Congress judges agreed that Rusty Green had the best seat in the house aboard Bestseatnthehouse, winning the Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity. Green and his wife Katie own the mare. The win brought $8,786.04 to the Greens, and an additional $4,574.80 for winning the Southern Belle Breeders portion of the class.
“She just has such a big presence in the ring,” said Katie Green. “She’s pretty special.” So special, in fact, that the Greens plan to keep her – something that doesn’t usually happen in a training barn. “I don’t think she will ever leave our barn,” Katie Green said.
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However, Thurston came back to win the Open division of the class, sweeping both classes with her mount, Good Will Huntin. The duo bested a field of 24 horses in the finals.
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Rainy Days and Mondays Bring Congress Champions
On a cold and rainy Monday at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, exhibitors warmed up to Congress championship wins at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. As they have been most of the year, Sharnai Thompson and Rock County Kid and Lauren Love and Wearin Only Moonlight were the last two exhibitors standing when results for the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Futurity were announced. The two have been first and second and even NSBA World Championship Show co-champions throughout the 2014 show season.
It was Hannah Friedl’s first American horse show, and she started at the top by winning the AQHA and NSBA Novice Amateur Horsemanship. The Salzburg, Austria Non-Pro showed Rip City Zip to the win Friday afternoon.
Thursday’s slate of NSBA-approved classes at the All American Quarter Horse Congress left a trail of champions from morning until night, beginning with three Trail classes on the morning’s agenda and ending with Hunter Under Saddle champions in the evening, with futurity and stakes classes in between.
Following up his first Congress win in the Limited division of the Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Western Pleasure on Wednesday, Aaron Moses became a two-time Congress champion by winning the Open division of the class with Cool Lookin Machine. Moses was a catch rider for the class, but had a few days to prepare. “I rode her for the past four or five days,” Moses said. “Casey (Willis) had her really well prepared. What I like about her, and what I think the judges liked about her, is that she’s just so consistent. She showed really well both days.”
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Several Congress Champions Named on a Busy Wednesday
On a day filled with futurity go-rounds, Limited division finals and AQHA events, Wednesday at the Congress was a busy day for horse show exhibitors. NSBA events kicked off in the afternoon with the Limited division finals of the Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes, with champions also named in the $10,000 Limited Horse, Limited Rider Open Western Pleasure and the Congress Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Maturity. AQHA and NSBA champions were also determined in Junior Hunter Under Saddle, Senior Hunter Under Saddle and Senior Western Pleasure.
In one of the first NSBA futurities of the 2014 Congress, Bethany Valentine and Al I Want Is You earned the Congress champion title and NSBA bronze in the Limited Division of the Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity. Valentine and “Wilt” have only been show partners since July, when the gelding was purchased at the Buckeye Classic AQHA show. The seven-year-old gelding is by Allocate Your Assets.
