NSBA members had a busy day on Thursday at the 2015 All American Quarter Horse Congress, with several different disciplines showing throughout the day and evening. We caught up with some of the day’s champions.
Trail of Champions
The second year for the division of Green Trail into Junior and Senior divisions proved to again be a success, with 81 horses shown in Junior and 67 horses shown in the Senior division.
“I love that the Junior and Senior horses are separated,” said Shannon Gillespie. “At a show this big and this deep, the Senior horses have an advantage even if they are new to Trail because they’ve been shown, so it makes it really nice for the Junior horses.”
Jess Bergantzel agreed. “With the size of the Congress classes, breaking out the age groups is justified,” he said. “It really does give the Junior horses a better shot to do well.”
Gillespie piloted First N Line to win AQHA and NSBA Junior Green Trail for owner Susan Juroe, scoring a 226. It was an emotional win for the Gillespies, as well as for Juroe, who was unable to be at the Congress for the class.
“We lost Susan’s great show horse, Too Sleepy For Candy, last year in October, so last year was really hard,” said Tim Gillespie. “We had found ‘Kenny’ earlier this year and got him in June. He’s Susan’s mare, Mandy, in a gelding’s body. He is the perfect replacement for her. I really believe we had an angel horse watching over us today.”
For Juroe, the win was nerve-wracking, trying to follow the action from afar. “The live feed for the video had gone out, so I couldn’t see the run,” she said. “Tim had texted me that it was a really good run, but then we had to sit through the rest of the gos. I thought it would be great to finish in the top 20. I’m thrilled that we won the class.”
The double-registered AQHA and APHA gelding is by RL Best of Sudden and out of a Zippos Sheik mare. “We had a really good pattern, and he really paid attention and stayed focused the whole time,” said Shannon Gillespie. “This is a place where a horse can easily get distracted. I loved it because he stepped exactly where I asked him to.”
The Junior Trail had an unexpected interruption when the lights went out in the Celeste arena. Nick Mayabb was on course with More To Zip at the time, and was just working the last obstacle. “I had had a really nice go going, and I just decided to go for it,” he said. The judges scored his run at 224, earning the duo fifth place for owner Ken Mullen.
In the Senior Green Trail, Jess Bergantzel showed Sheza Slow Breeze to the NSBA and AQHA championship.
“I bought her a year ago,” Bergantzel said of the mare he calls Carrie. “She was really good. She’s just always been naturally careful from the beginning. She has a lot of presence, and it’s new enough to her that she always puts her ears up and looks at the obstacles.” Sheza Slow Breeze is by Zippo Shadow Watch.
In Novice Youth Trail, Giorgia Medows added a second AQHA and NSBA championship with a win on Mostly Chocolate. “I just got ‘Chuckie’ this summer, and we just started doing Trail this year,” Medows said. They are pictured at left.
“Our first show was the Big A in Trail. But even though we haven’t had him very long, I ride him every day and I’ve gotten to know his personality. He’s very sweet. Plus he has been in our barn with my trainer, Blake Weis for a long time.”
When asked about the most challenging part of the Trail course, Medows said “the trot obstacles and the side-by-side obstacles were probably the toughest for us. But he was really good, and I’m really happy with our run.” The duo scored a 223 for the win.
Western Pleasure Champions Named
The ApHC registered gelding Rock My Motion and Sara Simons made it a sweep of the $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure Stakes. After winning the Limited division of the class yesterday, the duo won the Open division as well on Thursday.
“He showed amazing,” Simons said. “He is such a great show horse. He loves his job. I’m really just stunned by all this. I’m thrilled and I just feel so lucky to be able to show a horse this great and to have customers that were willing to let us bring him here. And JR (King) and I have the greatest support team ever.”
Rock My Motion will next go to the Appaloosa World Championship Show in a week.
Steve Reams also had an emotional win with Southerncomfortzone, winning AQHA and NSBA divisions of Green Western Pleasure for owner Wesley Smith.
“We had seen him two years ago as a two year old and we were in love with him,” Reams said. “He just has a super hock set, and he’s what I call a pure hocked horse. He just goes so pure behind. He’s by Suddenly Yours and was raised by JR Reichert. And Jay Starnes won the very first Masters on his mother.”
Known as Georgie, the three year old gelding will show with 13 year old Kaitlyn Smith in Novice Youth 13 & Under Western Pleasure and National Youth Activity Team Tournament Western Pleasure, representing North Carolina.
“Kaitlyn won the All Age Novice Horse/Novice Rider Western Non-Pro Pleasure at the NSBA World Show and won it, and I was reserve champion with him in the Hylton Maiden class this year. We also tied to win at the Little Futurity with Rusty Green and Momma Knows Best. He just gives you his heart and soul. I give all the credit to my Lord and Savior – he just lets me go around and ride.”
Shannon Curl and Impulse of Hope (seen at right) won the Southern Belle Breeders portion of the $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure Stakes, showing for Jerry and Vickie Strickland.
Shank Wins 13 & Under Youth Horsemanship
Karissa Shank and Assets Miss Reba bested the field to win the AQHA and NSBA 11 & Under Youth Horsemanship.
“He was really good,” Shank said. “He listened really well. I especially liked the 270 turn into a lop and the extended trot in our pattern.”
Justin Beamer and Dawn Sechler Win Limited Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes
Dawn Sechler earned her first Congress championship with Justin Beamer, winning the Limited division of the Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes. “I’ve been reserve champion before, but this is our first Congress championship,” she said. “I’m very excited to get it. She is shown with trainer Alyse Roberts at right.
“He was just really good in our finals,” Sechler said. “We picked him out because we saw what a great mover he is. I think the judges liked his top line and his consistency. I feel like he is really going to make a great all around horse one day.”
Earlier this year, Sechler saw success at the NSBA World Championship Show with her gelding. “We were two time world champions and placed in the top five in all of our other classes,” she said. “We had a great show.”
Sechler enjoys showing the Three Year Old Non-Pro classes, and will be offering her mount for sale to begin a new project next year. But first, she will show him in the Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes, and Alyse Roberts will show in the Open Three Year Old Hunter Under Saddle.
Taylor Searles and Al Be Your Sweet Art (seen at left) won the Southern Belle Breeders portion of the Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes, Limited division.
Other champions on Thursday included Chex Is The Choice and Natalia Devencenty, winning AQHA and NSBA Youth Hunt Seat Equitation 15-18; and sister champions – Oliva Tordoff and Sterling Version, champions in AQHA and NSBA Youth Horsemanship 12-14, and Alexia Tordoff and Blazing Hot N Gold, AQHA and NSBA champions in Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle 14-18.
The All American Quarter Horse Congress continues on Friday with Trail, Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure classes along with Youth Halter Geldings. To view complete show results, the show schedule or a link to the live online video feed of the show, visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com.
