When Doc Brown and Marty McFly went into the future to October 21, 2015, they probably never imagined they would find themselves at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. But for a number of NSBA exhibitors, the infamous date proved one full of good luck.
Berganztel Wins 3-4 Year Old Trail Stakes
Jess Berganztel started out the morning by winning a Congress championship in the Three and Four Year Old Trail Stakes with My Only Impulse. They are seen at left. (Photo courtesy of Heather Berganztel.) The duo won $4,455.20 for the win for owner Carli Quandahl. My Only Impulse is by Only In The Moonlite.
Berganztel and the four year old mare, known as Pepper, earned a 222.5, a half point higher score than three competitors who tied for second at 222 each. “What I love about Trail is that on any given day, especially at a big show like a world show or the Congress, there are 20 horses who could be the champion,” Berganztel said.
“Pepper is very calm, and she stays very focused. She’s always been pretty careful ever since I started her. She was pretty good on the course today. It was a nice course that rode really well. She really started to come together during the NSBA World Show, and has just improved since then.”
Berganztel is thankful for the Three and Four Year Old Trail Stakes class. “It gives the younger horses a chance to win a little money, and it levels the playing field a little bit more for the younger horses to show,” he said.
Tordoff Takes Youth 12-14 Hunter Under Saddle
Olivia Tordoff added to her 2015 Congress trophy count by winning the AQHA and NSBA championship in Youth Hunter Under Saddle 12-14 with Too Blazin Cool. (Pictured at right)
Earlier in the week, Tordoff had won reserve champion in Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle 14-18, and she also showed her gelding Sterling Version to wins in 12-14 Horsemanship and the NYATT Horsemanship. In addition, her sister, Alexia, showed Blazing Hot N Gold, to firsts in the Novice Youth 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle and the 11 and Under Hunter Under Saddle.
By Blazing Hot and out of Cool Looking Lady, Too Blazin Cool was raised by Knapp Quarter Horses and started by Vicky Holt. The Tordoff family bought the gelding at the end of September.
“His barn name is Willy,” Tordoff said. “He’s pretty green, so I have to keep checking in with him to make sure I have his attention. He was really good in the class today. Eventually I’d like to add Horsemanship and Equitation with him.”
Jacobs Wins First Congress Title With Doodle Jump
For Jenna Jacobs, winning the AQHA and NSBA 15-18 Youth Hunter Under Saddle couldn’t have been a better way to end her youth career with her show partner, Doodle Jump. “This is my very first Congress win with him. Up until now, Heidi (Piper) has had all the fun at the Congress with him,” she said.
“He was so fun. He was really attentive the whole class, and was such a good boy. When we started to get called out under the judges, I tried not to get my hopes up after the first judge. But when I knew we had it, I was so excited.” Jacobs and Doodle Jump earned three firsts and a second under the four judges.
“I owe it all to my lucky breeches,” Jacobs said. “I have this pair of breeches that have a hole in the top. I wore them at the Youth World and the NSBA World and won, and so I had to wear them here!”
Freeman Wins Novice Youth 13 & Under Western Pleasure
A soft-spoken little girl and her gelding took home some big trophies as the champions in the AQHA and NSBA Novice Youth Western Pleasure 13 & Under when Hayley Freeman and Suddenly Best Man won the class.
“We call him Logan, and he is six years old. He has a big personality. He’s very sweet, and he always tries really hard,” Freeman said of her horse. “I’ve been working with him for about a year.” Freeman rides with trainers Nick and Carmen Mayabb.
“Our go in the finals was a lot better than our first go. It felt really good,” she said. The duo also showed in the 12-14 Youth Western Pleasure, where they placed seventh.
Susan Roberts Earns Fourth Congress Amateur Select Western Pleasure Title
You could say Susan Roberts has a lock on the Amateur Select Western Pleasure class at the Congress. She earned her fourth Congress championship title in the class, and her third consecutive award with her current mount, Only A Breeze. (Shown at left) She had previously won the class in 2012 with Only Ever After, and earned the reserve title with that mount in 2010.
