The 2021 All American Quarter Horse Congress saw its final pleasure and pattern classes on Saturday in the Celeste Center as Amateur and futurity events closed out the 2021 show.
Tops In Trail
Non-Pro and Novice Horse Trail Stakes events rounded out the final Trail classes for the 2021 Congress.
In the Four and Five Year Old Non-Pro Trail Stakes, Julianna Blackburn-Baskin guided Been Sleepin to the win in the NSBA as well as the Super Sires divisions of the class, scoring a 224.5. “This is Marge, and she’s five years old,” Julianna said. “We bought her in March of 2020, and we started working on Horsemanship and added Trail. She is so soft and pretty, and she carries her head and neck so well. She’s easy to maneuver through the pattern, and that really helped me today.”
Julianna went into the class prepared. “Jeff Mellot and I had a plan going into the class,” she said. “I liked all of our lope-overs, because she can go so pretty over them. I was a little concerned about the walkover bridge to walkover to trot, because we haven’t seen that a lot this year. We are going on to the AQHA World Show, and I will show in the Level 1 Amateur, and Marge will show in Junior Trail.”
Nick Mayabb and Heza Flatliner earned the top score of 245.5 in the Three Year Old and Over $2,500 Novice Horse Open Trail Stakes class. They showed for owner Becky Crider Durrett. The four year old red roan gelding is by VS Flatline.
“Oscar was supposed to be my Versatility horse for the AQHA World Show last year, but he had a little injury and got quite a bit of time off,” Nick said. “This is just his third or fourth show back doing Trail.
He showed in the pleasure too and has done really well. He has the perfect stride for Trail, and he is such a pretty mover. I think he really earned some big scores in his lope-overs because he can show off his movement.”
Nick and Oscar will compete at the AQHA World Show in Level 1 and Junior Trail, and then watch for Oscar to team up in Non-Pro events with Becky.
Moose Gets The Win In Am Select Hunter Under Saddle
On just her second time showing If Im Honest and stealing him from her daughter, Evie Doles, Sarah Shoemake Doles came out at the top of the cards in Amateur Select Hunter Under Saddle.
With Sarah’s win, ‘Moose’ had won four classes at the Congress with three different riders. He won the 15-18 Hunter Under Saddle and NYATT Hunt Seat Equitation with Evie Doles, and Junior Western Riding with trainer Chris Jones.
“Early this spring I mentioned to Melissa Jones that I would like to show again,” Sarah said. “Melissa threw out the idea of me showing Moose at the Congress, and I hadn’t shown in Hunter Under Saddle in a long time, because I’ve been riding a few Western Pleasure prospects over the past few years.
“My only goal was to show at the Congress. It was so much fun, but I am not that seasoned so I thought I was messing him up. He was wonderful. Chris (Jones) told me ‘he’ll do his job, so you just get comfortable, so I did! Moose is one in a billion.”
Karen Zarda Is The Bridesmaid No More
Karen Zarda and Betcha Want This not only won the Amateur Select Hunt Seat Equitation, but with the win also cinched the Congress Amateur Select All Around award. “They just told me that I won the All Around,” Karen said. “I’ve been the bridesmaid so often. That feels really good to win.”
Karen bought her horse, known as Lewis, two year ago. “We won the world ttitle in Horsemanship, but we’ve been adding a few more events,” she said. “I call him a grumpy old man. He’s not used to moving forward and he hasn’t had an English saddle on him very much, so I was thrilled with our go.”
To obtain the All Around title, the duo won Horsemanship, placed sixth in Halter and fourth in Showmanship.
Shootin The Breeze and Shannon Brown Win NSBA Title in Amateur Western Riding
A former futurity horse, Shootin The Breeze has been working his way into pattern classes.
“We started him on Showmanship and Horsemanship and recently picked up Western Riding,” Shannon said.
The duo earned second in the AQHA portion of the class and the NSBA champion award. “Shooter was one of the younger ones in the class at five years old, and I was really happy with his go,” she said.
Enticed and Amber Pickard Takes Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle
Amber Hanson Pickard has been showing Enticed successfully throughout the summer show season and she ended the Congress with a win with the stallion in the Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle Futurity.
