GoHorseShow would like to congratulate Angie Watts Schmeck and her daughter, Erin Mask on the purchase of Congress Champion Justa Machine. Cheryl Mullikin of Beavercreek, Ohio owned the three year-old gelding under the supervision of Wade Black. “Ziggy” is sired by Machine Made and out of the great mare, Zip N Therapy, who is also the dam of such greats as RL Best Of Sudden.
“It’s always a bittersweet moment when I sell one of my horses, but I’m very thankful to have been part of Ziggy’s two very successful years as a two and three year old as Wade did an awesome job with him,” Cheryl told us. “He’s a great horse and I know with his new partner, Erin, they will go on to a very successful show career. I wish this new team the best of luck.”
With trainer Wade Black, in 2014, Justa Machine won the Limited Division of the Congress 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Stakes and the duo was also Top-10 at the AQHA World Show. Ziggy went on to have a very successful three year-old year with wins at the NSBA World in the the Three Year-Old Intermediate BCF Western Pleasure class.
New owner, youth exhibitor Erin Mask of Newnan, Georgia, will make her debut with him in the western pleasure at the Florida circuits in January.
“We’ve watched Ziggy since he first started showing and have always liked him,” Mask said.”He has the exact same marking on his face as my old pleasure mare, so we always recognized him when we saw him. (pictured below with 2014 AQHYA Reserve World Champion, Only Because Im Good). We plan on showing him in the pleasure in 2016 while he is learning the all around events and eventually add more classes. I’m very excited to see him learn the trail and western riding.”
Wade Black told us told us that he originally saw Ziggy at a show when he had about 60 days on him. He was with Brian Ale.
“Once I saw him, I knew he was going to be special and was a good choice for Cheryl’s next futurity prospect,” says Black. In 2007, after a 25 year break, Mullikin returned to showing with a bang owning such horses as Heavenly Mac, Extremely Hot Chips, and Historyrepeatsitsself.
Black adds, “He’s very natural and has a lot of flow, it’s not hard for him to do his job. We have had a great run and have won a lot of futurities, but he got me my first Congress Championship so that will be something I will always remember with him.”
Black told us that Ziggy will remain under his supervision where he will also show him in the Junior Western Pleasure. “He’s going to have a great career as an all-arounder. Erin is a great rider and they really match up well together. They are going to have a successful future together for sure.”
As far as Cheryl’s future plans?
“Cheryl still has her pleasure mare, Got My Swag On that she will continue to campaign in the Select Amateur Western Pleasure,” Black says, “But, we will be on the look out for that next special futurity horse.”
We wish both Cheryl and Erin the best of luck next year!
