The final Thursday of the 2021 All American Quarter Horse Congress found a morning of Trail and an afternoon with futurity classes along with Amateur and Select Amateur champions being crowned.
Anthony Montes And Rudy Win Senior Trail
Im Hott Youre Nott lived up to his name on Thursday as he and Anthony Montes scored a 249 in Senior Trail that couldn’t be topped.
“This was my first time to win Senior Trail here at the Congress, and it’s been something I wanted to accomplish,” Anthony said. “It’s always the biggest class here and been a goal for me for a while.”
The six year old gelding by VS Code Red and out of a Good Machine mare is known as Rudy, and is owned by Ingrid Miller. “I love how crafty he is,” Anthony said. “He can see and make decisions so far out, and he holds his head and neck so well. He’s good over poles and he’s almost cat-like. When he’s on, he’s on, and when I was walking down the chute, I could feel him raising his back to me and getting into show mode, and I knew he wa ready.”
Anthony talked about the transition for Western Pleasure horses into Trail. “It can be a smooth transition for some horses and harder for others, because it really depends on the horse,” Anthony said. “The horse that has a little longer stride has a little easier time, and those that are a little tighter-strided have a little harder time sometimes because they need to lengthen their stride to go over some of the obstacles.”
Paige And Pete Win Level 1 Amateur Trail
Paige Fox and her six year old gelding A Complete Repeat have only been doing Trail for a year and a half together, but they put together a great pattern and a 244.5 score to win Level 1 Amateur Select Trail. It was Paige’s first Congress championship.
“We only show Trail,” Paige said. “I love the pattern and having to think about the next move. The part of this pattern I was most worried about was getting the lead leg over the pole in the box since he’s not a small horse, and keeping pace in the lope-overs. It felt like a good pattern, but I didn’t realize how good until after the class.”
Paige has shown around the Midwest, and will be competing at the AQHA World Championship Show for the first time next month.
Doreen Moore And Leia Take Level 1 Amateur Select Trail Title
Doreen Moore has had her show partner, Im Pretty Lazy, for two years, but she official became Leia’s owner a few weeks ago.
“I had leased Leia from Teresa Kohman during that time and was able to buy her,” she said. “She’s a great horse, and I’m lucky to have her. I had showed Trail for about three years, but my other horse was retired. Leia is very good at Trail, and I just had to step up to her plate.
“I just kept telling myself to put her in the right spots and take your time. It still doesn’t seem real that we won the Congress!”
Lacy Watson and Vinnie Win Amateur Hunter Under Saddle
Lacy Watson showed HBF Hot Expectations to win the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle, and no one could be happier than Celeste Fender, who bred and raised ‘Vinnie.’
“I owned momma and his grandma, and we chose Just Expect It as his sire because of the mind he puts on his babies,” Celeste said. “His dam is My Irons Are Hot and his grand dam is Secretariat mare who is a Congress top five producer. Vinnie is also a full double-registered horse with APHA too.”
Lacy has leased the five year old stallion from Celeste for two years. “He’s probably my favorite horse that I’ve shown,” Lacy said. “He is a stallion but he doesn’t act like one. He is the easiest horse in the Hunter Under Saddle. He’s very honest and he loves his job.
We’re both getting tired, and he was kind of hanging on the bit, so we changed bridles between the go and finals, and that worked out well.”
Amy Edmondson And Cheeks Win Level 1 Amateur Select Hunter Under Saddle
Amy Edmondson earned her first Congress championship on Thursday showing a horse she bought last year as a long two year old. She showed All About The Bay to win the Level 1 Amateur Select Hunter Under Saddle.
“This is just our second horse show,” Amy said. “We showed in September in Michigan and then came here. He’s a super fun horse. He’s a goofball on the ground, but he knows his job and just does it. He loves Clementines.
“In the finals, there was lots of traffic, so you couldn’t just pick a spot and stay there. You had to plan ahead and stay on it to be out and be seen but not run anyone over. Cheeks was solid, happy and listened to everything I asked of him. He was very good.”
Amber Pickard And BeBe Win Two Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Stakes
Following up their win at the Tom Powers Triple Challenge Futurity and a third place finish at the NSBA World Championship Show, Amber Hanson Pickard and Big Game Changer came into the Celeste Center and won the Two Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Stakes on Thursday.
“BeBe is by Good Better Best and out of Artfully Blazing. Brett and Michelle Husky bred her, and another customer, Sara Jackson-Vance bought her,” Amber said.
“I started her and she’s really an old soul. She goes around so soft. She’s been at the Congress for two weeks now and she still went around doing her job. She was good in the hock and had a great top line.”
The All American Quarter Horse Congress continues through Sunday, October 24. To view the show schedule, show results or view the live video feed, please visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com.
