Memorial Day weekend is a time for individuals to honor soldiers who have passed away serving our country. This weekend in Montgomery, Alabama was also a time for horse show competitors to honor friends and loved ones.
For the second straight year, Amateur Jan Shepherd Pittman of Panama City, Florida was instrumental in raising money and putting together the Kim Rich Memorial Green Western Pleasure Class at the Alabama Sizzler. The class was created to honor her friend, Kim Rich, who passed away in September of 2013 from an extended illness.
This year the winner, taking home a check of $3500, was Consider Me Best, a 2010 bay mare owned by Jean Shanklin Brooks of Laurel Hill, Florida. Consider Me Best is by Masterson Farms’ stallion, RL Best of Sudden and trained and shown by Cole Baker. The team had four firsts, a second and a third in a steep class of 15 talented horses.
“I bought her as a yearling and raised her on our farm, The High Road Ranch in Laurel Hill, Florida,” Brooks said about her winning mare. “We took it slow with her and put her in full-time training with Cole Baker this year. She won her first two futurities, and in three shows, she has already earned her ROM in western pleasure. She is truly going to be a great, long term show horse.”
Brooks said that she was honored to win the class in her friend’s memory. “Kim Rich was a passionate competitor in AQHA as an amateur and as a trainer. She lived for and believed in the AQHA horse show world and was very successful both as an amateur and as a trainer. Kim loved western pleasure, performance halter and long line. Kim died way too young, so we would like to carry on her passion through the Kim Rich Memorial Green Western Pleasure Futurity.”
Pittman adds, “My last memory of Kim showing was in Montgomery, Alabama in the Green Western Pleasure a few years ago during Memorial Day weekend. It is a compelling memory, because she loved competing in this event more than any other.”
The memorial class coincided with the Green Western Pleasure and one hundred percent of the entry fees were paid back to the second through fifth place horses. Sixth through 10th place horses received $100, which was the cost of the entry fee. The payout was one of the largest ever in Green Western Pleasure. Last year, RL Best of Sudden had the top two winners in the class, She’s So Posh and Its Hot In Ocala who were both owned by Pete Garcia.
RESULTS from 2015 Kim Rich Memorial Class
First Place–Cole Baker on Consider Me Best- winning $3,500, free ad design by Holt Graham Pope and 20 bags of Airlite shavings
Second Place–Kirk Sanders on Baby Ima Rockstar winning $600 and 20 bags of Airlite shavings
Third Place–Andy Cochran on The Extreme Machine winning $450 and 20 bags of Airlite shavings
Fourth Place–Shane Pope on Raison Kane winning $300 and 10 bags of Airlite shavings
Fifth Place–Justin Clay Arrington winning $150 and 5 bags of Airlite shavings
Sixth through Tenth Place — each got their entry fee paid back of $100 and 5 bags of Airlite Shavings
