-Day at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show. The day started out with Angela Wade (pictured below left) winning the Amateur Trail with a score of 231 and Fon Laughlin earning a 229 and a Reserve World Championship.
The course was difficult challenging finalist riders with a water box filled with water and a twelve-foot box that riders loped into, performed a 360-degree turn then had to lope out of. The competition left no doubt that these riders and their horses are incredibly talented.
Next up was the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation. The level of riding has no doubt improved in every hunter seat class here in Oklahoma City and the finals should be beautiful classes. Both finals show Wednesday after Halter classes in the morning. Amateur Western Pleasure preliminaries were also held today with 28 horses entered.
Ranch Sorting took up most of the day in the Performance arena and today’s Ride the Pattern Demonstrations included Ranch Horse Pleasure with Karen McCuistion and Showmanship with Stephanie Lynn.
The day ended early providing the perfect opportunity for an appreciation party for Exhibitors provided by the Quarter Horse Journal. The line was long, the food was good, the company better and the music kept everyone’s spirits high. Exhibitors may finally get to catch a few hours of sleep tonight, the one thing that many are lacking here in Oklahoma City.
Stay tuned for more coverage tomorrow. The show starts early with Amateur Showmanship, the open hunter hacks and Amateur Ranch Pleasure. Evening performances include the Amateur Western Riding and Amateur Western Pleasure!
Daily Report #2 Sunday November 9th
If you missed the Ride the Pattern demonstration with Chuck Briggs on Equitation here are some highlights. After taking attendees through the pattern, Chuck discussed the hand gallop, an ever-controversial topic in the Equitation. Chuck advised riders to move their hands forward just a few inches, three, and said that a shortening of reins should not be necessary if reins are properly adjusted from the start, although he said that a slight shortening is acceptable.
Chuck told riders that to be in a proper two-point position riders should bring their seat out of the saddle with minimal effort stepping into their heels for support. He spoke about common faults seen in the two-point most notably hands that are held high and forward and riders who stand straight up in the stirrups.
The 2014 AQHA World Championship Show is off to a fast start with Barrels, Poles and Amateur Stakes race finishing today. It was a busy start to the show. Fifty-four Amateur Trail horses showed with a score of 222 or above making it to the finals. Progressive Working Hunter had record entries of 35 and Whitney Lagace started off the Professional Horsemen’s Ride the Pattern Series with a Horsemanship Demonstration today.
But the real story here in Oklahoma City today was the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Demonstration and the Professional Horsemen Shoot-Out held this evening. Professional Horsemen Lainie DeBoer, Steve Meadows and Will Knabenshue fired off tonight’s performance aboard borrowed horses for a real shoot out. Each rode to help raise funds for the AQHA Association of Professional Horsemen’s Crisis Fund. Steve Meadows won the event but Lainie DeBoer raised the most money including a $500.00 donation from AQHA. Tonight’s event raised just over $1300.00.
