Starland Ranch of El Reno, Oklahoma is looking forward to the Masters Classes at the All American Quarter Horse Congress on Saturday. Owners, Jim and Anneene Miller-Gustafson have one horse in the Masters Two-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Class and two in the Masters Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure.
“We have been really blessed this year to have three horses in the Masters Class at Congress,” Anneene Miller-Gustafson told us. “Although we raise world class western pleasure prospects, we didn’t set out with a plan to do this.”
Cool Cruzen Lady and Gil Galyean
Starland’s first entry in the Masters Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure is Cool Cruzen Lady. “Hazel” is by VS Flatline and out of Starland’s mare, Suddenly A Cool Lady who was the Masters Champion in 2011
“Hazel was special from her first breath and has become a really nice mare under the training of Gil Galyean who also showed her dam to the win in 2011,” Miller states. “She has been a spectacular prospect, and we have high hopes for her not only in the Masters but with a great career ahead of her. Gil has done a great job getting her ready for the show pen. We named her Cool Cruzen Lady because she was such a nice mover from a foal on, literally ‘cruzen’ across the pasture.”
Hazel’s trainer, Gil Galyean, adds, “I am looking forward to showing her. She has been very easy to train. She is a very elegant mare that is a good representative of what a western pleasure horse should look like as far as eye appeal, good self-carriage, demeanor, and effortless movement with a soft, good top line.”
Invee Me and Ashley Lakins
Starland Ranch’s other Masters Western Pleasure entry, Invee Me (Vanna), is by Invitation Only and out of a Lazy Loper mare. They purchased Invee Me from Debbi Trubee and Roger Landis of North Farm.
“She was on a video, and I kept going bac
k, and back, to watch her move,” Anneene recalls. “She is royally bred with having the number one and number two western pleasure sires on the top and bottom side. We thought she would make a great broodmare when her show career is finished.”
Starland decided to leave Vanna in Ohio and had Kenny and Ashley Lakins start her. “She proved herself to be quite impressive from the very beginning. Ashley has just clicked with her and has done a wonderful job training her. They are going to be a tough combination in the show ring as this mare is just awesome. She is named Invee Me and there have been a lot of people ‘envying her’ at the shows this season.”
Ashley Lakins agrees, “I am excited to have this quality of a horse to show. She is a pretty special mare that is good legged with a lot of try. She just keeps getting better and better.”
Al Les In Wonderland and Nancy Sue Ryan
Their third Master’s horse, Al Les In Wonderland (Alice) is a mare by Allocate Your Assets and out of a Last Detail mare. “She is another royally bred mare and she certainly is a wonder,” Anneene says. “She has an awesome front leg and back leg and hocks to match.”
Nancy Sue Ryan adds, “She is just a very nice mare, very pretty and very strong.”
Ryan found her as a yearling at Chuck Briggs’. “She was actually purchased for me to show in the hunt seat this year, but it didn’t work out, in a good way!” Anneene shares. “We are so proud that she has turned out so well and that she is at the level to compete in the Masters Hunter Under Saddle Class. Nancy Sue and Colt Andrews have done a fantastic job training her. We have been so happy with her progress and are excited to see her in the show ring. Nancy Sue does an awesome job, and we are so happy to have her helping us.”
Final Thoughts
“We are so excited and proud to see all three of our horses compete. It will be very nerve wracking and harder to watch having two in one class,” Anneene says. “The cream always rises to the top, and we certainly hope we will be there this year.”
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