Simons Show Horses of Aubrey, Texas has an outstanding group of 14-18 youth ready for the APHA Youth World coming up later this month. Head trainer, Sara Simons, is well known for turning world and futurity champion western pleasure horses into outstanding all-around winners.
“I enjoy taking the pretty movers that do well in the pleasure futurities and teaching them more events,” Sara told GoHorseShow.com. “Since modern western pleasure horses make fancier all around horses, I am constantly developing new all around horses from western pleasure futurity horses. As a result, most of the all around horses in the barn are young and often green. In turn, it is imperative to teach the riders to be pilots, not passengers.”
Simons has attracted youth exhibitors who live in various parts of the United States and Canada, including Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Delaware, and British Columbia. In contrast to some trainers, Simons doesn’t mind long-distance clients. Since most of the youth clients in Simons’ barn have started with successful futurity horses, it is crucial for the green all around horses to have a solid understanding of the new events before the client comes to ride. After Simons has built a foundation with the horse, it works well for the students to come spend an extended weekend learning their horses and seeing the progress they have made in their all around training.
Like many other all around trainers, Sara competed at the highest level in all around youth and amateur events years ago. Sara was transforming western pleasure horses into all around horses then as well. This background and understanding of what it takes to transition young horses into multi-event horses helps her to effectively bring teams together. She not only knows the horses well from all the one-on-one time she gets to spend with each horse, but also understands what the rider is experiencing with a green horse.
Pictured left to right is Taylor Prince, Taylor Dixon, Sara Simons, Calli Rouse and Hannah Stephens. Photo © Cappy Jackson
Their lineup for this year’s APHA Youth World is quite impressive with Taylor Prince and One Flashy Sensation (Mel) who is one of the most decorated paints in the show ring today. This now six year-old mare has won World Championships in Two Year-Old Western Pleasure, Three Year-Old Western Pleasure Challenge, Junior Western Pleasure, Junior Trail, and Junior Western Riding (twice) with Sara Simons.
Taylor and Mel were very successful in their debut in the all-around events at the Youth World last year. This duo was 14-18 All-around champions with wins in the 14-18 Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail and Western Riding. Prince has not been able to show much this year due to her attending college at TCU and her responsibilities on the equestrian team, but she is looking forward to a successful world show. This ten-time World Champion team will be making their final appearance in the APHA Youth events this year.
Calli Rouse of British Columbia and Chansation will be competing in the youth 14-18 all-around events at all the major APHA shows this year including the World Show. This team was the Tulsa March Mania Circuit Champions in the Youth Hunter Under Saddle 14-18 and Green Trail. They will be showing in the equitation, horsemanship, showmanship, western pleasure, hunter under saddle, and trail at this year’s World Show. Simons says that Rouse is a very good rider and will be joining Prince on the TCU equestrian team next year. Sara is helping Calli transition from her previous, very experienced mount to “Chani,” who showed tons of all around potential in her very successful NSBA futurity career.
Taylor Dixon of Smryrna, Delaware has been having an outstanding show season to date with her new horse, My Sensational Cookie. “Junior” epitomizes Sara’s idea of a modern western pleasure horse turned all around horse. He started his remarkable futurity career with prestigious all breed wins at the Tom Powers, Southern Belle, and Reichert Celebration as a two year- old. Most recently, he accumulated World and Reserve World titles in 2010 in Junior Western Pleasure, Junior Western Riding and Bridleless Western Pleasure. In their first show together, Taylor and “Junior” were the Tulsa March Mania Circuit Champions in the Youth Western Pleasure 14-18. Last year, Taylor was World Champion in Youth Hunter Under Saddle with her former horse, Done Up Fancy. Simons said that Taylor is doing a really good job learning the all-around western events on her new horse.
Youth exhibitor Hannah Stephens from Virginia recently made a horse change and will be showing Sensational Hannah at the APHA Youth World in the hunter under saddle, western pleasure, and Showmanship. At the 2010 world show, “Hannah” was third in the three year-old western pleasure. Sensational Hannah won numerous futurity champions in 2 year-old western pleasure before entering Simons’ barn early in her three year-old year. They will gradually add classes when they are ready as the mare looks to have tremendous potential in trail and a nicely started lead change. Simons is looking forward to this new team doing well at all the major shows.
