NSBA honored its 2014 year-end high point champions, as well inducted four members into its Quarter Million Dollar club and honored Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement, Legacy and the Jack Benson Award winners at its annual awards banquet on Wednesday.
The Doubletree Hotel in downtown Tulsa played host to NSBA’s annual awards banquet and a sold-out crowd saw members recognized for their achievements.
Hall of Fame Inductees
The association inducted the Fritz Leeman Family, of Massillon, Ohio, into its Hall of Fame in its individual category. Fritz and Carole Leeman have been active members of NSBA since its first year in 1983 as breeders, exhibitors and volunteers, and their legacy now continues with their grandchildren Katsy and Kyle Leeman.
Also inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame in the Show Horse category was Harley D Zip, owned by Kerry and Lew Papendick, of Rapid City, SD. With 16 AQHA world championships and nine reserve world championships in Western Riding, AQHA Incentive Fund earnings of $115,937.82, and nearly 6,000 AQHA points, the gelding is in a league by himself.
AQHA Stallion Investment Asset, owned by Joe Geeslin and shown by Liz Geeslin, was named to the association’s Hall of Fame in the Breeding Horse category. In 15 short years of life, the stallion left his mark both as a show horse and as a performance sire, earning nearly $50,000 in NSBA earnings as well as completing his AQHA Superior performance award, and with offspring earning more than 32,000 AQHA performance points and NSBA earnings of more than $828,000.
Jack Benson Service Award
Leslie “Bear” Lange, of Greeley, CO, was awarded with the 2015 Jack Benson Service Award. She is a long-time active member, trainer, coach and exhibitor within NSBA who served as president of the association in 2012. She is active on the association’s Judges Committee and is also a frequent presenter at Judges Education seminars. She is also a frequent author of articles in The Way To Go’s “Judges Committee Corner.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
Vic Clark, of Shelby, Ohio, received NSBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-time involvement with NSBA from its first year in 1983. He served as a board member in 1997 and became president in 2001. His involvement on committees within the association included helping develop the Category 1 Judges test and the current language and scoring system for Yearling Longe Line classes. He was also instrumental in developing the purse structure for the Gold, Silver and Limited divisions of NSBA’s Breeders Championship Futurity.
Legacy Award
The Legacy Award was presented to Zippos Due Claw, owned by Katherine Tobin, who was a pioneer in turning a successful futurity career into exceptional Western Riding achievements. The gelding earned more than $35,000 in earnings as well as accumulated more than 400 AQHA performance points and a reserve AQHA world championship in Amateur Western Riding.
Quarter Million Dollar Club Inductees
Four new members were also inducted into the NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club, who reached lifetime NSBA earnings of $250,000 by the end of 2014. They included Brian Baker, of Sunbury, Ohio; Angie Cannizzaro, of Purcell, Oklahoma; Andy Cochran, of Roberta, GA; and Bret Parrish of Pavo, GA.
Horse of the Year, High Point Riders
High point horses and riders were also recognized during the 2015 NSBA awards banquet.
Sharnai Thompson’s gelding Rock County Kid was named Horse of the Year, and meeting and surpassing the goals set for him during his three year old year of competition in Open and Non-Pro Western Pleasure, earning Congress and AQHA and NSBA world championships along the way.
High point riders who were recognized included:
Rusty Green, High Point Open Western Pleasure Rider
Kenny Lakins Jr., Reserve High Point Open Western Pleasure Rider
Tim Zuidema, High Point Intermediate Open Western Pleasure Rider
Scott Frye, Reserve High Point Intermediate Open Western Pleasure Rider
Bradley Ost, High Point Limited Open Western Pleasure Rider
Blake Britton, Reserve High Point Limited Open Western Pleasure Rider
Brad Pitts, High Point $2,500 Limited Open Western Pleasure Rider
Chris, Holbin, Reserve High Point $2,500 Limited Open Western Pleasure Rider
Susan Roberts, High Point Non-Pro Western Pleasure Rider
Hillary Roberts, Reserve High Point Non-Pro Western Pleasure Rider
Sharnai Thompson, High Point Intermediate Non-Pro Western Rider
Hillary Roberts, Reserve High Point Intermediate Non-Pro Western Rider
Lauren Love, High Point Limited Non-Pro Rider
Angela Wade, Reserve High Point Limited Non-Pro Rider
Beth Case, High Point Open Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Nancy Sue Ryan, Reserve High Point Open Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Heidi Piper, High Point Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Ryan Painter, Reserve High Point Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Jenna Jacobs, High Point Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Sharnai Thompson, Reserve High Point Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle
Jenna Jacobs, High Point Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Rider
Sharnai Thompson, Reserve High Point Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle
Bruce Vickery, High Point Open Trail Rider
Robin Frid, Reserve High Point Open Trail Rider
Charlie Cole, High Point Open Western Riding Rider
Jason Martin, Reserve High Point Open Western Riding Rider
Chuck Briggs, High Point Open Hunter Rider
Linda Crothers, Reserve High Point Open Hunter Rider
A complete list of high point final stands for all NSBA awards can be found at www.nsba.com under the “Showing” drop-down menu, under 2014 Point Standings.