“Every time I show him, he gets stronger and better,” Amber said. “I also think he knows when we’re in the finals, because he really turns it on. He trotted big, he loped soft and just had a great presence to him – he was easy, and honestly, he was perfect.”
Enticed will go to the AQHA World Championship Show to show in Junior Hunter Under Saddle, and after that will be going to the breeding shed to begin his breeding career. “We’ll see if we get to bring him back out and show him some next year,” Amber said.
Good Ol Boys and Katie Cochran Pick Up Futurity Win #2
Katie Cochran swept the Two Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes classes by following up her recent win in the Limited Non-Pro division by winning the Non-Pro Two Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes on Saturday.
“He is just the easiest horse I’ve ever shown,” Katie said.
Rusty And Phoebe Win Three Year Old Western Pleasure Futurity
With two firsts and a second and a tiebreaking judge in their favor, Rusty Green and KM You Make It Easy won the Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity, showing for owner John McNichol. Between the Congress payout and the Southern Belle Breeders, the trio won more than $9,000 in the class.
“She is such a special horse, and she gets better every time I ride her,” Rusty said. “She’s by The Lopin Machine and out of the great mare KM Suddenly So Easy, and she wants to be a show horse. She loves to show.”
John McNichol was excited to get Phoebe, whom he bought in August. “Katie Green saw her, and she told us we had to have her,” John said. “I can’t wait to get to show her next year. I showed her in the Select at Ocala, and we won there. We’re going to the AQHA World Show too.”
Mastering The Masters
In the Masters Two Year Old Maiden Hunter Under Saddle Futurity, Allison McDonald guided Pick Me Tonight to win the class and $10,000 for first as well as an additional $5,000 as the highest placing Limited rider.
“I went from getting a brown ribbon with no medallion on it the other day to winning the whole class,” laughed Allison. “Freya is an APHA horse who is by Awesome All Night. Jeremy Price did the ground work on her, and he asked me if I’d be interested in showing her at the Congress. She came to me for a month before we went on our fall run of shows, and then back to Jeremy’s before we came here.
“She did everything well. Her ears were up the whole time, and she trotted and cantered very well. It was so easy for her. I could just put her in the spot and let her work.”
Gary Wasson bred and raised Freya and owns both her sire and dam. “I foaled her out, and I just always knew she was special,” Gary said. “I just turned 60 a few weeks ago and I finally raised a great one. It’s really gratifying.”
Gray noted that Freya is for sale, but he will campaign her at three year old futurities next year if she is not sold.
In the Masters Two Year Old Maiden Western Pleasure Futurity, Kenny Lakins showed Made Like No Other to the win, earning $25,000 for owners Melissa and William Wilkes.
“Scotty is by Machine Made and out of a Dont Skip Zip mare,” Kenny said. “We didn’t saddle him until January, and I didn’t ride him until February, and our goal originally was not to show this horse this year. But about April or May, he decided he wanted to be a show horse.”
The flashy sorrel stallion was easy to look at. “He’s such a strong colt, that he went slow all by himself,” Kenny said. “He doesn’t want to go fast. He showed fabulous, and I was very happy with his go.”
Melissa Wilkes added “We raised him and he’s always been super quiet. He’s out of one of our broodmares and he’s just phenomenal minded. Kenny will be showing him next year in the three year old events.”
In the Limited division of the class, Stephen Reams showed Shesa Classy Machine for Suzanne Geyer Lougee, earning $12,500 for the Congress placing and an additional $5,000 for the Limited win.
“This filly is by Machine Made and out of an RL Best Of Sudden mare, and we call her Stormy,” Steve said. “We got her from Bret and Candy Parrish. I just love her. She’s super sweet, and she has a super feel to her. She’s just a pleasure to ride, and she gets better each time we ride her.”
Stormy will be showing in Three Year Old Non-Pro events next year with Suzanne.
The All American Quarter Horse Congress wraps up on Sunday, October 24, with mounted shooting events, and the trade show remains open until 5:00 p.m. To view complete show results, please visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com
