When the 2015 NSBA Riders Cup concluded on Sunday, horse owners and trainers had been awarded $45,796.24 over the two days. Sunday saw Showmanship, Western Riding and Equitation as well as more Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle classes as the NSBA Riders Cup Show concluded at Roberts Arena in Wilmington, Ohio.
Three different champions were named in Showmanship, with Mindie Maus earning first in All Age Limited Non-Pro Showmanship, showing her daughter Marley Mainwaring’s horse HF Tahnee Too to earn $1745.50.
“We’re having a lot of fun,” Maus said. “It’s a little challenging using the same horse back to back, but it’s also great practice for the Congress. We live in California, so we haven’t shown since the Youth World Show.” Mainwaring also added a win in Youth Western Riding later in the morning, winning $82.50 in the jackpotted class.
Kaleena Weakly led No Question Im Lazy to win the All Age Non-Pro Showmanship. The duo won $1,745.50 for first place.“He’s just a three year old, but he’s such a quick learner and picked up the Showmanship pretty fast. I’ve been able to put more than 100 Showmanship points on him this year, and we’re qualified for the AQHA World Show,” Weakly said of her gelding, whom she calls Jethro. “This is great practice for us too, because he’s been with Kenny Lakins for the past month and a half, so we haven’t practiced in a while.“
Weakly and Jethro also won the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, winning $1,167.73 for first. Lauren Love showed Momma Knows Best to second place in the class, with $908.23 in earnings, while Nancy Wilkerson Ditty showed Some Kinda Radical to third and $518.99. Rounding out the placings were Sleep Machine and William Cox, fourth, and RR Magical Moonlite and Lacy Watson fifth.
Deanna Green and Blazinmytroublesaway earned two wins Sunday morning, including Youth Showmanship and All Age Non-Pro Western Riding. Green earned an estimated $3,353.50 for the Western Riding win and $82.50 for the jackpotted Youth Showmanship class.
“Adding the all around classes has been really good for her,” Green said of her mare, known as Buttercup. “She really seems to like doing different things. They are like us, they get bored doing the same things.” Green’s father Rusty also added a win in Senior Western Riding, earning an additional $1,759.25.
In a tough group of horses in the Maturity Open Western Pleasure, Rusty Green piloted Only A Breeze to the win, earning $1,340.75 for the win. “This is her first year as a senior horse,” Green said of the six year old mare, called Abby. “She’s just the same all the time.”
Gregory Johnson rode The Party Starts Now to second in the Maturity class, earning $1,052.61, with Denton DeBuhr showing Cool Krymsun Lady to third and $601.49 in earnings. Katie Green showed Bestseatnthehouse to fourth place while Kenny Lakins rode Best Ticket N Town to fifth.
Lacy Watson and RR Magical Moonlite were named the winners in the Three Year Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure, and earned $518.99. The duo have campaigned in Three Year Old Non-Pro events throughout the summer and will show at the Congress. “We call him Mouse,” Watson said of her gelding, who is by Only In The Moonlite. “He is a lot of fun to show. He tries really hard every time.”
Kenny Lakins showed Certainly Classie to the win in the Maturity $10,000 Limited Open Western Pleasure for Stanley and Susan Scott. They earned an estimated $601.49 for the win. “She got a late start and is just starting to be shown this year,” Lakins said of the four year old mare who is by Certain Potential. “She is really like working with a two year old just because she’s inexperienced, but I really like her. She’s going to be a great show horse.”
Tina McElroy piloted Giv Romance A Chance to the win in All Age Non-Pro Hunt Seat Equitation, earning an estimated payout of $3,284.75.“He’s just three years old, and that was our first time to work an Equitation pattern. We sort of thought, well, we’re here, why not go in,” laughed McElroy. “He was a little confused about a couple of my cues, but he did pretty well. This is just his second horse show.”
The gelding, whom she calls Cooper, is by A Chance For Romance. McElroy also won the Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, earning $2,078.75 for the win.
Ashley Lakins again donned her jodhpurs and hunt coat to catch ride Certifiably Good to the win in Three Year Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle. The duo won $2,161.25. “I guess it’s sort of like riding a bike,” Lakins said of returning to English tack after seven years. “I think we both felt more comfortable showing today.”
The 2014 Riders Cup paid $45,796.24 to participants throughout the weekend. The purse was divided 28 percent to Western Pleasure, 20 percent to Hunter Under Saddle, 16 percent to Trail, 12 percent to Western Riding and eight percent each to Showmanship, Horsemanship and Equitation classes.
Owners left the show with some impressive earnings. Husband and wife owners Kaleena and Josh Weakly earned the largest checks of the show, with combined estimated total earnings of $10,718.90 for Hours Yours And Mine and No Question Im Lazy.
Ken Mullen followed closely behind with estimated earnings with $9,856.73 for Certifiably Good and More To Zip. Tina McElroy and Giv Romance A Chance earned $5,363.50 while Katie and Rusty Green earned $5,195.25 with earnings by Blazinmytroublesaway. Twently percent of the earnings for each placing will be awarded to the trainer with whom the entry was nominated.
While the Riders Cup saw an approximate 30 percent increase in entries over its first year in 2014, show organizers realize that the dates conflicted with the AQHA Novice Championship and the All American Quarter Horse Congress. The NSBA board of directors will review potential changes to the show to benefit more exhibitors in the future, noted NSBA Executive Director Dianne Eppers.
“We’ve listened to the input from our members, and will be changing the dates for 2016. We also hope to develop aN East Coast and West Coast Riders Cup event,” Eppers said.
Please check back with nsba.com for updates as they become finalized.
