The end of the season often marks the beginning of new partnerships to cheer for in the coming year. One exciting new pair is AQHYA World Champion exhibitor London Nietzer and multiple World and Congress Champion, Only Martinis For Me (aka “Phil”) by The Best Martini.
Getting to Know London
Fourteen-year-old London and her mom, Ashley Nietzer are looking forward to London’s first year in the 14-18 age division, and they couldn’t have found a better partner for London than Phil.
London, who’s been riding horses since she was three years old and who has been riding under the guidance of Clint Ainsworth (Ainsworth Show Horses) for the past three years, describes herself as a true “horse girl.”
“I’ve always loved riding and showing horses,” London smiles. “I think it’s really special to be able to form a connection with your horse and show that partnership off in the arena. The relationships I’ve made with my horses have been some of my favorite memories.”
London found great success in 2024 and 2025, showing Good Evanescence (aka “Gretchen”).
Together, Gretchen and London won both the Level 2 and Level 3 Showmanship at the 2025 AQHYA World Show – showmanship being one of London’s favorite classes. The duo was also the 2024 Congress All-Around Novice Youth 13-and-Under Champions, winning the Level 1 Youth Horsemanship and Showmanship.
The partnership with Gretchen came at the perfect time for London, whose prior show horse was out with an injury. Lyla Bellar, Gretchen’s owner, was heading off to college, and the Bellar family graciously allowed London to lease and show Gretchen until she could find a horse of her own.
London gushes, “Taz and Lyla Bellar have been such an important part of my journey, and Gretchen is a phenomenal horse. I really consider Gretchen to be one of my heart horses, and I’m so incredibly thankful for the opportunities the Bellars gave me with her. Taz has been one of our biggest supporters, and that has meant a lot.”
This year, the Nietzers knew Gretchen’s lease was coming to an end, so they put Ainsworth on the hunt for the right partner for London to continue her youth career with.
By the summer, the search turned more serious and, despite trying numerous horses, the stars didn’t align. It wasn’t until the Congress that London found the right fit in Phil.
Getting to Know Phil
In 2025, Phil and Klay McDowall dominated the Amateur Horsemanship with Champion titles at the NSBA World and Cinch Invitational and were unanimous winners at both the Congress and AQHA World Show. Additionally, they earned top finishes in Trail and Western Riding.
McDowall reminisces, “Phil is a very special horse who will always be an important part of my life. He’s a quirky guy. He, like myself, doesn’t love people in his personal space, but will quickly change his attitude for treats.”
McDowall continues, “Of all the horses I’ve ever had, Phil tries the hardest in the show pen. There were many times when we couldn’t get something right in the practice pen, no matter how many times we tried. Then, when the pressure was on in the show pen, Phil was 100% there, and we got it right.”
McDowall believes Phil is such a great horse because he always shows up when it matters, “Some horses get nervous to show or don’t like the intensity of a class like the horsemanship. But not Phil, he gets better with pressure.”
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to teach Phil what he knows over these last four years together and to have been with him since the start of his show career. It’s been so enjoyable to see him learn and grow into the horse he is today. He’s taught me a lot about myself as a rider.”
McDowall didn’t have concrete plans to sell Phil, but was open to letting him move on to the right home. When his father, Kelly McDowall, and Ainsworth discussed the possibility of London trying Phil at the Congress, McDowall was willing to see if they were a match.
What Dreams May Come
When London had the opportunity to try Phil at the Congress, the Nietzers had little hope of catching lightning in a bottle.
“We had tried multiple horses between NSBA and the Congress and, while some were very strong contenders, none of them panned out for one reason or another,” Ashley explains.
“Clint told us there might be an option to purchase Phil from Klay. We had actually seen Phil several years ago when Klay was starting him, and we were at Kelly’s barn trying a different horse. Since then, Phil’s always been on our radar, especially once he started having so much consistent success. We were excited to have the chance to try him, but also had no expectations.”
Ashley continues, “I’m a firm believer that, sometimes, when you try too hard to find one, they’re harder to find. I had almost given up, but when London sat on Phil, she trotted around, did a 360 turn, and when she looked back at Clint and I, her smile was radiating joy. I knew immediately he was the horse we had been searching for.”
London adds, “I just love Phil! He has such a great expression in the show pen – I feel like he loves his job. He and Klay were so incredible all year, and I’m very excited to get to work with Phil. I hope we make Klay proud of us.”
Ashley laughs, “The first time we drove out of the farm after buying him, London fed Phil treats and told him, ‘You don’t know it yet, but we’re going to be best friends.’”
She continues, “Phil is so special to Klay, and we appreciate how much he loved him and acknowledge how much effort he put into making Phil the horse he is. We are so thankful he trusted us with his horse.”
Ainsworth agrees, “I’m super excited to start this new journey with Phil and London. I’m grateful for Kelly and Klay giving us the first opportunity with Phil. They knew we were looking for something special, and it means a lot to me that they considered us a good match for Phil. London is very ambitious and talented, so I think Phil will do a great job of matching London’s riding style and personality.”
McDowall is optimistic about Phil’s future with London and Ainsworth, “I’m so excited for London to get to experience what a great show horse Phil is. I’m looking forward to watching them grow with each other and, of course, I will be wishing them great success.”
In 2026, London and Phil plan to show at the majors in the 14-18 Youth classes, including: horsemanship, western riding, and trail. They also hope to add showmanship and equitation to their repertoire throughout the year. London dreams of making the Top Ten at the Youth World with Phil and having a great first campaign together.
Ashley concludes, “I’m so happy that we found Phil, and I’m thankful to Clint’s tireless efforts in finding the right match for London. He is great at putting teams together, and I know they are going to accomplish wonderful things under Clint’s guidance.”
