40 Years of Rewarding Excellence

For 40 years now, National Snaffle Bit Association has been rewarding excellence among the association's most accomplished horses and members; this year is no different. NSBA members celebrated the accomplishments from the past year tonight at the NSBA Honors Banquet. The individuals recognized celebrated milestones both in and out of the arena, including service awards, scholarships, and lifetime achievement awards. The night was filled with fun, celebration, and reflection on the past year. The NSBA welcomed war hero, Will Summers, for the evening to share his story and demonstrate the values of the NSBA.

Scholarship Recipients

Left to right: Will Summers, keynote speaker; Nancy Ditty, NSBA Foundation Board Member; Nick Culwell, recipient; Sydney Sargent, finalist; Anna Minich, finalist; JR Pickard, finalist; Beth Hartman, NSBA Foundation Chairman (not pictured: Alexis Potts, Olivia Wynn)

Quarter Million Dollar Club Inductees

Left to right: Sara Simons, Keith Miller, Charlie Cole, Casey Willis, Allison McDonald

Million Dollar Club Inductees

Left to right: Gil Galyean, Charles Cannizzaro, Jay Starnes, Jackie Starnes, Rusty Green

Horse of the Year

If Im Honest

Show Horse of the Year

Owned by the Shoemake/Dole Partnership

2016 AQHA gelding If Im Honest, owned by the Shoemake-Doles Partnership and shown by Evie Doles, Chris and Melissa Jones, was bred by Fritz Leeman and is by How Bout This Cowboy and out of Who Could Be Certain.

What started as “Plan B” for Evie, who lost her show horse unexpectedly, ended with Evie showing ‘Moose’ in Youth Showmanship, Performance Halter Geldings, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation and Horsemanship, while Melissa Jones showed him in Hunter Under Saddle and Chris Jones added Western Riding. Some highlights for this team include winning the Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6 Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and the Level 1 Senior Western Riding just moments apart at the 2022 NSBA World Championship Show, and Evie and Moose being named the 2022 Youth 15-18 High Point champions at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

Lafitte De Muze

Hunter Jumper Horse of the Year

Accepted by Keith Miller for owner Cheryl Osten

Belgian Warmblood gelding Lafitte De Muze, owned by Cheryl Olsten and shown by trainer Amanda Steege, has been named the 2022 Hunter Jumper Horse of the Year. Lafitte, Amanda and Cheryl in just three months accumulated wins in Performance Hunter 3’6”, Performance Hunter 3’6” Handy, 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby and High Performance/Performance Hunter 3’6” at the World Equestrian Center-Ocala’s Winter Spectacular series, and won more than $22,300 in NSBA earnings.

This hunter jumper superstar also has a charitable component - Cheryl donates Lafitte’s earnings to the Equus Foundation, and he is also the first Equine Ambassador for the Foundation, raising awareness of the group’s cause and fundraising efforts. Through Amanda and Lafitte’s competitive efforts, Lafitte has been able to provide earnings from his wins at HITS On The Hudson, the Capital Challenge, the National show in Kentucky and the Hunter Spectacular in Florida, among others.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Jon Barry

Leo Barbera President's Award

About the Leo Barbera President's Award

This award is presented annually by the current NSBA President to an individual who has displayed extraordinary contributions to the National Snaffle Bit Association.

Margaret Fauber

Legacy Award

Margaret grew up with horses, and became involved again when her daughters, Marne and Erin, began showing and winning major events and national AQHA awards. It was during one of their trips to the Florida Gold Coast that an old acquaintance – Leo Barbera - was talking about a new organization – NSBA - with Carol Harris, and Margaret listened intently.

When Margaret suggested that her state association, the Ohio Quarter Horse Association, add an NSBA futurity class to the All American Quarter Horse Congress, she was told the class would need to have a sponsor. Margaret approached a client with her family’s business, AMCOR, that happened to be the Ford Motor Company. She flew to Detroit, Michigan, met with officials and obtained the sponsorship. With Margaret’s help, the first guaranteed added money NSBA class was added to the Congress, providing NSBA with the visibility and legitimacy early in the association’s history.

About the Legacy Award

This award honors horses or people who have made, over a period of years, a significant and lasting contribution to the show horse industry. Emphasis is placed on the individual’s contributions to the betterment of the show horse industry, their ability to demonstrate integrity and reward those who have made a lasting impact on the direction of the industry.

Carrie Oakley

Jack Benson Service Award

Carrie shared her love of horses with her father, Victor Clotts, and grew up showing All Around classes in Southern California. Together, father and daughter owned not only owned NSBA Hall of Fame show mare Delea Siemon, also NSBA Hall of Fame stallion Hotrodders Jet Set.

