I have been very fortunate to have competed and judged at many prestigious shows over the years. One such show that has been a very important part of both my youth and professional careers is The All-American Quarter Horse Congress.
In 1973, I attended my first All-American Quarter Horse Congress. Like most “newbies” to the quarter horse industry, I had heard about the Congress from my regional competitors but had yet to experience it myself.
As you can guess, at fourteen years old with my registered Quarter Horse, I was determined and excited. My family and I traveled to Ohio to experience this remarkable horse show. It was a big deal to compete and still is to this day.
You have no idea what you are in for until you experience all of the All-American Quarter Horse Congress: the numbers of entries per class, the quality of horses and showman from everywhere, and most of all, realizing the stamina you need to compete. The Congress is an all-day and all-night affair. You show during the day and train and practice during the night in the arenas. When I competed, we rode out on the track where Celeste Arena is now and had to put in the hours in order to succeed—an education for anyone who shows horses.
One of my fondest memories as a youth was the “Voice” of the Congress; this horse show announcer was like no other. To hear him welcome you to the Congress each morning made everyone feel welcome. I can still hear him in my mind; his name was Keith Bradley, and he had a beautiful, honest and exciting way to announce the winners.
Bradley had a way of making any placing seem important, and what I found especially outstanding was the way he would hesitate to build excitement and then say, “and the winner is…” What was even more exciting was that after the reining run he would hesitate, and if it was a really good score, he would say “the score…” and you knew it was going to be BIG! Keith passed away in 2012 and I can still hear him. I know the Quarter Horse Industry must miss him, he really was special to all of us.
As a judge, The Congress is one of those shows that really tests you personally and professionally. You must ask yourself: can you judge one class all day? You might be in the showmanship for eight to nine hours in the Cooper Arena; you might be in a trail class for ten hours; you might judge hunters for five hours, and then go to another arena and judge one western pleasure class for another five hours and then another class in another arena for four more hours.
You must adapt and you must work hard for many days in a row—maybe even work straight for the whole two weeks! You must concentrate and you must be on your toes. What helps you maintain your stamina is the management at Congress, which has always been amazing, to say the least. The management makes sure to keep you going!
Someone who I appreciated and enjoyed working for was Denny Hales. I know he is truly missed. He was a very special man who understood managing people, and while managing an event as large as the Congress causes many headaches, Denny was very pleasant and made you feel important as part of the team. Plus he kept you in check as a judge. I have always appreciated this show by seeing first hand all the mechanics that work together in order to make it all run.
Many Congress judging room stories are unprintable. One funny story I remember has to do with when the management gives you blazers to wear while judging at the beginning of the show. These blazers come in varied sizes. When a group of us were trying on what we thought were the “official” blazers, the other group of judges had sewn the sleeves shut, on all of them! Plus, the sizes were messed up to where mine was about the size of a huge man and vice-versa for the bigger men. We laughed like a bunch of school kids. It was a great way to have fun with each other. I have always left Congress feeling like most of the judges were like my brother or sister.
Judging Congress is always a fond memory, and while it takes weeks to recover, it is a great test in every way.
One of my favorite events at the Congress to watch was the Versatility class. In short, it consisted of several classes, and after you showed in the first one, you never left the arena. You had to have a village of people to help you, and these helpers brought you changes to or addition clothes, changes of equipment, saddles, bridles, protective gear, change of hats, etc. and all within minutes. The Open Versatility classes comprised of western pleasure, hunter under saddle, reining, and barrels.
One memory of the Versatility classes that has stayed with me my whole life is of Clark and Sarah Bradley showing a horse named, Margate. This horse was an amazing athlete, and of course, they both are amazing horsemen. Seeing this horse compete has stayed with me as well as an appreciation for these great horsemen.
I loved watching a horse adjust to fit all it asked and do it well, even running the barrels with ease and finesse. The Versatility was a great class and a great part of Congress, which made the show unique. It made a great impression on me and is part of why I love the versatility of the Quarter Horse.
Finally, I asked a friend of mine what they like most about Congress? They said, “Winning!” One particular memory of mine is from 1977 when I won the hunter under saddle and was 14-18 Youth All-Around. I won both titles with my favorite horse, Tom Raffles, and every time I go to Congress I still feel that excitement.
The enjoyment I have felt at the American Quarter Horse Congress and the memories I have made over the years have greatly impacted my times spent as both a competitor and a judge. Thank you Ohio Quarter Horse for all these great memories.
