Sunday, August 13, included a little of everything in the Ford Truck Arena from Pleasure Driving to world championship and Breeder Champions Futurity classes.
Driving Home Champions
In the Open Pleasure Driving, Chuck Briggs drove That Is That for owner Michael Schultz to the world championship title and $1,052 while Morgan Jennings was in the cart for the world championship in Amateur Pleasure Driving with Presidential Order.
“I started leasing ‘Abe’ early last year,” Morgan said. “We do the Driving, Hunter Under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation. This was my first time at the NSBA World Show in a long time. We went to the Little Buckeye show and were circuit champions there, and did Show Your Colors.
“For me, Pleasure Driving a different kind of communication with your horse. You have to rely on vocal commands and your hands, and trust them to move out when you ask for it and come back when you need to, and get those transitions. It’s just a special communication.”
Rockin Two World Titles
Rockin The Goods earned two world championship titles on Sunday between trainer Beth Case and Amateur Kara Flentje. Beth was in the irons to win the Three Year Old Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle, while Kara won the Breeders Championship Futurity Three Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.
“He’s really been through a lot and kind of got here against the odds. Debbie Hodde had bought Zeke as a weanling from Nancy Sue Ryan, then then he got really sick,” Beth said of the Good Better Best gelding. “He had pneumonia and he almost died. He lived in the pasture for a long time. Scott Jones had him for a while, and Kelby Hutchinson had him for a while and I just got him in February.
“With all the doctoring he had done when he was young, he wasn’t very trusting, so I would give him treats and do all the things you’re not supposed to do to earn his trust. He’s really come along. He has a cool look when he lays his neck out there and goes.”
A Win For Finn
Susan Bankord has loved TWF Only The Roanly, known as Finn, since he was two year old, and she has made the most of an opportunity to lease the five year old gelding by The Wow Factor.
“I had the opportunity to ride him and I thought he was the coolest horse I’ve ever ridden,” Susan said.
“This is our first NSBA World Show together, and our first world championship here. He was really good, and he was perfectly prepared by Tim and Shannon Gillespie. He listened to me the whole way. It was one of my best rides I’ve ever had with him.”
Riding On Air
Sara Simons describes Air Ryde as the ‘jack of all trades and the master of all.’ She and Air Ryde won the world title in the Maturity Open Western Pleasure for owner Anita Weiscamp. “He shows in Western Pleasure, Trail, Western Riding and Amateur Halter,” she said.
“For him to come in and win this class, that I think is the toughest class of the horse show to win, I just couldn’t be more pleased.
“When you think about how many world champions and talented riders were in this class, any one of them could win it. But he always goes out and puts his ears up and is just happy to do his job. He’s super smooth, and he lopes a 10 and jogs a 10.”
One Trip, One Win For Waffles and JR
JR Pickard may have only been able to show in one class at the NSBA World Championship Show before starting college, but he made the most of his trip around the arena by riding Waffle House to win the Three Year Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
‘Waffles’ has had a winning summer, but JR felt that he and the mare by The Born Legacy have come together as a team. “I definitely have more buttons now,” he laughed. “I have brakes and I can steer her. I can’t wait to keep showing her and get better together. And I get to keep her. That doesn’t happen very often when you’re a trainer’s kid.”
JR, the son of Katy Jo (Tim) Zuidema and Dwayne Pickard had to start at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, where he will major in animal science
Made Some Money Lives Up To Her Name
Made Some Money and Beckey Schooler won the Color Breeders Championship Futurity Three Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure and definitely earned some money for owner Lisa Walter.
“We bought her a year ago from Daren Putnam,” Beckey said. “She won the Congress last year. She’s as solid as a rock. She profiles great, puts her ears up and in this class she was with me every step.”
‘Sage’ is by Machine Made and out of Put Me On The Rail. “She’s also showing in Non-Pro classes with Lisa, and we’re starting her All Around career. She has seven classes here at the NSBA World Show.”
In the same class, Yearling Sale Graduate Flat Out The Best, shown by Jennifer Burton for Lara Simmons, placed ninth, qualifying for a portion of the nearly $200,000 additional purse available to two and three year old sale graduates. Graduates who declare a BCF class to compete in and place in the top ten qualify for the additional graduate’s purse.
A Color-Coded Win
A familiar face and a familiar horse teamed up to become BCF champions in the Color Breeders Championship Futurity Four to Six Year Old Western Pleasure when Kent Ray Taylor showed Never Have I Ever to the win.
“I’ve been obsessed with Madonna since she was two years old,” Kent Ray said. “She’s kind, she’s beautiful and she’s had two gorgeous babies already. I was nervous to show her today, because I haven’t ridden her very much, but she was so fun to show. She’s pronbably the most honest horse I’ve ever ridden.
“It took a while, but I was so happy to get her bought last year. We’re enjoying this last year for her in the BCF, since she’s six years old this year.”
Sibling Support
In Novice Amateur Western Pleasure, a relatively new partnership led to a world championship title when Morgan Peacock rode Miss Southern Charm to the win.
“We just bought ‘Lollipop’ at the Premier,” she said. “My brother is RJ King, and I had asked him to find me a Western Pleasure horse to show. We had leased her and then got her bought. She’s five years old and she’s by A Southern Thing. Bill and Cindy Cosentino bred her. She’s just fun to ride and show and she has a great personality. I was nervous to show her today, but she was so soft and came back to my legs so well.”
Other Sunday champions included the Color Breeders Championship Futurity Two Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle champions Extremely Custom and Farley McLendon, showing for Rebecca Edward, and Only Ride The Best, shown by Caroline Cavallo to win the Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.
To view complete show results, see the NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity schedule or view the live video feed, please visit nsba.com. The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity continues through Sunday, August 20.