“I love her,” Roberts said of her mare, known as Abby. “She is so special. She always gives a 100 percent all the time, and there is no crabbiness with her. She always has her ears up and is happy. I think almost anyone could show her,” she said.
“I knew when we went in that she was going to be good,” Roberts said. “Rusty (Green) had warmed her up for me and said she was good, and she was. She just goes in and does her job.”
Roberts is awaiting two foals out of Abby in 2016. “We have one foal coming by No Doubt Im Lazy, and one by Nite Moves,” she said. “I can’t wait. I just want to see her pass along her personality and attitude. And I want girl babies!”
Dempze, Cannizzaro Earn Two Year Old Western Pleasure Championships
Two of the Two Year Old Western Pleasure classes held finals on Wednesday, including the Two Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes and the Two Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity.
Jenna Dempze piloted Special N I Know It to win the Two Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes, earning $3,284.22. “We bought her at the Tom Powers this year from one of Jennifer Stein’s customers,” Dempze said. “Gil rushed up to me on the golf cart and told me I needed to see her. I went and looked at this little sorrel mare, and she was really cute. After I rode her for a few minutes, we knew she was the one.”
Special N I Know It is by One Hot Krymsun and out of a daughter of Zippo Pine Bar. “She is such a sweet mare. She’s getting really tired, because this was the fourth time she has been shown,” Dempze said. “She was really good in the finals. She listened really well and showed really well, even though I had to work pretty hard to keep her going.”
Known as Rocket, Dempze said the mare can live up to her name at times. “She’s funny. She can be like a rocket when she’s fresh, and play on the ground. But once you get on her back, she’s all business.”
Aaron Bovos showed UF Rockin The House to win the Southern Belle Breeders portion of the class.
In The Two Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity, Angie Cannizzaro showed Whos Chasing Who to the win and a pay check of $13,744.26 for owners Scott and Linda Berwick. It was the first Congress win for the Berwicks, on the first foal they have raised. “This is just awesome,” said Linda Berwick. “It’s a dream come true.” (Cannizzaro and Whos Chasing Who are pictured at left.)
Known as Mal, the grey mare is by Only In The Moonlite and out of Whos Cheating Who. “I love everything about this mare,” said Cannizzaro.
“I’ve loved her ever since Linda sent her to me. I love her jog, her floatiness, her lope. She just has a presence to her. I knew she was going to be good, and I was just able to show her with confidence. She’s a big mare at 16.1, so I had to pass a couple of times. I just tried to put her in spots where she wouldn’t get bound up.”
The Two Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity finals had a definite Purcell, Oklahoma connection – four of the top five riders were from Purcell. Aaron Moses showed Zippin A Breeze to the reserve title (and was a clear crowd favorite in the class), while Denton DeBuhr showed On My Level to third, and Gil Galyean rode Hawaiian Honey to fifth place, with Randy Wilson the only non-Oklahoman in the top five placing fourth with Lopin Like Im Hot.
Additional Congress champions on Wednesday included a couple of repeat winners. They included Dan Yeager and Cee Money, winning AQHA and NSBA Select Amateur Showmanship, and Angela Fox and The Company You Keep winning Amateur Showmanship. Other champions included Jennifer Johnson and Smooth Coastin Luke, winning NSBA Novice Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation and placing third overall; BMQ Stop For Traffic and Nya Kearns, winning NSBA Youth Hunt Seat Equitation 12-14 and earning reserve in the AQHA portion of the class; Hailey Germain and Dancin My Blues Away, winning NSBA and AQHA Novice Youth Hunt Seat Equitation 14-18; and Lacy Watson and June Has The Details, winning AQHA and NSBA Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle.
The Congress continues on Thursday with Trail, Hunt Seat Equitation, Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle classes as well as the start of Pole Bending and Barrel Racing classes. To view complete show results or see the show schedule, visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com.
