On the last Friday of the 2015 All American Quarter Horse Congress, NSBA exhibitors were working Trail patterns, Western Riding runs and showing in Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure classes on a sunny fall day.
Taking Trail Titles
Alyssa Neiberger piloted Credits For Heaven to win AQHA and NSBA Amateur Trail, earning a score of 231.
“This pattern had a lot of lope to trot transitions, and a couple of spots where it was tough to find our spots,” Neiberger said.
“We went over the first trot over and had one tic, and I was worried. But we did the rest of the trot overs and lope overs, the box and the gate, and it was good.”
In Amateur Select Trail, Range To A Te earned another AQHA and NSBA Congress championship, this time with owner Isabel Scobie. Range To A Te had won the Senior Trail with Whitney Lagace on Thursday.
Western Riding Champions Crowned
Two classes of Western Riding saw champions crowned on Friday. In Select Amateur Western Riding, Heavenly Mac and Susan Knapp too top honors in the AQHA and NSBA portions of the class.
“We were all very close with just a half point separating the top three,” Knapp said. “But that is how this class is won.” The single work class worked well for Knapp and Mac. When we have a preliminary go and a final on another day, it doesn’t seem to go as well for us, so this was perfect for us,” she said.
The seven year old gelding and Knapp had won the Select Amateur Trail and Western Riding in 2013 at the Congress, and this year won the Senior Western Riding earlier with Jason Martin in the saddle. “Mac is very kind and forgiving,” Knapp said. “He taught me everything about Western Riding.”
Perry Jackson rode Cutelicious (shown at left) to win the Novice Amateur Western Riding, scoring a 221. “It’s our first year to do Western Riding,” Jackson. “This was a long time coming. My last Congress championship was 33 years ago as a youth, in Showmanship.”
Jackson and Cutie showed using Pattern 2. “I think we did a good job down the line, and our changes were on time and not late,” Jackson said. “I felt I could have steered a little bit better on the corners, but overall it wasn’t too bad.”
Earlier in the year, the duo won the NSBA World Championship Show, and placed seventh at the AQHA Amateur Select World Championship Show. They compete in Western Pleasure and Western Riding.
Western Pleasure Winners
Familiar faces could be found in a very deep finals in Amateur Western Pleasure on Friday, but it was an old favorite who took the AQHA and NSBA championship titles. Darcy Reeve piloted A Certain Vino to the win. Jenna Dempze and Rewind And Repeat took the reserve honors.
“He was really good today,” Reeve said of Vino. “We liked showing in the Celeste Center a lot better. I was able to show off the rail and let the space find me, and not stress about it.”
The win brought Vino’s lifetime Congress championship total to 27 wins.
Steve Reams showed Southerncomfortzone to win the Three Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Futurity for owner Wesley Smith. “My lord Jesus Christ is making this happen,” Reams said. “I owe it all to him.”
The win helped Reams fulfill a promise to his horse. “I told him we wouldn’t have to go back in the Open finals tomorrow,” he said. “He’s done showing at this year’s Congress.”
Kaitlyn Smith is excited to take ‘George’ in Western Pleasure events next year. “We’ll be showing in the 14-18 classes next year,” she said. Smith showed Southerncomfortzone in NYATT Western Pleasure to a fourth place finish, and earned fifth in Novice Youth Western Pleasure at this year’s Congress.
“When we started hearing the judge’s placings, I started to get excited,” Kaitlyn said Reams and George earned two firsts and a second to cinch the first place title.
RJ King showed Momma Knows Best to win the Southern Belle Breeders portion of the Three Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Futurity for Lauren Love.
Homebred Hunter Under Saddle Champion
Amy Watts showed Iron I A Legacy to win the Two Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes.
“We raised this one,” Watts said. “He is by Iron Age and out of Moxies Legacy. “We’ve been breeding for this for a long time. It feels good. It is really rewarding to foal them out and watch them develop into a show horse.
“He is the sweetest horse, and he’s very mellow, and really Mr. Lazy Bones. You have to push him sometimes. He has a very natural flow – there’s nothing fabricated or animated about the way he moves.”
NSBA exhibitors will conclude their portion of the 2015 Congress on Saturday with Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Equitation and Western Riding classes, and the evening will culminate with the Masters Two Year Old Western Pleasure and Masters Two Year Old Hunter Under Saddle event, all in the Celeste Center. Barrel Racing and Pole Bending will also take place in the Coliseum.
To view show results or the remaining schedule of events, please visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com.
