The very first Equestrians With Disabilities champions along with the year’s first Small Fry champions were named as the All American Quarter Horse Congress continued on Saturday. The Non-Pro Western Longe Line and Working Hunter Classes also highlighted NSBA events for the day.
Small Fry Champions Named
Two Small Fry exhibitors also earned hardware on Saturday at the Congress. Eight year old Allie Paul, of Xenia, OH, and Genuine Sheik won both the Congress and NSBA portions of the first class of the day, Small Fry Showmanship, besting a field of 39 young exhibitors.
“I really love showing Sheik,” she said. “It’s fun to show, and I meet lots of friends. I thought our set up was really good in the pattern today.”
Piper Anderson, of West Fargo, ND, and Im Invited Too made the most of their very first All American Quarter Horse Congress by winning the NSBA and Congress portion of Small Fry Horsemanship.
“We call him Jeffrey,” Anderson said of her 18 year old show partner. “He’s really sweet and likes to be loved on. My favorite part of the pattern was at the end when we backed. He backed straight, and sometimes he doesn’t do that.” Anderson is ten years old.
Non-Pro Western Longe Line
In the Longe Line pen, Stanley Scott, of Ocala, FL, bested a tough field of 25 horses in the Non-Pro Western Longe Line with Im Lookin For You, and they did so on their maiden trip to a horse show.
“This was her very first horse show, and she did great,” Scott said. “Kathie (Kennedy) had worked with her for about a month, but she had been out in the field before that. We just love her. She is great legged, and just great, great minded. Plus she’s beautiful.”
The sorrel filly is by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Ima Cool Robin.
Rounding out the NSBA champions from Saturday were three Working Hunter classes. Frenchmen, shown by Christian Beauchemin, of Quebec, CAN, was the NSBA champion and placed seventh overall in Novice Amateur Working Hunter. Calley Huston and Real Time Minute took the AQHA and NSBA wins in Novice Youth Working Hunter. Dive, shown by Lainie Deboer for owner Bruce Brown, won both the AQHA and NSBA champion titles in Senior Working Hunter.
Equestrians With Disabilities Classes Debut
Throughout the day, judges complimented Equestrians With Disabilities exhibitors for doing a great job presenting their horses. EWD classes included Showmanship, Horsemanship and Western Pleasure. Equestrians With Disabilities classes at the Congress are sponsored by the National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation.
For Susan Magnabosco, winning the Congress was a dream come true. She showed Straitshotofbarbie to win both the EWD and NSBA portions of the Equestrians With Disabilities Level 2 Showmanship.
“Getting here was 20 years in the making,” she said. “My daughter showed and I was always her groom. I was in an accident and I spent four years in therapy. Several people from the North Carolina Quarter Horse Association encouraged me to go back to showing. We got ‘Barbie’ in June, and she is the first horse I’ve owned for myself.”
The first time was a charm for the duo. “This was our first horse show together,” Magnabosco said. “We practiced a lot yesterday. Our pattern was pretty good.” Magnabosco had her husband, Paul and daughter, Carol Merritt, as her support group at the Congress.
In the Equestrians With Disabilities Level 3 (Advanced) class, Stacey Johnson and Dont Be Invious took the NSBA trophy and second overall. “I couldn’t believe it. It was so exciting to win the NSBA trophy,” Johnson said.
“I’ve been showing for 21 years, but with this horse for one year. I really love to ride and be around the horses. I think Showmanship is a lot of fun because get to show everybody what we can do. I really liked the trot and the backing part of the pattern. I am so glad to be able to show at the Congress!”
John Daniel Seegar had a busy afternoon, showing in back-to-back in EWD Horsemanship and Western Pleasure. He was named EWD and NSBA champion in Equestrians With Disabilities Walk Trot Horsemanship – Independent with his horse, Adorabull Larry, and returned to show in EWD Walk Trot Western Pleasure – Independent, placing ninth overall and seventh in NSBA.
“I’ve been riding for about seven years, but I haven’t worked with him very long,” Seegar said of the horse he calls Lincoln. “I think this is my fourth time riding him. I ride for my mom, because she really likes horses too. When I look at a Horsemanship pattern, I just like to go do it.”
Jessica Naaykin won the last EWD class of the day as well as the NSBA portion of the class, Equestrians With Disabilities Walk Trot Western Pleasure – Independent, with Consider Me Smooth.
Naaykin is no stranger to the winner’s circle. She is a five-time NSBA world champion with her former show partner, Chips Chocoholic, who passed away. “Now I ride in memory of Chips Chocoholic,” she said. “Our ride felt really good. I’ve been working with ‘Fancy’ for about six months, and the more we ride, the more confident I get with her and with myself. I had never been here before or won anything here before, so I was really surprised when they brought out the two trophies.”
To view complete show results from the 2015 All American Quarter Horse Congress, please visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com.
Sunday’s classes include more Working Hunter events, Halter Mares, Small Fry Trail and Western Pleasure, and EWD Trail and Supported Western Pleasure.
