CLAREMORE, OK – The Madness, held May 8-17 in Wilmington, Ohio and the Redbud Spectacular, held May 30-June 7 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will host the two Great American Stallion Incentive events this year, offering opportunity for western pleasure and western riding horses to compete for a piece of the $30,000 incentive purse for 2020.
“The new Great American Stallion Incentive is designed to create a large purse to give owners, trainers, and breeders a reward for their hard work and money invested in breeding, raising and training these amazing animals,” explained Kristen Galyean, creator of the incentive program. Galyean’s two stallions, VS Code Red and VS Flatline are subsidizing the $30,000 purse this year.
“As a stallion owner, I asked myself how I could help create some excitement for the industry and give back to those investing in its future. That’s where the Great American Stallion Incentive was born.”
The Madness, hosted by the Southern Ohio Quarter Horse Association, will be the location for the Great American Stallion Incentive Western Pleasure, held within their SOQHA 3 & Over Novice Western Pleasure slot class on May 15. The $20,000 award will be paid to the highest placing eligible horse sired by VS Code Red or VS Flatline in the class.
The Redbud Spectacular, hosted by the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association, will be the location for the Great American Stallion Incentive Western Riding, held within their 4-5 Year Old Open $5,000 Added Western Riding Futurity. The $10,000 award will be paid to the highest placing eligible horse sired by VS Code Red or VS Flatline in the class.
For a horse to be eligible for the Great American Stallion Incentive, the owner must have a paid-in-full 2020 breeding to either enrolled stallion – VS Code Red or VS Flatline. Eligible horses must be nominated for the SOQHA 3 & Over Novice Western Pleasure or the Redbud Spectacular 4-5-Year-Old Open Western Riding Futurity by April 15, 2020. For owners of horses that do not have a 2020 breeding, horses sired by either stallion may be entered into the incentive with a $3,500 entry fee to nominate the horse by April 15, 2020.
“My goal for the incentive is to promote the pleasure horse industry and bring excitement to the events for the owners, trainers, and breeders,” said Galyean. I would love to see it continue to grow every year with additional stallions entering the program to reward more foals.”
“Showing horses has had a monumental impact on my life,” explained Galyean. “I started out showing a retired racehorse in every 4-H competition that I could talk my mom and dad into taking me to. I loved every second I spent on the back of a horse. I’ll never forget the moment I had the opportunity to sit on the back of a real show horse – Conclusive Bar Cody. Professional Horsewoman, Jackie Krshka was giving me my very first riding lesson, and the feel of ‘Milton’ is something I will remember forever. From that moment, I was hooked for life.”
“Fast forward to today, horses have opened so many doors for me and taught me the importance of hard work and the confidence that comes with achieving your goals. Showing horses helped shape me into who I am today. I’m very thankful for the industry that gave me a platform to enjoy the American Quarter Horse with my friends and family. It’s important to me that I do my part to help ensure the quarter horse industry continues to thrive so my daughters and future generations have the opportunity to enjoy and grow up in such an amazing environment that the American Quarter Horse Association provided me.”
Kristen Galyean, at [email protected] or 918-629-6878 or visit www.vsthebeatgoeson.com, www.vscodered.com, www.vsflatline.com.