As a long-time breeder and exhibitor, Carrie had longed for a way to be able to give back to an association that she enjoyed when she was approached about joining the NSBA Foundation’s board of directors. She didn’t hesitate to jump in, and served on the board for six years, including serving as president in 2021. Carrie served on the NSBA Foundation’s board during a time of expansion of the association’s programs that included the Coaches Summit, Tomorrows Horsemen and the Cowgirls ROC awards. Carrie is a real estate agent with Ebby Halliday Realtors and equine insurance representative with Carrie Oakley Equine and Ranch Insurance.

About the Jack Benson Service Award

Named after the late NSBA member Jack Benson, the award is presented to an individual who unselfishly gives of his or her time to promote NSBA and its mission, and create greater interest in the pleasure horse industry. The award has been presented annually since 1989.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Patty Campbell

Individual Category

Patty Campbell, of Whitesboro, Texas, has been named to the 2023 inductee class of the National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame. The Wisconsin native grew up in training barns and learned from several of the best professionals in the industry before starting her own training business. She met her husband, Butch, while studying for her AQHA judge’s card and the couple married in 1998.

Patty served as the Sponsorship chairman as well as youth advisor and her passion soon gained her a position on the Executive Committee and eventually serving as NSBA president in 2014. While on the Executive Committee, Patty was instrumental in the purchase of the NSA office building in Illinois and also assisted in the Yearling Sale. She was instrumental in the addition of pattern classes to the NSBA World Championship Show. Patty remains a constant supporter of NSBA and its mission and continues to raise her hand to serve the association.

Vital Signs Are Good

Breeding Horse Category

Accepted by Charlie Cole for owner Theresa Moran

The late red roan AQHA mare Vital Signs Are Good was bred by Kristen Rinkenberger, and by Zippos Mr Goodbar and out of the mare Vitalism (An Awesome Mister out of Mint Zippo who is by Zippo Pine Bar). As a two year old, the mare who would be known as Lucy came into ownership by the Glover and Galyean family at the AQHA World Championship Show where her legendary career took off. In 2009, Kristen Galyean sold Lucy to Joe and Karen Moran of Laguna Hills, California, for their daughter, Theresa. In total, Lucy earned 3,097.5 AQHA points and $288,581 as well as 13 AQHA world championships, eight reserve world championships as well as numerous Honor Roll, Congress and futurity titles before she began her work in the breeding shed.

Throughout her broodmare career, Vital Signs Are Good was crossed on the leading stallions from both the AQHA and APHA registries, including Vested Pine, Lazy Loper, Blazing Hot, RL Best Of Sudden, One Hot Krymsun, Invitation Only, Zippos Sensation, Radical Rodder, Good I Will Be, Born To Be Blazing, Only In The Moonlite and No Doubt Im Lazy, and the result was almost always magical. In all, 19 of Vital Signs Are Good’s 24 offspring are AQHA point earners, whose total earnings are $525,455 and earning 5,050 AQHA points including 34 AQHA Superior awards and 43 Register of Merits. Her second and third generation of foals have won even more honors.

Cool Assets

Show Horse Category

Owned by Rebekah Kazakevicius 

AQHA gelding Cool Assets was bred by Tim and Barbara Delf of Blue Grass, Iowa. Cool Assets was the first foal out of the Delf’s mare, Goodbars Glamourgirl and by AQHA stallion Investment Asset. Cool Assets began his show career at the 2003 AQHA World Championship Show in Two Year Old Western Pleasure with owner Jennifer Stoenner, and soon caught the eye of trainer Beckey Schooler for her All Around Youth exhibitor client, Rebekah Kazakevicius.

Rebekah and ‘Nemo’ built on their Western Pleasure foundation and learned to love competing in many events together. Nemo would earn more than $45,000 in NSBA earnings and more than $26,000 in AQHA Incentive Fund and World Show earnings. He earned 595.5 AQHA Youth points and 229 AQHA Amateur points as well as 663 Open AQHA points and 254.2 NSBA points. Nemo won seven NSBA world championships including six in Hunter Under Saddle, one in Novice Amateur Western Riding and was also a NSBA stakes champion in Green Pattern Western. He also won three AQHA world championships and a reserve world title in Hunter Under Saddle and Western Riding as well as five Quarter Horse Congress championships and three reserve Congress titles in Hunter Under Saddle.

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About NSBA 

The National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation is the non-profit 501(c)3 arm of the National Snaffle Bit Association. Operating under a separate board of directors, the NSBA Foundation serves NSBA’s more than 20,000 members, the equine therapeutic community and the equine community at large through educational programming, scholarships, and financial assistance to equine professionals in crisis. The NSBA Foundation also works to keep animal welfare at the forefront of the equine industry. To learn more, please visit nsba.com/foundation.

About the NSBA Foundation

The National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation is the non-profit 501(c)3 arm of the National Snaffle Bit Association. Operating under a separate board of directors, the NSBA Foundation serves NSBA’s more than 20,000 members, the equine therapeutic community and the equine community at large through educational programming, scholarships, and financial assistance to equine professionals in crisis. The NSBA Foundation also works to keep animal welfare at the forefront of the equine industry. To learn more, please visit nsba.com/foundation.