The 2026 NSBA World Championship Show held its inaugural VS Code Red English Versatility class on Tuesday, August 18, during which English horses were asked to perform a series of maneuvers to show off their athleticism and versatility.
Jessica Johnson showed NSBA’s 2025 Hunter Jumper Horse of the Year, DGS Legacy, to the win for owner Robin DeGraff.
“I think it’s awesome to show that these horses that are jumping can also do other things. And from the professional side, it’s really fun to go back to the ‘old days’ and be able to do some Equitation work again,” Johnson said. “Other than riding the Hunters, I don’t really get to do that now except for this class. It’s really fun to go back to it.”
Pattern Proves Versatility
In the pattern, horses started at a walk, moved into a posting trot, went into a canter coming around across and moving into a lead change, continuing to canter over a set of poles, then broke to an extended sitting trot back down to a collected trot, trotting over poles, stopped, backed and did a side-pass. “It was very fun,” Jessica said. “It was really good not only to show how versatile they are but it is also so good for their minds to get to do something different.”
DGS Legacy seemed especially suited to the pattern. “He is so good minded,” Jessica said. “If he could be a Youth or Amateur Equitation horse, he would be fantastic. He’s so willing to do all of the things and it’s so easy for him. The horses that come through my program already are trained to do all of the things that we do in the patterns so it becomes a natural part of his training to keep him fresh. It was nice to be able to put that to use. He loves new things and new challenges. This is his first year as a Senior horse and he is proving that he definitely belongs up there with all the other Senior horses.”
The VS Code Red English Versatility Series is sponsored by Katie Van Slyke. The NSBA World Show class is the eighth stop of ten events across the country, with two more left in the year. The series pays out more than $1,500 for top earners at each event. The VS Code Red English Versatility will feature a year-end recognition that includes prizes from Butet Saddles, Holly Spagnola and Espoir Equestrian.
“We are very appreciative to Katie Van Slyke for being the sponsor of this series and for her work behind the scenes to help us grow the Hunters again,” Jessica said. “I want to thank all of the people who have been behind this from Sarah Chabot to Lainie DeBoer to Holly White, David Warner and Lance Bryson, and several others who have been behind the scenes, reached out to Katie Van Slyke, and who put this all together. I appreciate the hard work they have done.”
The top five award winners in the AQHA English Versatility at the NSBA World Show were:
Champion: DGS Legacy, Jessica Johnson for Robin DeGraff, $1,679.05
Reserve Champion: Easy Peazy, Tyler Haney for Flentje Enterprises LLC, $737.76
Third: One Broken Halo, Colton LaSusa for Cindy M. Watson, $546.50
Fourth: Give Me A Good Alibi, Marion Troyer for Maryn Klaus, $273.25
Fifth: KM Some Like It Best, Hannah Lind for Rhonda Lynn Lavelle, $245.93
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