Hi, everyone! My name is Kellie Morris from Wilmington, North Carolina. I am thrilled to be at the 2016 Adequan Select World Show in Amarillo. I am here with my horse, Mostly Chocolate, competing in the showmanship, horsemanship, and equitation.
My parents, Lila and Delton Morris, and great friend, Kimberly Franklin, will be in the stands cheering us on.
A big thank you to my trainers, Shane and Cindy Young, for all their hard work to get us here. I am really looking forward to a fun week filled with lots of great horses and competitors. Good luck to all the exhibitors and enjoy the experience.
Stay tuned for some great pictures and stories from the show.
Picture #6 – Saturday, September 3rd, 2016 – Final Picture of the Day
As the 2016 Select World Show comes to a close, exhibitors definitely “put their best foot forward.” Mary Sawyers of Dallas, Texas was at the show to make sure all the exhibitors were ready for the show pen. Mary has been shining boots for Select exhibitors since the very first Select World Show in 2003. What began as a part time job soon turned into a full-time business. Mary brings her boot shining skills to all three AQHA World Shows. Today, Billy Frank was in the chair “making sure his boots looked as good as his horse.”
I thoroughly enjoyed doing a picture of the day for GoHorseShow and I hope everyone has a safe trip home! Until next year!
Picture #5 – Friday, September 2nd, 2016
Meet Cricket…….Paula Overstreet’s traveling pooch. We all know horse people not only love their equine partners but they love their furry travel companions just as much. Cricket is a miniature Australian Shepard and goes everywhere with Paula. What makes Cricket so special is that she is a TV junkie. She will spend hours in front of the TV and seems to really have taken a liking to bull riding!
Picture #4 – Thursday, September 1st, 2016
The Searles team had a lot to be proud of Thursday! They had the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in a very tough Trail finals. Katherine Tobin took the World Championship title with Suddenly A Good Bar (Roanie) with an impressive score of 234.5.
“Roanie is special!” Kathy Tobin (pictured here, far right) told me after her win. “He loves his peppermints, and I try to ‘bribe’ him to help me out. He helped me today big time. He’s so sweet. He had won Select Trail with Charlene Lane before. I just tried to do what Jim, Deanna and Charlene told me to do. Everything miraculously came together today. Thank Heavens! He enjoys his job when I ride him how he should be ridden. (Laughs) We’ve been together since March and I’m so grateful to Charlene for allowing me to buy such a wonderful horse.”
Cathy Frank (pictured left) took the Reserve World Championship title with her longtime partner Hanks A Skip N Zippo who she has owned for the past 10 years. Hank was laid up all of 2015 recovering from surgery, and thankfully has come back better than ever. “In all my years of showing, this is my first ever globe,” Frank told me. “I was thrilled when we made it to the Top 10 and surprised when we made it to the Top 5, But when we were named Reserve World Champions, I was in total disbelief.”
Bonnie Elber (pictured middle) with Zip Past The Jag also carried the Bronze trophy out of the arena to wrap up the clean sweep of the top three trophies for the Searles’ barn. Way to represent ladies!
When I talked to the trio, they were in agreement when asked how it felt to be out there in that arena, “Amazing”, “Fabulous”, and “Blessed” was how these ladies described the moment. They were all quick to thank their trainers, Jim and Deanna Searles, and “the village” of supporters it takes to compete at this level. Their motto is “Believe.” All three of these talented ladies entered the arena today believing and their dreams came true!
Picture#3 – Wednesday, August 31, 2016
What a great perk offered to exhibitors…the Ride the Pattern clinics! Professional Horseman Dave Miller gave a great Ride The Pattern for the hunt seat equitation with Leslie Lange in the irons. Exhibitors had the opportunity to see the class pattern ridden based on the judges’ expectations and ask questions. A big thank you to Nutrena for sponsoring these clinics. They were very informative and always well attended.
Picture #2 – Tuesday, August 30th, 2016
It is the first trip to the Select World Show for Kristi Stallings of Powells Point, North Carolina. Kristi has overcome some health issues to check one dream and goal off her bucket list – showing at the Select World! Kristi originally started with hunters as a young child, but, at age 16, a friend introduced her to Quarter Horses, and she fell in love with the breed and has been involved with Quarter Horses ever since. Kristi showed her mare, Radical Rachel, in showmanship and gives “praise and glory to God” for the opportunity to be here this year. While she did not make the finals, “Just to be able to enter that area and know that I was competing with some of the best horses and exhibitors around was a dream come true!”
Picture #1 – Monday, August 29, 2016
I had the pleasure to visit with Wendy Katz Brodersen from Bonsall, California. Wendy is showing a home bred and raised mare, One Hot Royality, in the showmanship, horsemanship, and trail under the guidance of Evans Performance Horses.
Wendy actually showed her mare’s dam, I am Royality at the AQHA World Show about 15 years ago and is excited to be showing one she raised. When asked about what keeps her love of showing going, Wendy summed it up wonderfully, “It’s a personal journey. I want to achieve that level of excellence and do it for myself.”
Wendy competed today in the trail and made the finals. Good luck to her and all the exhibitors and enjoy the ride!
